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 .
Status of the Claims
The claims examined in this office action are those submitted in the preliminary amendment filed on January 30, 2023. The claims filed on January 31, 2024 correspond to the original claims rather than the preliminary amendment, and they contain improper multiple dependent claims. Consequently, the claims filed on January 31, 2024, are not entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains phrases which can be implied, e.g., “The invention relates to”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
(m) SEQUENCE LISTING. (See MPEP § 2422.03 and 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825). A “Sequence Listing” is required on paper if the application discloses a nucleotide or amino acid sequence as defined in 37 CFR 1.821(a) and if the required “Sequence Listing” is not submitted as an electronic document either on read-only optical disc or as a text file via the patent electronic system.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the specification does not include section headings as described in the guidelines above.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-11 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claims use "whereby" multiple times without a clear causal link, and/or as a transitional word in lieu of a more accepted transitional word such as “comprising”, and should be revised for clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “deformable” in claims 2 and 5 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “deformable” is not defined by the claims, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the “longitudinal channel” is rendered indefinite.
Claims 6-12 are dependent from claim 5 and are therefore rejected for the same reasons as claim 5.
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 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LI (CN205565805U; English Machine translation is included with office action).
Regarding claim 1, LI discloses a fluid guiding device for guiding a fluid in a charging station (¶ 0002: This utility model relates to a cooling system for an electric vehicle charging cabinet; ¶ 0007: This utility model includes a liquid-cooled main unit…Several charging modules inside the charging cabinet are provided with cooling water channels), whereby
the fluid guiding device has a longitudinal channel, which extends in a longitudinal direction (2, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: output pipe 2), whereby
at least two first fluid connections (4, 5, Fig. 1), which lead away transversely to the longitudinal direction, are arranged on the longitudinal channel along the longitudinal direction (¶ 0015: Several charging modules 6 inside the charging cabinet are connected to the output pipe 2; ¶ 0017: flow-stopping valve 5 on the flow-stopping output pipe 2 is connected to a charging module 6 via a detachable delivery pipe 4), whereby
at least one second fluid connection (connection between 1 and 2 in Fig. 1) is arranged on a first end of the longitudinal channel (¶ 0015: output pipe 2 with a flow-stopping tube…[is] fixed inside the charging cabinet and…connected to the output end…of the liquid-cooled main unit 1), whereby
the longitudinal channel is closed on a front side on a second end located opposite the first end (as shown on towards the top of Figure 1, the channel 2 has a second end which is opposite the main unit 1, said second end is closed), whereby
the longitudinal channel connects the at least two first fluid connections fluidically in parallel to the at least one second fluid connection (¶ 0015, 0017: see above; as shown in Fig. 1, the channel 2 is connected to various “charging modules 6” in parallel via valves 5 and detachable delivery pipes 4).
Regarding claim 2, LI discloses the longitudinal channel is configured to be deformable (channel 2 is a pipe as disclosed in paragraph 0015, said pipe being “deformable” within the broadest reasonable interpretation).
Regarding claim 3, LI discloses the at least two first fluid connections are releasably fastened to the longitudinal channel (¶ 0011, 0018).
Regarding claim 5, LI discloses a charging station (¶ 0002: This utility model relates to a cooling system for an electric vehicle charging cabinet; ¶ 0006: provide a heat dissipation device for electric vehicle charging cabinets) comprising at least one electronic module (6, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: charging modules 6) and comprising at least two fluid guiding devices (2, 3, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: an output pipe 2 with a flow-stopping tube, a return pipe 3 with a flow-stopping tube) according to claim 1, whereby
the charging station has a first fluid guiding device of the at least two fluid guiding devices as a fluid supply device (2, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: output pipe 2), whereby
as the at least two first fluid connections, the fluid supply device has at least two fluid exit connections (a plurality of “exit connections” to the charging modules 6 are shown in Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: Several charging modules 6 inside the charging cabinet are connected to the output pipe 2; ¶ 0017: flow-stopping valve 5 on the flow-stopping output pipe 2 is connected to a charging module 6 via a detachable delivery pipe 4), whereby
one fluid exit connection of the at least two fluid exit connections is releasably connected to a fluid circuit entrance connection of the at least one electronic module (¶ 0007: Several charging modules inside the charging cabinet are provided with cooling water channels, which are connected to the output pipe with a flow stop and the return pipe with a flow stop through several detachable conveying pipes), whereby
the charging station has a second fluid guiding device of the at least two fluid guiding devices as a fluid discharge device (3, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: return pipe 3), whereby
as the at least two first fluid connections, the fluid discharge device has at least two fluid entrance connections (a plurality of “entrance connections” from the charging modules 6 are shown in Fig. 1; ¶ 0015: Several charging modules 6 inside the charging cabinet are connected to…the return pipe 3 with a flow-stopping tube through several detachable delivery pipes 4; ¶ 0017: charging module 6 is also connected to a stop valve 5 on the reflux pipe 3 via another detachable delivery pipe 4), whereby
one fluid entrance connection of the at least two fluid entrance connections is releasably connected to a fluid circuit exit connection of the at least one electronic module (¶ 0007: see above), whereby
one of the fluid guiding devices, selected from the fluid discharge device and the fluid supply device, has a deformable longitudinal channel (channels 2 and 3 are pipes as disclosed in paragraph 0015, said pipes being “deformable” within the broadest reasonable interpretation).
