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
Claims 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 and 11-13 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chelminski (US 4,266,844) in view of Wu et al. (WO 2018/067104) and Anderson (US 1,949,596).
Regarding claim 1, Chelminski discloses a power plug with thermal-insulation function, comprising: an output connector (28) having a wire connecting end (46); an internal module (40) having an outer surface and enclosing the wire connecting end of the output connector; a housing (12) enclosing the outer surface of the internal module; and an external module (62) enclosing the housing and the internal module, wherein the housing (12) is made of a flexible material (stainless steel, process of manufacturing) and is enclosed by the external module (62).
Chelminski discloses substantially the claimed invention except for the recesses/gas cells formed on the internal module. Wu teaches an internal module (106+104) having an internal surface (bottom of 104) and an outer surface (top of 106), wherein a plurality of recesses (109) are concavely formed on the outer surface of the internal module without extending through the internal surface (at 104, see also Fig. 6); wherein a plurality of closed gas cells (voids contain gas, paragraph 0017) are formed between the housing (102, 665) and the plurality of recesses. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to use recesses, as taught by Wu, in order to control the transfer of heat.
Chelminski does not disclose the housing being entirely enclosed by the external module. Anderson teaches an external module (30) entirely enclosing the housing (22). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to form the enclosure entirely enclosing the housing, as taught by Anderson, in order to fully protect the housing from the outside.
Regarding claim 4, Chelminski discloses a plurality of trenches (at 36) concavely formed on a surface of the housing and are arranged at intervals (Fig. 1).
Claims 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chelminski , Wu and Anderson, and further in view of Liu et al. (US 2022/0238412).
Regarding claim 7, Liu teaches gas cells filled with inert gas (paragraph 0028). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to form the gas cells filed with inert gas, as taught by Liu, in order better control temperature in the desire range.
Regarding claim 10, Chelminski discloses a plurality of rubber rings (part of 62, around 34), wherein each of the rubber rings is sleeved around and mounted to an outer part of the housing, wherein each of the rubber rings is mounted at one of two ends of the housing.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection, as applied.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)727-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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