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
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Moseke (DE 102016105347 A)(English Translated).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Moseke teaches electric vehicle charging connector (3), comprising:
contact elements (31/32) that are electrically connected to a cable (21/22), wherein the contact elements (31/32) comprise a block portion (311) and at least one contact finger (312) extending from the block portion (311); a cooling tube (25/26) for forced cooling, the cooling tube (25/26) comprising a liquid coolant is configured for cooling at least the contact elements (31/32); wherein the cooling tube (25/26) is fluidly connected to an internal cooling channel (317) of each of the contact elements (31/32); wherein the cooling channel (317) extends from the block portion (311) into the contact finger (312) so that both parts are cooled by the cooling fluid.
In Regards to Claim 2:
Moseke teaches the electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein an exit of the cooling channel (317) of the block portion (311) is connected to a cable jacket of the cables so that the cooling fluid cools the cables (21/22) at a return flow.
In Regards to Claim 3:
Mosek teaches the electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channels (317) in the block portion (311) provide a communication channel (318) with which the cooling fluid partly bypasses the cooling channel (317) of the contact finger (312).
In Regards to Claim 4:
Mosek teaches the electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3, wherein the communication channel (318) has a smaller cross section than the cooling channel (317) of the block portion (311) and/or the contact finger (312).
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 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moseke (DE 102016105347 A)(English Translated) in view of Lyon (US 10,449,871 B1).
In Regards to Claim 5:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Moseke does not teach wherein the cooling channels have one of a circular-, a teardrop-, a diamond-, a square- or an ellipse-shaped cross-section.
Lyon teaches wherein the cooling channels (430) have one of a circular-, a teardrop-, a diamond-, a square- or an ellipse-shaped cross-section.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Lyon's teaching of the use of the cooling channels shaped cross-section as a modification in the Moseke electric vehicles charging system in order to provide high power transfer levels over sustained periods of time for reducing charging durations (Col 1, line 37-39).
In Regards to Claim 7:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Moseke does not teach wherein the contact element comprises at least two pieces that are joined together by brazing or welding.
Lyon teaches wherein the contact element comprises at least two pieces that are joined together by brazing or welding (Col 6, line 54-65, the power terminal 304 is composed of one or more metals. For example, the block 404, or at least the termination pad surface 426 thereof, may be composed of copper. The copper of the termination pad surface 426 may enable a strong welded connection to the conductor(s) 428 of the power cable 108 which may also be copper).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Lyon's teaching of the use of the contact element as a modification in the Moseke electric vehicles charging system in order to provide high power transfer levels over sustained periods of time for reducing charging durations (Col 1, line 37-39).
In Regards to Claim 8:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Moseke does not teach wherein the cooling channel in the finger has a meander or spiral design.
Lyon teaches wherein the cooling channel (110) in the finger has a meander or spiral design.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Lyon's teaching of the use of the cooling channels as a modification in the Moseke electric vehicles charging system in order to provide high power transfer levels over sustained periods of time for reducing charging durations (Col 1, line 37-39).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moseke (DE 102016105347 A)(English Translated) in view of Markus (DE 102019214024 A1)(English Translation).
In Regards to Claim 6:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Moseke does not teach wherein the contact element is a single 3D-printing part.
Markus teaches wherein the contact element is a single 3D-printing part (Page 8, In an alternative embodiment not shown, the T-piece 50 and / or the partition 60 as an integral part of the contact protection 8th be manufactured using 3D printing or other generative manufacturing processes.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Markus's teaching of the use of the contact element as a modification in the Moseke electric vehicles charging system in order to provide simpler manufacturing.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moseke (DE 102016105347 A)(English Translated) in view of Cao (WO 2017143295 A1).
In Regards to Claim 9:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Moseke does not teach wherein contact finger has a flat shape.
Cao teaches wherein contact finger (28) has a flat shape.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Cao's teaching of the use of the contact finger as a modification in the Moseke electric vehicles charging system in order to provide a connector part with a contact element which can have a high current carrying capacity, for example for use in a charging system for charging an electric vehicle (Moseke).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NADER J ALHAWAMDEH whose telephone number is (571)270-0571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9Am - 6Pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NADER J ALHAWAMDEH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831