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
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, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cantz et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0303093).
As to claim 1, Cantz discloses a cable for fast-charging an electric vehicle (EV), the cable having a charging station end and a vehicle end comprising:
an insulated conductor 12a;
one or more gaps 15a within insulation 11a of the insulated conductor;
an air channel 21 within an air tube 20; and
a jacket 41 surrounding the insulated conductor and the air tube,
wherein the air tube positioned in a space between the insulated conductor and the jacket, and wherein the air channel and the one or more gaps provide air flow that transfers heat away from the insulated conductor (¶0102, 0112).
As to claim 2, Cantz discloses that air flowing from the charging station end through the air channel is routed to the one or more gaps at the vehicle end and flows back to the charging station end (figs. 19-20, 23).
As to claim 3, Cantz discloses that the air channel include a tubular structure within the cable (fig. 18).
As to claim 5, Cantz discloses that the one or more gaps are positioned circumferentially around insulation of insulated conductor (fig. 18).
As to claim 6, Cantz discloses that the one or more gaps are equally spaced apart circumferentially around insulation of insulated conductor (fig. 18).
As to claim 9, Cantz discloses signal conductors 12a, 12b and a ground conductor 17 within the jacket.
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(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cantz et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0303093).
As to claim 7, Cantz does not disclose that the air tube is made out of aluminum.
Cantz discloses that the tube can be made of a material comprising a high thermal conductivity. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the tube of Cantz be made of aluminum since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cantz et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0303093) in view of Ketonen et al. (Patent No. US 6,330,153).
As to claim 10, Cantz discloses that the air channel and the one or more gaps are connected to a pump to enhance cooling efficiency (¶0117).
However, Cantz does not disclose that the air channel and the one or more gaps are connected to a vacuum pump to enhance cooling efficiency.
Ketonen discloses using an air vacuum pump (col. 4, line 66 – col. 5, line 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the pump of Cantz be a vacuum pump as similarly taught by Ketonen in order to efficiently and effectively cool the cable by pulling air through.
Claim(s) 11-12, 15-16, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cantz et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0303093) in view of Borgwarth (Patent No. US 5,442,131).
As to claim 11, Cantz discloses a cable for fast-charging an electric vehicle (EV), the cable having a charging station end and a vehicle end comprising:
an insulated conductor 12a;
one or more gaps 15a within insulation 11a of the insulated conductor;
a jacket 41 surrounding the insulated conductor;
Howver, Cantz does not disclose one or more air pockets within the jacket; and wherein the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps provide air flow that transfers heat away from the insulated conductor.
Borgwarth disclsoes a cable having an insulated conductor having one or more gaps(fig 2, 26) and a jacket having one or more pockets(fig 2, 31); and wherein the one or more pockets and the one or more gaps provide coolant flow that transfers heat away from the insulated conductor(col 2, lines 30-65).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cable of Cantz have one or more air pockets within the jacket; and wherein the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps provide air flow that transfers heat away from the insulated conductor in order to provide further cooling of the cable.
As to claim 12, Cantz does not disclose that wherein air flowing from the charging station end through the one or more gaps is routed to the one or more air pockets at the vehicle end and flows back to the charging station end.
Borgwarth disclsoes that fluid flowing from one end through the one or more gaps is routed to the one or more pockets and flows back to the end (col. 3 lines 35-55).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to the cable of Cantz have fluid flowing from one end through the one or more gaps be routed to the one or more pockets and flows back to the end as similarly taught by Borgwarth in order to efficiently and effectively provide cooling to the cable.
As to claim 15, Cantz does not disclose that the one or more air pockets are positioned circumferentially around the jacket.
Borgwarth discloses that the one or more air pockets are positioned circumferentially around the jacket(fig 2, 31).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cable of Cantz have one or more air pockets be positioned circumferentially around the jacket as similarly taught by Borgwarth in order to provide cooling to the jacket.
As to claim 16, Cantz does not disclose that the one or more air pockets are equally spaced apart circumferentially around the jacket(fig 2, 31).
Borgwarth disclsoes that the one or more air pockets are equally spaced apart circumferentially around the jacket.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cable of Cantz have one or more air pockets be equally spaced apart circumferentially around the jacket as similarly taught by Borgwarth in order to provide cooling to the jacket.
As to claim 19, Cantz discloses signal conductors 12a, 12b and a ground conductor 17 within the jacket.
As to claim 20, Cantz discloses that the one or more gaps are further connected to a pump to enhance cooling efficiency (¶0047).
However, Cantz does not disclose that the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps are further connected to a vacuum pump to enhance cooling efficiency.
Borgwarth discloses that the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps are further connected to a pump 18 to enhance cooling efficiency.
Ketonen discloses using an air vacuum pump (col. 4, line 66 – col. 5, line 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cable of Cantz have the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps be connected to a pump as similarly taught by Borgwarth in order to provide cooling.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the pump of Cantz be a vacuum pump as similarly taught by Ketonen in order to efficiently and effectively cool the cable by pulling air through.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8, 13-14, 17-18 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.
Regarding dependent claim 4, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that discloses that the air channel and the one or more gaps receive pressurized chilled air at the charging station end. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 8, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein air is configured to flow through the one or more gaps and the air channel in the same direction. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 13, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claims 11, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the one or more air pockets include a tubular structure within the jacket. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 14, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 11, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps receive pressurized chilled air at the charging station end. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 17, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 11, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein the one or more of air pockets are helically arranged to increase heat transfer from the jacket. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding dependent claim 18, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations within the claim and limitation recited in claim 11, a combination of limitations that discloses wherein air is configured to flow through the one or more air pockets and the one or more gaps in the same direction. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMOL H PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7833. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30AM-6:00PM.
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/AMOL H PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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