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 .
Priority
2. Priority documents have not been received.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooke et al (5,032,952), herein after Cooke in view of Aylesbury (2023/0047076), hereinafter Aylesbury.
With respect to claim 1, Cooke teaches a socket with a fixing device (power supply 9 mounted within housing 1 by hinges 11 and fastener 13), the fixing device comprising: a connection mechanism (fastener 13 cooperating with fastener support 17), which is provided on one side of a mainbody of the socket (fastener 13 is mounted on one side of power supply 9, opposite the hinges as shown in figures 1-5) and is adapted to releasably connect the socket to a mounting object (fastener 13 is designed to screw and unscrew into fastener support 17 to lock and unlock fastener 13 from support 17: figures 5A and 5B), which the socket is to be mounted (power supply 9 is mounted within housing 1 – housing corresponds to mounting object) by means of a first fixing member (threaded fastener 13); and a pivot mechanism (hinges 11) which is provided between the other side of the mainbody opposite to the connection mechanism and the mounting object (hinges connect the opposite side of power supply 9 to housing 1), so that the socket is pivotable relative to the mounting object when released from the mounting object (a pivotable power supply 9 is pivotally mounted on hinges 11 and “To unlock power supply 9 and fastener 13 from support 17 the handle 27 is turned to unscrew fastener 13 from support 17. When the threaded portions of the fastener 13 and support 17 disengage spring 31 forces shaft 25 to the right as seen in FIG. 5B pulling the threaded end portion of shaft 25 well clear of the support 17. This movement of shaft 25 is required to allow the pivoting of power supply 9 around hinges 11 without shaft 25 contacting support 17, such contact would prevent or hinder pivoting of power supply 9.” – column 2, lines 45-51).
With respect to claim 2, Cooke teaches the power supply mounting device wherein the connection mechanism comprises a first through hole, and wherein the first fixing member is adapted to extend into the mounting object through the first through hole, so that the connection mechanism is releasably connected to the mounting object (column 2, lines 10-51 and figures 1-5B).
With respect to claim 3, Cooke teaches the pivot mechanism comprises: a first pivot part, which is provided on the mainbody; and a second pivot part, which is fixed on the mounting object by means of a second fixing member; wherein the first pivot part and the second pivot part cooperate with each other, so that the mainbody is pivotable relative to the mounting object when the first fixing member is removed. (power supply 9 is pivotally mounted on hinges 11; hinges support the power supply on housing 1; hing support 12 fits into hinge 11.
Cooke’s teachings fail to teach that the electrical component is a socket, wherein the socket includes a mainbody and it mounted to a mounting object.
With respect to claim 1, Aylesbury teaches a deployable electric vehicle charging point including a power distribution connector mounted to a post, the post being mounted in a housing about a pivotal axis and movable relative to the housing. (see claim 1, and paragraphs 0013 and 0021).
With respect to claim 7, Aylesbury teaches in claim 1, the socket, wherein the socket is a socket for an electric vehicle charging gun, and wherein the mounting object is a charging cabinet of the electric vehicle charging gun.
In view of Aylesbury’s teachings, it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to employ the charging socket of Aylesbury in the pivotal mounting arrangement taught by Cooke. One would be motivated to use the pivotal mounting arrangement in order to facilitate maintenance and replacement of the charging socket while retaining the charging socket attached to the mounting structure (Cooke, column 2).
5. Claims 8, 9, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooke in combination with Aylesbury and in further view of Tsao (2003/0021104).
Cooke’s teachings in combination with the teachings of Aylesbury are discussed above. The combination however fails to specifically teach a flip cover, which is adapted to close the recess part when the insertion object is not inserted into the recess part and further fails to teach the flip cover being connected to the flip base through a connecting pin and is swingable relative to the flip base.
With respect to claims 8 and 9, Tsao illustrates in figure 7, the socket further comprises: a recess part, which is adapted to at least partially accommodate an insertion object; and a flip cover, which is adapted to close the recess part when the insertion object is not inserted into the recess part and wherein the socket further comprises a flip base provided on its mainbody, and wherein the flip cover is connected to the flip base through a connecting pin and is swingable relative to the flip base. See also paragraphs 0052-0053.
With respect to claims 13 and 14, Tsao teaches in paragraph 0067, the socket, wherein the flip base comprises a sealing ring/gasket on its bottom side facing the mainbody, and wherein the sealing gasket is adapted to sealed contact with the mainbody.
In view of Tsao’s teachings, it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include in the charging socket of Cooke in combination with Aylesbury, a sealed flip cover as is taught by Tsao. One would be motivated to include a flip cover in order to protect the charging equipment from environmental exposure.
6. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooke in combination with Aylesbury and in further view of Burns et al (2024/0079818), hereinafter Burns.
Cooke’s teachings in combination with the teachings of Aylesbury are discussed above. The combination however fails to specifically teach a charging cabinet including the socket.
With respect to claim 15, Burns teaches in paragraph 0021, a charging cabinet including a socket.
In view of Burns’ teachings, it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the charging socket of Cooke in combination with Aylesbury, a charging cabinet of the EVSE charging station as is taught by Burns. One would be motivated to include a charging cabinet, which are known structures for housing and supporting EV charging equipment in order to protect the charging equipment from environmental exposure.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 4-6 and 10-12 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 an examiner’s reason for allowance: Although Cooke’s teachings in combination with the teachings of Aylesbury teach a socket with a fixing device, which includes a connection mechanism and a pivot mechanism, the above identified prior art of record, taken alone, or in combination with any other prior art, fails to teach or fairly suggest the specific features of claims 4-6 and 10-12 of the present claimed invention. Specifically, prior art fails to teach the socket, wherein the first pivot part comprises two first wings, each first wing including a first pivot eyelet, and wherein the second pivot part comprises two second wings, each second wing includes a second pivot eyelet, the pivot mechanism further comprises a pivot pin passing through the first pivot eyelet and the second pivot eyelet that are aligned with each other, so that the first pivot part is pivotable about the pivot pin relative to the second pivot part or wherein the connecting pin passes through a torsion spring, and wherein the flip cover can automatically spring up by means of the torsion spring; wherein the flip cover comprises a button comprises a snap mechanism, and wherein the button is adapted to lock with the snap mechanism. The above limitations are not disclosed in prior art and moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art would not have been motivated to come to the claimed invention.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure: See attached PTO form 892, Refence Cited.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Allyson N. Trail whose telephone number is (571) 272-2406. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 7:30AM to 4:00PM Monday thru Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G. Lee, can be reached on (571) 272-2398. The fax phone number for this Group is (571) 273-8300.
Communications via Internet e-mail regarding this application, other than those under 35 U.S.C. 132 or which otherwise require a signature, may be used by the applicant and should be addressed to [allyson.trail@uspto.gov].
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/ALLYSON N TRAIL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
June 26, 2026
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