DETAILED ACTION
This is on the merits of Application No. 18/427893, filed on 01/31/2024. Claims 1-4 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 02/13/2024 and 03/25/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
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 1-4 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.
Claim 1 states “a release section supported by the support portion”. A review of the specification par. [0057]-[0058] and drawings Figs. 9A-9B show that release section 23 has a fixed member 231, a pin member 232, and a biasing member 233, the fixed member 231 includes the support portion 231B. It is therefore unclear how the release section is supported by this support portion. It appears applicant may mean that the “movement section 22” supports the release section.
Claim 1 states “a support portion movable toward the restriction position”. It is unclear how the support position, which is part of the restriction releasing apparatus, can move toward the restriction position, which is used to describe a rotation section of a separate restriction apparatus.
Claim 3 states “the pin member is supported by the support portion so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, the first position being where the pin member protrudes toward the rotation section side, the second position closer to the support portion than the first position is to the support portion”. A review of the drawings and spec show in par. [0060] and Fig. 9A, the pin member 232 with a solid line showing the first position where the pin member protrudes toward the rotation section side and a dotted line in a second position. It is unclear how the second position can be considered “closer to the support portion than the first position”, especially when the first position shows the pin protruding through that section. The dotted line is not closer to the fixed member 231 than the first position and is away from the support portion 231B in parallel.
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected for depending on a rejected claim.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP63-070661 (cited in applicant’s IDS).
‘661 discloses:
(Claim 1 as best understood) A restriction releasing apparatus that releases restriction imposed by a restriction apparatus that restricts movement of a battery (14) from an inner position in a vehicle to an outer position by using a rotation section (20) that rotates between a restriction position and a non-restriction position (Fig. 2 solid line and dashed line), the restriction releasing apparatus comprising: a support portion (16, 17) movable toward the restriction position; and a release section (19) supported by the support portion, wherein the release section rotates the rotation section from the restriction position to the non-restriction position (see Fig. 2).
(Claim 2) wherein the release section includes a pin member (21) for rotating the rotation section by making contact with the rotation section.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al (US 20240234908) discloses a locking mechanism for battery pack.
Zhang et al (US 20240030541) discloses a locking mechanism for battery pack.
Zhang et al (US 20230191939) discloses a battery pack locking mechanism.
Huff et al (US 20190263269) discloses a mounting and dismounting system for a battery assembly.
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/TIMOTHY HANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655