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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Wording, Page 4, Line 19: Replacing “prevent” with “prevents” is suggested.
Wording, Page 4, Line 24: Replacing “mannares” with “manners” is suggested.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities.
Wording, Line 1: Replacing “first and second energy storage units” with “a first energy storage unit and a second energy storage unit” is suggested.
Wording, Line 7: Replacing “a first energy storage unit” with “the first energy storage unit” is suggested.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informality. Wording, Line 5: Replacing “the opposite second energy storage unit” with “the second energy storage unit opposite the first energy storage unit” is suggested. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informality. Wording, Line 6: Replacing “though” with “through” is suggested. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities.
Claim dependency: Replacing “the energy storage system according to claim 6” with “the energy storage system according to claim 1” is suggested.
Wording, Line 3: Replacing “transversely opposite first and second energy storage units” with “the first energy storage unit and the second energy storage unit” is suggested.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-9, 12, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Maus et al. (US 6547020 B2) (hereinafter “Maus”). [Note that prior art citations are italicized and enclosed in brackets.]
Regarding Claim 1, Maus teaches an energy storage system ("ESS") for a vehicle, comprising first and second energy storage units and an energy storage mounting system, the energy storage system extending in a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and in a vertical direction, the energy storage mounting system comprising vertically spaced-apart first energy storage unit mounting member and energy storage units interconnecting member [Maus Figs. 3-5, Reference Characters 10, 108, and 69; Maus Abstract: “A battery mounting assembly for mounting batteries to a vehicle. The battery mounting assembly has lower battery tray and an upper battery tray disposed below and above one another respectively.”; Maus Description” Paragraph 4: “FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of the first battery mounting assembly and the second battery mounting assembly mounted to the structural components of a vehicle.”], wherein the first energy storage unit mounting member is connectable to a first energy storage unit of the ESS, and further being arranged at a first vertical position for connecting to a vehicle mounting member, the energy storage unit mounting member comprising a connecting portion configured to connect with a vehicle mounting member [Maus Fig. 5; vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure]; and the energy storage units inter-connecting member is connectable to the first energy storage unit of the ESS at a second vertical position, wherein said first vertical position is vertically above said second vertical position, and further configured to transversely inter-connect the first energy storage unit with a transversely opposite second energy storage unit [Maus Figs. 3-5, Reference Characters 10, 108, and 69].
Regarding Claim 2, Maus teaches the energy storage mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion comprises a rotational-locking element adapted to restrict rotation of the energy storage system when forming a rotational-locking connection with the corresponding vehicle mounting member [Maus Fig. 5, unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.].
Regarding Claim 3, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, further comprising the vehicle mounting member connectable to a longitudinal frame of the vehicle, said vehicle mounting member comprising a mating rotational-locking element [Maus Fig. 5; vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure.].
Regarding Claim 4, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion and the vehicle mounting member define corresponding guide-aligning mating members configured to at least partly self-align with each other into a connecting position upon a transverse movement of the first energy storage unit of the ESS towards the longitudinal frame [Maus Fig. 5, vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.].
Regarding Claim 5, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 4, wherein the guide-aligning mating members are complementary shaped guide-aligning mating members [Maus Fig. 5, vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.].
Regarding Claim 7, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage unit mounting member and the energy storage units inter-connecting member are configured to connect the first energy storage unit in a generally vertical orientation to the longitudinal frame of the vehicle and transversely inter-connect the first energy storage unit with the opposite second energy storage unit [Maus Fig. 4; Reference Characters 10, 108, and 69].
Regarding Claim 8, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the second energy storage unit comprises a corresponding energy storage unit mounting member having a corresponding connecting portion configured to connect with a corresponding vehicle mounting member, wherein the corresponding energy storage unit mounting member is configured to attach the second energy storage unit in a generally vertical orientation to a second transverse side of the longitudinal frame of the vehicle, while the first and second energy storage units are inter-connected by the energy storage units inter connecting member [Maus Fig. 5, mirror image of vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.].