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) 4 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI as applied to claims 1-3 and 5 above, and further in view of LIU (Pub. No.: US 2016/0113153 A1).
Regarding claim 4, LI discloses the fluid guiding device as applied to claim 1, but fails to disclose the longitudinal channel and at least one first fluid connection, selected from the at least two first fluid connections, form a mounting recess, whereby the mounting recess is configured to mount the fluid guiding device in the charging station.
LIU discloses the longitudinal channel and at least one first fluid connection, selected from the at least two first fluid connections, form a mounting recess, whereby the mounting recess is configured to mount the fluid guiding device in the [cabinet] (space between 50 in Fig. 5 and 31 in Fig. 4, wherein 31 is not labeled in Fig. 5, can be considered a “mounting recess” to allow mounting to mounting bracket 70; ¶ 0037, 0045-0047, 0052). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to mount the fluid guiding device as disclosed in LIU in the cabinet of the charging station of LI.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the mounting recess in order to securely install the longitudinal channel and fluid connections within the cabinet of LI.
Regarding claim 6, LI discloses the charging station as applied to claim 5, but fails to disclose at least one fluid connection, selected from the at least two fluid exit connections and the at least two fluid entrance connections, has a plug receptacle, whereby a fluid circuit connection assigned to the fluid connection, selected from the fluid circuit entrance connection and the fluid circuit exit connection, has a plug, whereby the plug can be fluidically connected to the plug receptacle, in that the plug is releasably inserted into the plug receptacle.
LIU discloses at least one fluid connection, selected from the at least two fluid exit connections and the at least two fluid entrance connections, has a plug receptacle (50, Figs. 3-5), whereby a fluid circuit connection assigned to the fluid connection, selected from the fluid circuit entrance connection and the fluid circuit exit connection, has a plug (60, Figs. 3-5), whereby the plug can be fluidically connected to the plug receptacle, in that the plug is releasably inserted into the plug receptacle (¶ 0032, 0037, 0051, 0055).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the plug and plug receptacle in order to facilitate tool-free assembly and/or reduce maintenance time.
Regarding claim 7, LI discloses the charging station as applied to claim 5, but fails to disclose the mounting recess of a fixed fluid guiding device, selected from the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device, cooperates with a first aperture of a wall of the charging station, so that a fixed fluid connection of the at least two first fluid connections of the fixed fluid guiding device is fixed in the charging station, whereby a first fluid path is formed from the longitudinal channel of the fixed fluid guiding device to the fixed fluid connection, whereby the first fluid path is guided through the first aperture, whereby the mounting recess of a displaceable fluid guiding device, selected from the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device, cooperates with a second aperture of the wall of the charging station, so that a displaceable fluid connection of the at least two first fluid connections of the displaceable fluid guiding device, is displaceably mounted in the charging station, whereby a second fluid path is formed from the longitudinal channel of the displaceable fluid guiding device to the displaceable fluid connection, whereby the second fluid path is guided through the second aperture.
LIU discloses the mounting recess of a fixed fluid guiding device, selected from the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device (comprising inlet 11 and outlet 13 as shown in Fig. 2), cooperates with a first aperture (e.g., multiple “apertures” 72a as shown in Figure 4) of a wall (70, 70a, 70b, Figs. 2 & 4-6) of the [cabinet] (200, Fig. 1), so that a fixed fluid connection (e.g., 50, Figures 3-6) of the at least two first fluid connections of the fixed fluid guiding device is fixed in the [cabinet] (fluid connection 50 can be considered “fixed” within the broadest reasonable interpretation), whereby a first fluid path is formed from the longitudinal channel of the fixed fluid guiding device to the fixed fluid connection (first fluid path comprising, e.g., 11 and 31 as shown in Fig. 2), whereby the first fluid path is guided through the first aperture (¶ 0054-0055), whereby the mounting recess of a displaceable fluid guiding device, selected from the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device (comprising inlet 11 and outlet 13 as shown in Fig. 2), cooperates with a second aperture (e.g., multiple “apertures” 72a as shown in Figure 4) of the wall of the [cabinet], so that a displaceable fluid connection (e.g., 50, Figures 3-6) of the at least two first fluid connections of the displaceable fluid guiding device, is displaceably mounted in the [cabinet] (fluid connection 50 can be considered “displaceable” within the broadest reasonable interpretation), whereby a second fluid path is formed from the longitudinal channel of the displaceable fluid guiding device to the displaceable fluid connection (second fluid path comprising, e.g., 13 and 33 as shown in Fig. 2), whereby the second fluid path is guided through the second aperture (¶ 0054-0055). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the fluid guiding devices cooperating with apertures of a wall as disclosed in LIU in the cabinet of the charging station of LI.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the fluid guiding devices cooperating with apertures of a wall as recited in order to securely install the fluid guiding devices and connections within the cabinet of LI.
