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 with traverse of Species B in the reply filed on 23 February 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that all the claims are not mutually exclusive. This is not found persuasive because the different species require a different field of search (e.g.; search queries related to the sliding of Species A).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim 4 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 23 February 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12, 13, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In regards to claim 12, “a second cabinet housing” and “a second cabinet cover plate” are indefinite because “a first cabinet housing” and “a first cabinet cover plate” have not been previously recited. It is unclear if the inverter includes a first cabinet housing, and a first cabinet cover plate. It is suggest Applicant recite --a cabinet housing-- and --a cabinet cover plate--. Appropriate correction is required. Note claim terminology in claim 13.
In regards to claim 15, “a second cabinet main body”, “a second hanging plate”, “a second wiring hole”, and “a second blocking member” are indefinite because “a first cabinet main body”, “a first hanging plate”, “a first wiring hole”, and “a first blocking member” have not been previously recited. It is unclear if the inverter includes “a first cabinet main body”, “a first hanging plate”, “a first wiring hole”, and “a first blocking member”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 13 and 16 are rejected based on their respective dependencies.
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 1-3, 5, 10, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (US Pat. No. 6,172,875 B1).
In regards to claim 1, Suzuki teaches an inverter, comprising: a first cabinet (A) for being fixed on a mounting surface (i.e.; a wall); a second cabinet (B) for being fixed on the mounting surface; wherein the first cabinet is provided with a first connection terminal (42), the second cabinet is provided with a second connection terminal (44), the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are configured for plugging along a direction in which the first cabinet moves to the mounting surface (i.e.; transverse to 24), and the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are plugged with each other when the first cabinet is located on the mounting surface (i.e.; 42 and 44 are tongue 50 and groove 48 interconnections).
In regards to claim 2, Suzuki teaches the first cabinet comprises a first hanging plate (26) and a first cabinet main body (28), the first hanging plate is configured for being fixed on the mounting surface, the first hanging plate is provided with a hanging fixing position for hanging and fixing the first cabinet main body (i.e.; when latched), and the first connection terminal (42) is arranged on the first cabinet main body; wherein that the direction in which the first cabinet (A) moves to the mounting surface means the first cabinet main body moves to a direction of the hanging fixing position; that the first cabinet is located on the mounting surface means the first hanging plate is fixed on the mounting surface and the first cabinet main body is located at the hanging fixing position.
In regards to claim 3, Suzuki teaches the first hanging plate (26) further has a hanging position only for hanging the first cabinet main body (i.e.; when unlatched), and the first cabinet main body is movable between the hanging position and the hanging fixing position (via 62); the first connection terminal (42) and the second connection terminal (44) are configured for plugging along a direction in which the first cabinet main body moves from the hanging position to the hanging fixing position (i.e.; the transverse direction toward 24).
In regards to claim 5, Suzuki teaches when the first cabinet main body (28) is in the hanging fixing position, the first cabinet main body is detachably connected with the first hanging plate (26)(via 62); and the first connection terminal (42) is detachably plugged with the second connection terminal (44).
In regards to claim 10, Suzuki teaches the first cabinet comprises a first cabinet main body (28), on which the first connection terminal (42) is arranged; and the second cabinet comprises a second cabinet main body (28), on which the second connection terminal (44) is arranged; wherein one of the first cabinet main body and the second cabinet main body is embedded in the other of the first cabinet main body and the second cabinet main body (e.g.; via 87 and 107).
In regards to claim 14, Suzuki teaches the first cabinet comprises a first cabinet housing (28) and a first cabinet cover plate (56), wherein one side (30) of the first cabinet housing is opposite to the mounting surface, and the other side of the first cabinet housing is fixedly connected with the first cabinet cover plate; wherein the first connection terminal (42) is arranged in the first cabinet housing, and the first cabinet housing is provided with a first wiring hole (80) for a first cable (100) to pass through and a first blocking member (98) for sealing the first wiring hole.
In regards to claim 15, Suzuki teaches the second cabinet (B) comprises a second cabinet main body (28) and a second hanging plate (62), wherein the second hanging plate is configured for being fixed on the mounting surface, and the second cabinet main body is configured for being hung and fixed on the second hanging plate; wherein the second connection terminal (44) is arranged on the second cabinet main body, and the second cabinet main body is provided with a second wiring hole (80) for a second cable (100) to pass through and a second blocking member (98) for sealing the second wiring hole.
In regards to claim 16, Suzuki teaches the first cabinet comprises a first hanging plate (26) and a first cabinet main body (28), wherein the first hanging plate is configured for being fixed on the mounting surface and is provided with a hanging fixing position for hanging and fixing the first cabinet main body (i.e.; when latched), and the first connection terminal (42) is arranged on the first cabinet main body; that the direction in which the first cabinet moves to the mounting surface means the first cabinet main body moves to a direction of the hanging fixing position (i.e.; transverse to 24); that the first cabinet is located on the mounting surface means the first hanging plate is fixed on the mounting surface and the first cabinet main body is located at the hanging fixing position; wherein the second hanging plate and the first hanging plate have a separated structure.
In regards to claim 17, Suzuki teaches the plugging direction of the first connection terminal (42) and the second connection terminal (44) is perpendicular to the mounting surface.
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.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US Pat. No. 6,172,875 B1) in view of Lisitschew (US Pub. No. 2014/0144666 A1).
In regards to claim 18, Suzuki does not particularly teach the inverter of claim 1 used in a photovoltaic and energy storage system. However, Suzuki teaches the use in power supplies (see Field of Invention). Lisitschew an electronic device being an inverter for photovoltaics (Para. 0012).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date and with reasonable expectation of success to modify Suzuki’s inverter to be used in a photovoltaic and energy storage system as taught by Lisitschew. The motivation would be for the purpose of using Suzuki’s device in a variety of uses as desired as taught by Suzuki (see Field of Invention).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 11 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. Claims 12 and 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 prior art of record does not teach or suggest modifying Suzuki’s structure to include the limitations of Applicant’s claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the PTO-892 for additional prior art related to Applicant’s disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STANTON L KRYCINSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-5381. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10:00AM-5:00PM ET.
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/Stanton L Krycinski/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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