Regarding Claim 9, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage units inter-connecting member is configured to interconnect a first transverse side of the first energy storage unit with an opposite mating first transverse side of the second energy storage unit [Maus Fig. 4, Reference Characters 10, 108, and 69].
Regarding Claim 12, Maus teaches the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein each one of the first and second energy storage units comprises a plurality of battery packs arranged in a stack configuration along the longitudinal direction [Maus Fig. 5, Reference Characters 58-61].
Regarding Claim 15, Maus teaches an arrangement for a vehicle comprising a longitudinal frame and the energy storage system according to claim 6, wherein transversely opposite first and second energy storage units are connectable in a vertical orientation on opposite transverse sides of the longitudinal frame [Maus Fig. 3, Reference Characters 10 and 108].
Regarding Claim 16, Maus teaches a vehicle comprising an energy storage system according to claim 1 [Maus Abstract: “A battery mounting assembly for mounting batteries to a vehicle.”].
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Maus et al. (US 6547020 B2) (hereinafter “Maus”). [Note that prior art citations are italicized and enclosed in brackets.]
Regarding Claim 17, Maus teaches a method for mounting an energy storage system ESS to a longitudinal frame of a vehicle, said longitudinal frame having a vehicle mounting member and the energy storage system comprising a plurality of energy storage units, each one of the energy storage units having a corresponding energy storage unit mounting member, wherein the ESS further comprises an energy storage units inter-connecting member [Maus Figs. 3-5, Reference Characters 10, 108, and 69; Maus Abstract: “A battery mounting assembly for mounting batteries to a vehicle. The battery mounting assembly has lower battery tray and an upper battery tray disposed below and above one another respectively.”; Maus “Description” Paragraph 4: “FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of the first battery mounting assembly and the second battery mounting assembly mounted to the structural components of a vehicle.”], the method comprising: positioning an energy storage unit mounting member of a first energy storage unit in a facing relationship with a corresponding vehicle mounting member on a first transverse side of the longitudinal frame [Maus Fig. 5; vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure.]; transversely moving the energy storage unit mounting member towards the vehicle mounting member until a connecting portion of the energy storage unit mounting member forms a connection with the vehicle mounting member on the first transverse side [Maus Fig. 5, vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.]; transversely moving the energy storage unit mounting member of the second energy storage unit towards the corresponding vehicle mounting member until a connecting portion of the energy storage unit mounting member forms a connection with the corresponding vehicle mounting member on the second transverse side [Maus Fig. 5, vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.]; and transversely inter-connecting the opposite first and second energy storage units by the energy storage units inter-connecting member [Maus Fig. 5, vehicle mounting member: unnumbered leftmost component in figure plus unnumbered component connected to leftmost component in figure.].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 11, 13, and 14 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. [Note that prior art citations are italicized and enclosed in brackets.]
Regarding Claim 10, Maus teaches that the energy storage units inter-connecting member is an elongated inter-connecting member but does not teach rotatability.
The prior art does not teach or suggest the energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage units inter-connecting member is an elongated inter-connecting member configured to be rotatably and transversely insertable from a second transverse side of the first energy storage unit towards a second transverse side of the second energy storage unit, whereby the first and second energy storage units are set in an inter-connecting configuration when said elongated inter-connecting member extends transversely though the first energy storage unit and inter-connect with a part of the second energy storage unit. The closest reference, Maus et al. (US 6547020 B2) (hereinafter “Maus”), teaches an elongated inter-connecting member [Maus Figs. 3 and 4] but does not teach rotatability or transverse insertability.
Regarding Claim 13, Maus teaches battery packs in a stacked configuration but does not teach inter-leaved portions.
The prior art does not teach or suggest the energy storage system according to claim 12, wherein the battery packs are arranged in the stack configuration via a number of inter-leaved portions interconnecting longitudinal opposite arranged battery packs. The closest reference, Maus, teaches battery packs arranged in a stack configuration and longitudinal opposite arranged battery packs [Maus Figs. 3-5], but does not teach inter-leaved portions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL T WALSH whose telephone number is 303-297-4351. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm ET.
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/MICHAEL T. WALSH/Examiner, Art Unit 3613