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 .
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.
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 1-15 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.
Regarding Claim 1, the applicant recites “the cooling module having two housing assemblies, (a) each of which has a respective connection section and a flow opening molded onto (b) the connection section” in lines 3-7. The applicant’s housing assemblies each comprise a connection section, making the appearance of more than one connection section (refer to “a” above). The applicant then recites the connection section (refer to “b” above). Therefore, it is unclear to what “housing assemblies connection section” the applicant is referring to when reciting “the connection section”.
The applicant also recites “the two housing assemblies being separate in a preassembly state”. The applicant is regarded to a cooling device without any step to assemble any system. Therefore, it is unclear how the housing assemblies are “in a preassembly state”.
Claims 2-15 are rejected based on the dependency from Claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-7, 9, 11 & 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by de Chazal (US 2020/0307400).
Regarding Claim 1, de Chanza discloses a cooling device [130] for cooling at least one electric line [118s] which is connected to a plug connector part [110] (FIG. 2, 5-6, ¶ [0020]; The charging inlet assembly 100 includes a housing 110 holding terminals 114 forming part of the power connector 102. The terminals 114 are electrically connected to corresponding power cables 118 ... In an exemplary embodiment, the charging inlet assembly 100 includes the cooling system 130 for actively cooling the power cables 118 to cool the terminals 114) having comprising:
a cooling module [131] disposable on the at least one electric line [118s] and having a cooling channel [132] for flowing coolant therethrough, the cooling module [131] having two housing assemblies [135, 133], each of which has a respective connection section [sections below and above 136] and a flow opening [“flow openings” of 132, 134] molded onto the connection section [sections below and above 136], the two housing assemblies [135, 133] being separate in a preassembly state and being connectable together to be placed on the at least one electric line [118s] such that the at least one electric line [118s] is received between the housing assemblies [135, 133] (FIG. 2, 5-6, Claim 13),
wherein the flow openings [“flow openings” from 132 & 134] of the connection sections [sections below and above 136] of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] are fluidically connected together to form the cooling channel [132] (FIG. 5-6).
Regarding Claim 2, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1], wherein each housing assembly [135, 133] has at least one cooling channel portion [135 has a “portion” on the left side of 131 & 134 has a “portion” on the right side of 131] for forming the cooling channel [132] (FIG. 5).
Regarding Claim 3, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 2 [see rejected Claim 2], wherein the at least one cooling channel portion [135 has a “portion” on the left side of 131 & 134 has a “portion” on the right side of 131] of one housing assembly [135 or 133] of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] is fluidically connected to the at least one cooling channel portion [each 135 & 133 has a portion of 132 – top portion to 133 & bottom portion 135] of an other housing assembly [136] of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] when the two housing assemblies [135, 133] are connected to one another (FIG. 5).
Regarding Claim 4, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 2 [see rejected Claim 2], wherein at least one housing assembly of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] has a body element [300] and a cover element [136] connected to the body element [300], the body element [300] defining a flow space in which the at least one cooling channel portion [135 has a “portion” on the left side of 131 & 134 has a “portion” on the right side of 131] extends (FIG. 5).
Regarding Claim 5, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 4 [see rejected Claim 4], wherein the cover element [300] has a surface portion defining the flow space [302] and at least one wall portion [320] formed on the surface portion for defining the at least one cooling channel portion [300] (FIG. 6).
Regarding Claim 6, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 5 [see rejected Claim 5], wherein the at least one wall portion [130] extends towards the connection section [sections below and above 136] of the at least one housing assembly [135, 133] such that the at least one wall portion [320] divides the flow opening into multiple channel openings [opening of 132, 134] (FIG. 5-6).
Regarding Claim 7, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 5 [see rejected Claim 5], wherein the cover element [136] has a plurality of wall portions [FIG. 5 shows a top & bottom 136] between which cooling channel portions [135 & 133] are formed (FIG. 5-6).
Regarding Claim 9, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 1, wherein the cooling module [131] has a sealing element arranged between the connection sections [sections below and above 136] of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] (FIG. 5-6, ¶ [0023]; A seal may be provided at the interface between the cooling adapter 131 and the main body of the housing 110 and/or between pieces of the cooling adapter 131).
Regarding Claim 11, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1], wherein at least one housing assembly of the two housing assemblies [135, 133] has a receiving groove [137] configured to receive the at least one electric line [118] (FIG. 5).
Regarding Claim 13, de Chanza discloses the cooling device of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1], wherein the cooling module [131] has at least one connection element [131] for connecting a cooling line [132] (FIG. 5).
Regarding Claim 14, de Chanza discloses a plug connector assembly, comprising:
a plug connector part [110] (FIG. 2);
at least one electric line [118] connected to the plug connector part [110] (FIG. 2); and
the cooling device of claim 1 for cooling the at least one electric line (see rejected Claim 1).
Regarding Claim 15, de Chanza discloses a charging system for charging an electric vehicle (¶ [0006]), comprising:
the plug connector assembly of claim 14 (refer to rejected Claim 14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 12 & 12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH ORTEGA whose telephone number is (469)295-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TULSIDAS C. PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH ORTEGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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