Regarding claim 8, LI as modified by LIU teaches the charging station as applied to claim 7, but fails to teach a sliding element is arranged between the displaceable fluid connection of the displaceable fluid guiding device and the wall.
LIU further discloses a sliding element is arranged between the displaceable fluid connection of the displaceable fluid guiding device and the wall (51, Figs. 4-6; ¶ 0051, 0054-0057).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the sliding element in order to securely fasten the fluid connection (LIU, ¶ 0051).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI in view of LIU as applied to claims 4 and 6-8 above, and further in view of MEMORY (Pub. No.: US 2003/0057546 A1).
Regarding claim 9, LI as modified by LIU teaches the charging station as applied to claim 7, but fails to teach the charging station has an electronics region and a fluid region, whereby the wall is arranged between the electronics region (59) and the fluid region, whereby the at least one electronic module is arranged in the electronics region, whereby the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device are arranged in the fluid region.
MEMORY discloses the charging station has an electronics region (where “electronic components 14” are in Fig. 1) and a fluid region (where “supply and return manifolds 16, 18” are in Fig. 1), whereby the wall (64, Fig. 1) is arranged between the electronics region and the fluid region, whereby the at least one electronic module (14) is arranged in the electronics region, whereby the fluid supply device and the fluid discharge device (16, 18) are arranged in the fluid region (¶ 0038-0039, 0052).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the electronics region, fluid region, and wall as recited in order to keep cooling liquid away from the electronics (MEMORY, ¶ 0052) of the charging station of LI.
Claim(s) 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI in view of LIU as applied to claims 4 and 6-8 above, and further in view of MARDALL (Pub. No.: US 2015/0306974 A1) and ROSENBLATT (Pub. No.: US 2024/0083276 A1).
Regarding claim 10, LI as modified by LIU teaches the charging station as applied to claim 7, and LI further discloses a climate control device (1, Fig. 1).
LI as modified by LIU fails to teach a heat storage device, whereby as the at least one second fluid connection, the fluid supply device has two second fluid connections, namely a heat storage device entrance as a first second fluid connection and an climate control device exit as a second second fluid connection, whereby the heat storage device entrance is fluidically connected to the heat storage device, and the climate control device exit is fluidically connected to an inlet of the climate control device, whereby as the at least one second fluid connection, the fluid discharge device has two second fluid connections, namely a heat storage device exit as a first second fluid connection and an climate control device entrance as a second second fluid connection, whereby the heat storage device exit is fluidically connected to the heat storage device, and the climate control device entrance is fluidically connected to an outlet of the climate control device.
MARDALL discloses a heat storage device (228, Fig. 2) and a climate control device (230, Fig. 2), whereby as the at least one second fluid connection, the fluid supply device has two second fluid connections, namely a heat storage device entrance as a first second fluid connection (at 232A) and an climate control device exit as a second second fluid connection (at 232B), whereby the heat storage device entrance is fluidically connected to the heat storage device, and the climate control device exit is fluidically connected to an inlet of the climate control device (as shown in Fig. 2), whereby as the at least one second fluid connection, the fluid discharge device has two second fluid connections, namely a heat storage device exit as a first second fluid connection and an climate control device entrance as a second second fluid connection (e.g., return lines to 228 and 230), whereby the heat storage device exit is fluidically connected to the heat storage device, and the climate control device entrance is fluidically connected to an outlet of the climate control device (¶ 0033-0039). While MARDALL applies the heat storage device and climate control device to an electric vehicle, ROSENBLATT discloses heating and cooling of an EV charging station (¶ 0018-0019), and it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify the charging station of LI as modified by LIU to include a fluid supply arrangement including both a heat storage device and a climate control device as disclosed in MARDALL.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the heat storage device, climate control device, and corresponding fluid connections as recited in order to reduce the duration of a charging session (ROSENBLATT, ¶ 0018-0019).
Regarding claim 11, LI as modified by LIU, MARDALL, and ROSENBLATT teaches the two fluid exit connections and the climate control device exit are adapted to one another in such a way that a predetermined distribution of the respective fluid flows, which pass through, is attained during the operation of the charging station (MARDALL, ¶ 0033).
Regarding claim 12, LI discloses a fluid conveying device, which is configured to convey a fluid of the charging station (1, Fig. 1; ¶ 0015).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record on form PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANUEL HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9a-5p ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at (571) 272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Manuel Hernandez/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 8/10/2026
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights