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 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kwon (US Pub. No. 2021/0323417).
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses An electric vehicle comprising: a drive wheel (at least Abst, fig 7, “front-wheel” and “rear-wheel” motors); an electric motor (at least 31, fig 7) serving as a power source; a power transmission device configured to transmit a power of the electric motor to the drive wheel (at least 31a); a driving battery (at least 100, fig 7) that is to be connected to an external charger so as to be charged; an electric-power control device configured to control an electric power transferred between the battery and the electric motor (generally at 200); a connector (generally at 220) connecting between the electric-power control device and an electrical wire (generally at 400) that is connected to the battery; a relay box (“box” disclosed at least as part of 210; relay discussed in paragraph 54) configured to switch power supply paths to the battery in accordance with the electric power of the external charger; and a power source compartment (generally front engine compartment, left side of fig 7) which houses a drive apparatus including the electric motor and the power transmission device and which is provided on one of opposite sides of a driver's seat compartment in a longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle, wherein the electric-power control device, the connector and the relay box are disposed in the power source compartment, and wherein the connector is located adjacent to the relay box and is located between the relay box and the driver's seat compartment in the longitudinal direction (at least figs 1, 3 and 7 in view of discussion above).
Regarding claim 3, Kwon discloses wherein the power source compartment is provided on a front side as the one of the opposite sides of the driver's seat compartment in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the connector is located adjacent to a rear end of the relay box in the longitudinal direction (at least fig 7).
Regarding claim 4, Kwon discloses wherein the battery is located on a lower side of the driver's seat compartment in a vertical direction of the electric vehicle (at least fig 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 5 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art when taken alone or in combination does not appear to teach or fairly suggest at this time The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric-power control device and the relay box are located adjacent to the drive apparatus, and a terminal block is located between the electric-power control device and the relay box, wherein the power supply paths include a first supply path that is to be connected and disconnected in accordance with the electric power of the external charger, a second supply path that is connected irrespective of the electric power of the external charger, and a third supply path that is to be connected and disconnected in accordance with the electric power of the external charger, and wherein the terminal block includes: a first terminal connecting between a first connector wire connected to the connector and a first power wire connected to the electric-power control device; a second terminal connecting between a second connector wire connected to the connector and a second power wire connected to the electric-power control device; a third terminal connecting between the first supply path and a third power wire that is connected to the electric-power control device and the first power wire; a fourth terminal connecting between the second supply path and a fourth power wire that is connected to the electric-power control device and the second power wire; and a fifth terminal connecting between the third supply path and a fifth power wire that is connected to the first power wire through the electric motor and the electric-power control device; or The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a charging inlet which is provided in an outer plate that defines the power source compartment, and which is to be connected to the external charger; and a second connector in addition to the connector as a first connector, the second connector connecting between the relay box and an electrical wire that is connected to the charging inlet, wherein the first connector and the second connector are arranged side by side on one of opposite sides of the relay box.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB B MEYER whose telephone number is (571)270-3535. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9-7.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J Allen Shriver can be reached at 303.297.4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JACOB B. MEYER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3613
/JACOB B MEYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613