DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 06/25/26 is acknowledged.
Claim 16 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method for disposing a battery, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/25/26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pedziwiatr (US 10,112,221 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Pedziwiatr discloses a disposal system (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) for battery, comprising:
a moving mechanism (Fig.3:28 and 50);
an accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:12), comprising a first side and a second side that are
opposite each other along a length direction of the accommodating mechanism;
a plurality of immersion mechanisms (Fig.1:62), arranged in sequence along the length direction
of the accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:P), wherein the plurality of immersion mechanisms are movably connected to the accommodating mechanism in a direction of the first side pointing toward the second side, and the immersion mechanism accommodates an immersion liquid; and
a transfer mechanism (Fig.1:60), arranged opposite the first side of the accommodating mechanism, and configured to transfer waste of a battery to the immersion mechanisms, wherein the waste is immersed in the immersion liquid;
wherein the accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:12) is provided in plurality; the plurality of
accommodating mechanisms are arranged along a width direction of the accommodating
mechanisms; and in adjacent two of the accommodating mechanisms, the second side of one of
the accommodating mechanisms is opposite the first side of another one of the accommodating
mechanisms; and
the moving mechanism (Fig.3:28 and 50) is configured to move the immersion mechanism that is in one of the accommodating mechanisms and near the second side to the first side of another one of
the accommodating mechanisms, and relocate the waste that is in the immersion mechanism.
Regarding claim 2, Pedziwiatr discloses that the immersion mechanism (Fig.1:62) comprises a first communicating portion (Fig.6:38 and 82), wherein the first communicating portion is configured to communicate the accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) with the immersion mechanism to allow the immersion liquid to flow between the accommodating mechanism and the immersion mechanism.
Regarding claim 3, Pedziwiatr discloses that the accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:12) comprises an accommodating portion and a conveying portion, the conveying portion being arranged in the accommodating portion, and the accommodating portion accommodating the immersion liquid; and
the immersion mechanism (Fig.1:62) comprises:
an immersion portion (Fig.6:78) arranged inside the accommodating portion, wherein the
immersion portion (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) is provided with the first communicating portion to allow the immersion liquid to flow between the accommodating portion and the immersion portion; and
a moving portion (Fig.6:67), configured to carry the immersion portion to move in the
accommodating portion;
wherein the conveying portion (Fig.6:84) drives the moving portion to move so that the immersion mechanism moves relative to the accommodating portion.
Regarding claim 4, Pedziwiatr discloses that the accommodating mechanism (Fig.1:12) comprises a guide portion (Fig.1:57) that extends along the length direction of the accommodating mechanism, the guide portion is connected (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) to the accommodating portion, the guide portion is movably connected to the moving portion, and the guide portion is configured to limit the moving portion in the width direction.
Regarding claim 5, Pedziwiatr discloses that the immersion portion (Fig.6:78) comprises a bottom wall and a side wall (Fig.5:66 and 67), wherein the bottom wall is rotatably connected (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) to the side wall, so that the bottom wall and the side wall enclose an immersion cavity to carry the waste; or the bottom wall and the side wall are separated to release the waste.
Regarding claim 6, Pedziwiatr discloses that the immersion portion (Fig.6:78) further comprises a top wall, the top wall (Fig.5:70 and 74) being arranged on a side of the side wall that faces away from the bottom wall, and the top wall is configured to cover the immersion cavity (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26).
Regarding claim 7, Pedziwiatr discloses that the transfer mechanism (Fig.1:60) comprises two collection members (Fig.5:68 and 80) that are opposite each other, the two collection members being rotatably connected to each other so that the two collection members move toward each other and come together to form a collection cavity (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) for carrying the waste, or the two collection members move away from each other to release the waste into the immersion mechanism.
Regarding claim 10, Pedziwiatr discloses that the transfer mechanism (Fig.1:60) comprises a second communicating portion (Fig.5:90), wherein the second communicating portion communicates the collection cavity with the immersion mechanism to allow the immersion liquid to flow between the immersion mechanism and the collection cavity (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26).
Regarding claim 11, Pedziwiatr discloses that the disposal system for battery further comprises a drying mechanism (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26), wherein the moving mechanism is configured to transfer the immersion mechanism to an inlet of the drying mechanism, and the waste in the immersion mechanism is released to the inlet of the drying mechanism and dried by the drying mechanism.
Regarding claim 12, Pedziwiatr discloses that the drying mechanism further comprises a reflux assembly (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) configured to make the immersion liquid produced by the drying mechanism flow back to the immersion mechanism.
Regarding claim 13, Pedziwiatr further discloses an exhaust mechanism (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26), wherein the exhaust mechanism is opposite the accommodating mechanism and located above the accommodating mechanism, and the exhaust mechanism is configured to convey gases from the accommodating mechanism to an external environment.
Regarding claim 14, Pedziwiatr discloses that the exhaust mechanism (Fig.1:10 and col.5, lines 35 through col.8, line 26) is opposite the first side and/or second side of the accommodating mechanism.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior art found (Pedziwiatr), and upon additional searches do not teach or fairly suggest providing the recited transfer mechanism and the collection members. In addition, the closest prior art found (Pedziwiatr), and upon additional searches do not teach or fairly suggest providing an adjustment mechanism to the combined structural limitations of the disposal system of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONZER R CHORBAJI whose telephone number is (571)272-1271. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 5:30-12:00 and 6:00-9:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jill J Warden can be reached at (571)272-1267. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MONZER R CHORBAJI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1799
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