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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Blakborn et al. (US 20210226390 A1)
In regard to claim 1, Blakborn et al. discloses an energy storage connector 1, comprising:
an integrated socket 2, 3, the integrated socket comprising a socket body 30 and a rear-mounted insert 2 mounted at the socket body 30 and configured to be plugged with an energy storage device 15; and
a signal connector plug 8 (para.[0007]), the signal connector plug 8 comprising a signal plug body, one end of the signal plug body being detachably mounted at the socket body 3 and plugged with the rear-mounted insert 2, and another end of the signal plug body being configured to be plugged with a signal cable 31 (para.[0007]).
In regard to claim 3, Blakborn et al. discloses the socket body 30 is provided with a hanging slot 25; and one end of the rear-mounted insert 2 is detachably mounted in the hanging slot 25 and plugged with the one end of the signal plug body 8, and another end of the rear-mounted insert 2 is configured to be plugged with the energy storage device 15.
In regard to claim 17, Blakborn et al. discloses the integrated socket 2, 3 further comprises a plurality of insert nuts 19 integrally formed with the socket body by injection molding and configured to fix the energy storage device 15 (NOTE: The method of forming the device is not germane to the issue of patentability of the device itself. Therefore, the limitation “by rejection molding” has not been given patentable weight).
In regard to claim 18, Blakborn et al. discloses the socket body 30 is provided with: a first mounting surface (adjacent 28, 29); and a second mounting surface (bottom surface of 20) opposite to the first mounting surface and configured to be mounted to the energy storage device 15; the rear-mounted insert 2 is arranged at the second mounting surface; and the signal connector plug 8 is mounted at the first mounting surface.
Claim(s) 1, 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Milroy et L. (US 10511121 B2).
In regard to claim 1, Milroy et al. discloses an energy storage connector 110, comprising:
an integrated socket 120, the integrated socket comprising a socket body 130 and a rear-mounted insert 129 mounted at the socket body 130 and configured to be plugged with an energy storage device 101; and
a signal connector plug 170, the signal connector plug 170 comprising a signal plug body 177, one end of the signal plug body 177 being detachably mounted at the socket body 130 and plugged with the rear-mounted insert 129, and another end of the signal plug body 177 being configured to be plugged with a signal cable 160.
In regard to claim 2, Milroy et al. discloses the signal connector plug 170 further comprises a locking hook 180 and a plug case 181, and the locking hook and the signal plug body are both fixed at the plug case; the socket body 130 is provided with a protruding annular stopper 128, and an outer wall of the annular stopper is provided with a protruding locking block 127; and the one end of the signal plug body 177 is configured to be inserted into the annular stopper along a direction along which the locking block and the locking hook are arranged in sequence and abut against each other to clamp the one end of the signal plug body in the annular stopper.
Claim(s) 1, 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipator by Hanaoka et al. (US 9640920 B2).
In regard to claim 1, Hanaoka et al. discloses an energy storage connector 15, comprising:
an integrated socket 11, the integrated socket comprising a socket body 12 and a rear-mounted insert 17 mounted at the socket body 12 and configured to be plugged with an energy storage device 1 (at 15); and
a signal connector plug 30, the signal connector plug 30 comprising a signal plug body 31, one end of the signal plug body 31 being detachably mounted at the socket body 12 and plugged with the rear-mounted insert 17, and another end of the signal plug body 31 being configured to be plugged with a signal cable 32.
In regard to claim 3, Hanaoka et al. discloses the socket body 12 is provided with a hanging slot (where 20a and 20b are located); and one end of the rear-mounted insert 17 is detachably mounted in the hanging slot and plugged with the one end of the signal plug body 31, and another end of the rear-mounted insert is configured to be plugged with the energy storage device 1 (at 15).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-16 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
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Tdt
1/12/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834