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) 1-3, 10-11, and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Gamsjager (US 20180236885).
Gamsjager teaches
A charging assembly, comprising:
a charging head configured to selectively engage a charging contact of a vehicle (abstract+ charging contact not shown);
an actuator (12)configured to drive an upper arm (15/18);
a passive linkage that is passively extendable and retractable in length, the passive linkage including a stop to limit movement of the passive linkage, the passive linkage configured to be passively driven by the upper arm and the actuator (coupling rod 16/19); and
a lower arm (other of 15/18) coupled to the upper arm, the passive linkage, and the charging head,
the passive linkage configured to engage the stop to allow a torque from the actuator to move the charging head in a substantially vertical direction while the charging head is not engaging the vehicle (FIG. 1A- FIG. 5),
the passive linkage configured to move away from the stop such that the torque on the lower arm moves the charging head in a substantially horizontal direction while the charging head engages the vehicle (FIG. 1D+ shows that the contact holder 21 is moved horizontally with respect to the surface 22 as the vertical distance from the surface changes).
Re claim 2, the linking is interpreted as telescopic as it expands outwards and inwards.
Re claim 3, the Examiner has interpreted that the structure discussed above allows movement in the horizonal direction which allows for wiping.
Re claim 10, the stop is intpereted to limit both retraction and protraction.
Re claim 11, the limitations have been discussed above.
Re claims 15-16, the limtaitosn have been discussed above, re claim 3.
Re claims 17-18, the limtaitons have been discussed above.
Re claim 19, the limitations have been discussed above, re claim 3.
Re claim 20, as discussed above, the passive linkage telescopes (move back and forth) to engage the vehicle.
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.
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) 4-6 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gamsjager, as discussed above, in view of Pachler (US 20200055417).
Re claim 4, the teachings of Gamsjager have been discussed above but is silent to a sensor as recited to provide assistance to position the vehicle based on the position of the head with respect to the contact.
Pachler teaches the use of sensors, including proximity sensors, mechanical, magnetic, radar, and optical sensors (paragraph [0114]+).
Prior to the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings in order to position with accuracy for charging.
Re claims 12-14, the teachings of Gamsjager have been discussed above but are silent to a second actuator / solenoid/ spring for the linkage (separate from the upper arm actuator).
Pachler teaches separate linear motor 43 and spring/ actuator 31.
Prior to the effective fling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings for using known means for biasing/ actuating. Though silent to a solenoid, the Examiner note that given both mechanical and electrical means (above), that the use of another type of known means to actuate (solenoid) would have been one of the plurality of knowns mean available to an artisan of ordinary skill int the art for expected results.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gamsjager, as discussed above, in view of Schluter et al. (US 20230249561).
Re claims 7-8, the teachings of Gamsjager have been discussed above but are silent to the rails of the vehicle contacts being parallel and the charging head rails perpendicular to the conducive rails
Schluter et al. teaches the rails and oriented parallel and perpendicular (FIG. 3+).
Prior to the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings for effective electrical coupling.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gamsjager/ Schluter et al., as discussed above, in view of Hill et al. (US 8829853).
Re claim 9, the teachings of Gamsjager/ Schluter et al. have been discussed above but are silent to extending ramps of the head for alignment.
Hill et al. teaches ramps or guiding features 44a+.
Prior to the effective filing date it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have ramps/ guiding features/ functionally equivalent means to guide contact for expected results.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gamsjager/ Pachler, as discussed above, in view of McGrath et al. (US 20160272074).
Re claim 13, the teachings of Gamsjager/ Pachler have been discussed above but are silent to solenoids.
McGrath et al. teaches the use of solenoids, hydraulics, linear actuators, motors, etc. (paragraph[0127]+) for arm movement at a charging station.
Prior to the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings to use known components for expected use.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL I WALSH whose telephone number is (571)272-2409. The examiner can normally be reached 8am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL I. WALSH/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2887
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