DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 10/4/2023. Claims 1-20 are pending for prosecution below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) file on have been considered by the examiner. An initialed copy is attached herewith.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6,8-14,16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Silva et al, (Silva), (USNO.2022/0149641).
As for claim 1, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 a stacking adaptor for power station expansion batteries comprising: a main body having an upper surface and a lower surface; at least one cutout formed (ref’s male connector) in the lower surface and configured to receive a handle of a first power station expansion battery; and at least one opening formed (ref’s female connector) in the upper surface and configured to seat a second power station expansion battery thereon (par.[0057-0058,0071]).
As for claim 2, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 the upper surface comprises: a first section; anda second section with a different shape from the second section. a first section; and a second section with a different shape from the second section
As for claim 3, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 the first section of the upper surface is oval-shaped; andthe second section of the upper surface is flat
As for claim 4, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 the at least one opening formed in the upper surface comprises two openings
As for claim 5, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 a raised section extending from the upper surface between the two openings
As for claim 6, Silva discloses and shows in Fig. 9 the at least one cutout formed in the lower surface comprises four cutouts
As for claim 8, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 a power station assembly comprising: an inverter power station (within ref’s main unit); first and second power station expansion batteries, each of the first and second power station expansion batteries configured to stack on the inverter power station and comprising at least one handle; and at least one stacking adaptor configured to enable stacking of the first and second power station expansion batteries, each stacking adaptor of the at least one stacking adaptor comprising a main body, the main body comprising: a lower surface comprising at least one cutout (ref’s male connector) configured to fit on each handle of the at least one handle of the first power station expansion battery one and separately fit on each handle of the at least one handle of the second power station expansion battery; and an upper surface comprising at least one opening (ref’s female connector) configured to seat the second power station expansion battery stacked thereon and to separately seat the first power station expansion battery stacked thereon (par.[0057-0058,0071]).
As for claim 9, Silva discloses and shows in Fig. 9 at least one handle of the first and second power inverter expansion batteries comprises two handles; and the at least one stacking adaptor comprises two stacking adaptors (via the bottom sides of the expansion modules).
As for claim 10, Silva discloses and shows in Fig. 8 the inverter power station and the first and second power station expansion batteries are configured to be positioned in a stacked configuration in which either the first power station expansion battery is stacked on the inverter power station, the two stacking adaptors are positioned on a respective handle of the two handles of the first power station expansion battery, and the second power station expansion battery is stacked on the two stacking adaptors or the second power station expansion battery is stacked on the inverter power station, the two stacking adaptors are positioned on a respective handle of the two handles of the second power station expansion battery, and the first power station expansion battery is stacked on the two stacking adaptors
As for claim 11, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 wherein the upper surface of each stacking adaptor of the at least one stacking adaptor comprises: an oval-shaped section; anda flat section
As for claim 12, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 the at least one opening formed in the upper surface of each stacking adaptor of the at least one stacking adaptor comprises two openings formed in the flat section of the upper surface
As for claim 13, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 each of the first and second power station expansion batteries comprises a plurality of feet, each foot of the plurality of feet comprising at least one base and an-arc-shaped cutout;the arc-shaped cutout of each foot of the plurality of feet of the first and second power station expansion batteries is configured to sit on the oval-shaped section of the upper surface of each stacking adaptor of the at least one stacking adaptor; and the at least one base of each foot of the plurality of feet of the first and second power station expansion batteries is configured to sit in the two openings formed in the flat section of the upper surface of the stacking adaptor
As for claim 14, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 the stacking adaptor comprises a raised section formed in the flat section of the upper surface of the stacking adaptor and extending between the two openings
As for claim 16, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 a method of stacking expansion batteries on a power station, the method comprising: positioning an inverter power station (within ref’s main unit) on a surface; stacking a first power station expansion battery on the inverter power station, the first power station expansion battery comprising at least one handle; positioning a separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the first power station expansion battery, each separate stacking adaptor comprising a main body, the main body comprising: positioning an inverter power station on a surface; stacking a first power station expansion battery on the inverter power station, the first power station expansion battery comprising at least one handle; positioning a separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the first power station expansion battery, each separate stacking adaptor comprising a main body, the main body comprising: a lower surface comprising at least one cutout (ref’s male connector) positioned on a respective handle of the at least one handle of the first power station expansion battery; and an upper surface comprising at least one opening (ref’s female connector) configured to seat a second power station expansion battery stacked thereon; and stacking the second power station expansion battery on each separate stacking adaptor (par.[0057-0058,0071])
As for claim 17, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 positioning the separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the first power station expansion battery comprises: positioning a first stacking adaptor on a first handle of the first power station expansion battery; and positioning a second stacking adaptor on a second handle of the first power station expansion battery; and stacking the second power station expansion battery on the first and second stacking adaptors
As for claim 18, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 positioning a separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the second power station expansion battery, each separate stacking adaptor comprising a main body, the main body comprising:a lower surface comprising at least one cutout positioned on a respective handle of the at least one handle of the second power station expansion battery; and an upper surface comprising at least one opening configured to seat a third power station expansion battery stacked thereon; andstacking the third power station expansion battery on each separate stacking adaptor
As for claim 19, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 positioning the separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the second power station expansion battery comprises:positioning a third stacking adaptor on a first handle of the second power station expansion battery; and positioning the separate stacking adaptor on each handle of the at least one handle of the second power station expansion battery comprises: positioning a third stacking adaptor on a first handle of the second power station expansion battery; and positioning a fourth stacking adaptor on a second handle of the second power station expansion battery; andstacking the third power station expansion battery on the third and fourth stacking adaptors.
As for claim 20, Silva discloses and shows in Figs. 3,8, and 9 electrically coupling the first power station expansion battery to the inverter power station; and electrically coupling the second power station expansion battery to the first power station expansion battery
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Silva in view of Montazeri, (USNO.2017/0094823).
As for claim 7 and 15, Silva discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose at least one cutout comprises at least one semicircular cutout and cutout of the stacking adaptor is a semicircular cutout
Montazeri discloses and showsin Figs. 5 and 16 at least one cutout (via magnets) comprises at least one semicircular cutout and cutout of the stacking adaptor is a semicircular cutout (par.[0073])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Silva by using at least one cutout comprises at least one semicircular cutout and cutout of the stacking adaptor is a semicircular cutout for advantages such as providing a secure support to the housing (par.[0077]), as taught by Montazeri.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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