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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/09/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN112140933A) in view of Dong (CN209700430U).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a charging pile (page 1, title: charging pile) comprising a housing and a charging module; wherein:
the housing (fig. 1 and 8 element 11 and page 8) defines an accommodating cavity (fig. 1, element 3; the element 3 can be installed in the accommodating cavity; see fig. 1-3),
the housing defines an air inlet and an air outlet (page 13 and claim 16, see fig. 14 and 17 as an example: wherein the heat dissipation air duct is placed between the air inlet and the air outlet of the box),
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the charging module (fig. 1, element 1 and pages 12-13; AC power distribution unit) is accommodated in the accommodating cavity (see fig. 1-3),
the charging module (page 5; a charging unit and at least one air-cooled radiator arranged in a box; the box includes a first box and a second box) has a first side-surface (the box has a front surface) and a second side-surface opposite to the first side-surface (the box has a rear surface that is opposite to the front surface), and
a third side-surface (the box has a left surface) and a fourth side-surface opposite to the third side-surface (and it has a right surface),
the air inlet (see fig. 17 as an example: the inlet is disposed on the lower portion of the front surface) is located at one side of the first side-surface away from the second side-surface (rear surface of the box),
the air outlet (see fig. 17: the outlet is located on the upper portion of the front surface) is located at one side of the first side-surface away from the second side-surface, and
air enters the accommodating cavity through the air inlet (see fig. 14-17), flows to the charging module, flows out of the charging module from the lower portion of first side-surface to the upper portion of the first side-surface (see fig. 17 as an example), and flows out of the accommodating cavity through the air outlet (see fig. 17; air flows in and out).
However, Zhang fails to disclose the air outlet is located at one side of the second side-surface away from the first side-surface, and air flows to the third side-surface along the first side-surface to flow into the charging module, flows out of the charging module from the fourth side-surface to the second side-surface.
Dong further discloses a charging pile (title and fig. 1-5) includes the air outlet is located at one side of the second side-surface away from the first side-surface (see fig. 3 below: inlet and outlet), and
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air flows to the third side-surface along the first side-surface to flow into the charging module (see fig. 5; cool air enters inlets from the front and rear surfaces, flows through the modules and associated ducts and hot air exits via outlets after passing through the modules), flows out of the charging module (fig. 3, element 9) from the first/second side-surface (pages 2-3: modules have inlet and outlet sides facing the flow direction; hot air exits the module’s downstream side into the channel leading to the second side-surface area) to the first/second side-surface (see fig. 5 and page 2: air enters lower inlets, flows through the modules and hot air exits the modules toward the upper outlets. Partitions and sealed channels guide the flow so that air passes through the module components and emerges from the module’s outlet-facing side before reaching the overall air outlet).
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It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang to incorporate with the teaching of Dong by installing an air inlet and an air outlet on opposite sides of each other, because it would be advantageous to improve the heat dissipation, dust reduction, noise reduction and service life of the pile on page 3.
Zhang in view of Dong does not disclose the air flows out of the charging module from the fourth side-surface to the second side-surface. Changing the location of the outlet from the location shown by Zhang in view of Dong to a location on the fourth side-surface and the second side-surface, absent any criticality, is only considered to be an obvious modification of the Zhang in view of Dong device that a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would be able to provide using routine experimentation since the courts have held that there is no invention in shifting the position if the operation of the device would not be thereby modified in order to improve heat dissipation efficiency. See In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) and MPEP 2144.04 VI.
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Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses the charging pile further comprising a first partition (page 7 and first box body 11), wherein the first partition (11; see fig. 12 as an example) has a first end (the top portion of element 11) and a second end (the bottom portion of 11) opposite to the first end,
the first end is connected to the housing (a part of the housing 11; see fig. 12), and the second end is connected to (directly/indirectly connected) a junction between the second side-surface and the third side-surface (all surfaces form one charging pile).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang discloses the charging pile further comprising a second partition (fig. 12, element 12; second box body),
wherein the second partition has a third end (top portion of 12) and a fourth end (bottom portion of 12) opposite to the third end, the third end is connected to (directly connected to) the housing (part of the housing), and the fourth end is connected to (indirectly connected to) a junction between the first side-surface and the fourth side-surface (element 11 and element 12 form a charging pile, and the charging pile includes four surfaces).
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Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses wherein the housing comprises a first wall-plate and a second wall-plate (see fig. 17), and the air inlet comprises at least one of a first air inlet or a second air inlet (see fig. 17; air inlet); the third side-surface faces (indirectly faces) the first wall-plate, and the fourth side-surface faces (indirectly faces) the second wall-plate; and the first air inlet is located on the first wall-plate (see fig. 17).
However, Zhang fails to disclose the second air inlet is located on the second wall-plate.
Dong further discloses the second air inlet is located on the second wall-plate (see fig. 5 below: two inlets).
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It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang to incorporate with the teaching of Dong by installing two air inlets on the charging pile, because it would be advantageous to improve the heat dissipation, dust reduction, noise reduction and service life of the pile on page 3.
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Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses the charging pile further comprising a third partition (fig. 13, element 200), wherein the third partition is connected to (indirectly connected to) the first wall-plate, the third partition and the first wall-plate cooperatively define an air-inlet duct, the air-inlet duct communicates with the first air inlet, and the third partition is spaced apart from the first side-surface (see fig. 13 above as an example).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang in view of Dang discloses wherein the air outlet comprises at least one of a first air outlet or a second air outlet, the first air outlet (Zhang, fig. 17, element 13) is located on the first wall-plate, and the second air outlet is located on the second wall-plate (see Dang, fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang fail to disclose wherein the first wall-plate and the second wall-plate each are an openable door.
However, Dong further discloses wherein the first wall-plate and the second wall-plate each are an openable door (page 2: The doors can be opened and closed for easy installation and maintenance, including a front door and a rear door).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang to incorporate with the teaching of Dang by including openable doors on the charging pile, because it would be advantageous for easy installation and maintenance.
Regarding claim 8, Zhang discloses the charging pile further comprising a centrifugal fan located between the second side-surface and the air outlet (see fig.13-14, 17).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang discloses the charging pile further comprising a frame (a housing) configured to fix the charging module (page 9: the rectifier module of the charging unit).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Dong as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Liu (CN 112096660A).
Regarding claim 10, Zhang in view of Dong fail to disclose the charging pile wherein sound insulation cotton is further disposed in the accommodating cavity, and is configured to absorb a noise in the accommodating cavity.
Liu further discloses the charging pile wherein sound insulation cotton is further disposed in the accommodating cavity, and is configured to absorb a noise in the accommodating cavity (page 2: the dustproof cotton 104 can be an integrated piece with a frame; the inner wall sound-absorbing cotton).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang in view of Dong to incorporate with the teaching of Liu by including dustproof cotton on the wall of the charging pile, because it would be advantageous to reduce noise pollution and significantly reduce the air duct through the fan flow.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 06/26/2026
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