DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits of Application No. 18/572,814. Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 3/31/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
in claim 6=5, it appears “a plurality of locking shafts” should be –a plurality of the locking shaft— or similar as the locking shaft was already recited in the previous claims; and
in claim 20, line 3, the phrase “side walls” should be –the side walls—to corresponding better with claim 19, line 3.
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 1-20 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 claims 1-18 (~32 instances), the word “type” in ‘top hanging type battery pack’ renders the claim indefinite (MPEP 2173.05(b)(E)) and deletion of the word is recommended.
Regarding claim 9, the term “waist holes” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear the meaning of term and this may be due to the translation. Additionally in claim 9, the ‘and/or’ condition in line 6 is unclear. It is unclear for the ‘and’ condition if the adjusting holes (paragraph [0104]) are part of the plug-in holes or new holes. Further explanation or amendment is required.
Regarding claims 14 (three instances), 15, 16 (two instances), and 18 (instances), the phrase “preferably” renders the claims indefinite because a broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims. However, it appears in some of the claims the applicant may be using ‘preferably” instead of the more typical language of –wherein--.
Claims 2-20 are also rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
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.
(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 1-4, 6, 8, 10-12, 14-15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Horder (US Patent Publication 20210380001).
Regarding claim 1, Horder discloses a top hanging type battery pack (Fig. 2a), the top hanging type battery pack is detachably connected to a locking mechanism (paragraph [0068]) of a longitudinal beam (20) of an electric vehicle, wherein, the top hanging type battery pack comprising a battery pack box (battery pack arrangement 40) and a lock connecting structure; the lock connecting structure comprising a mounting bracket (suspension attachment 80) and several of horizontally arranged hanging members (fasteners of 80 shown in Fig. 5a), at least one end of several of the hanging members is connected to the mounting bracket (e.g. Fig. 4); a groove (shown in Fig. 4) recessing toward interior of the battery pack box is arranged to the top of the battery pack box at a position corresponding to the longitudinal beam, the mounting bracket is arranged in the groove (shown in Fig. 4), and the battery pack box is detachably connected to the longitudinal beam by means of cooperations between several of the hanging members and the locking mechanism (paragraph [0068]).
Regarding claim 2, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, the mounting bracket is arranged at the groove bottom of the groove; or, a pair of side walls of the groove constitutes the mounting bracket, and two ends of the hanging member are respectively connected to the pair of side walls of the groove (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 1,wherein, the top hanging type battery pack comprises at least two of the mounting brackets, and positions for arranging the mounting brackets in the groove are in one-to-one correspondence to positions of the locking mechanisms of the longitudinal beam (e.g. Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 3, wherein, the mounting bracket comprises a pair of upright plates erected in the groove, and two ends of the hanging member are respectively connected to the upright plates (Fig. 5b).
Regarding claim 6, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 4,wherein, the mounting bracket further comprises a reinforcing plate, the reinforcing plate is respectively connected to two of the upright plates (shown in Fig. 4 and 5b).
Regarding claim 8, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 4,wherein, the mounting bracket further comprises a connecting plate, and the upright plate is arranged to the groove bottom of the groove by means of the connecting plate (shown in Figs. 4 and 5b).
Regarding claim 10, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 3, wherein, a reinforcing beam is arranged at a position corresponding to the mounting bracket in the battery pack box, and the mounting bracket is connected on the reinforcing beam (shown in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 10, wherein, the mounting bracket and the battery pack box have a sealing member in between (paragraph [0089]).
Regarding claim 12, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 10, wherein, there are two reinforcing beams, and the reinforcing beams divide the inner space of the battery pack box into at least three battery cell accommodating cavities for placing battery cells (shown in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 12,wherein, several of the battery cell accommodating cavities are sequentially arranged at intervals along the horizontal direction (shown in Fig. 4); preferably, several of the battery cell accommodating cavities comprise a plurality of side battery cell accommodating cavities, and the plurality of the side battery cell accommodating cavities are distributed to two sides of the groove; preferably, several of the battery cell accommodating cavities further comprises a middle battery cell accommodating cavity, the middle battery cell accommodating cavity is arranged at a central area of the battery pack box, a plurality of the side battery cell accommodating cavities are distributed at two sides of the middle battery cell accommodating cavity, and the groove is formed in between the middle battery cell accommodating cavity and the side battery cell accommodating cavity; preferably, the height of the middle battery cell accommodating cavity is smaller than the height of the side battery cell accommodating cavity.
Regarding claim 15, Horder discloses the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 12,wherein, the battery pack box comprises a box body and a box cover, the groove is arranged at the top of the box body, and the top of the box body is also arranged with several openings, the box cover covers the opening of the box body, and the box body, the box cover, and the reinforcing beam jointly constitute the battery cell accommodating cavity; preferably, the groove is positioned between two of the openings that are adjacent (e.g. Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 17, Horder discloses an electric vehicle, wherein, it comprises a longitudinal beam and the top hanging type battery pack according to claim 1,the locking mechanism is arranged on the longitudinal beam, and the top hanging type battery pack is detachably connected to the locking mechanism by means of the lock connecting structure (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 18, Horder discloses the electric vehicle according to claim 17, wherein, the locking mechanism is arranged with a through groove for the hanging member to pass through (shown in Fig. 4); preferably, the locking mechanism comprises a primary lock, the primary lock comprising at least two primary lock bases, at least two primary lock tongues, and a lock connecting rod, the through groove comprising a primary lock groove, the primary lock base is arranged with the primary lock groove that is horizontally penetrating and is in an inverted L shape, and the primary lock bases and the primary lock tongues are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the primary lock base is arranged on the longitudinal beam, a first end of the primary lock tongue is rotatably connected to the primary lock base, and a second end of the primary lock tongue is rotatably connected to the lock connecting rod; at least some of the hanging members of the top hanging type battery pack pass through the primary lock groove; when the lock connecting rod bears an acting force of an unlocking mechanism of a battery swapping apparatus, the lock connecting rod drives the primary lock tongue to rotate and open an opening of the primary lock groove, and the hanging members enter or leave the primary lock groove by means of the opening of the primary lock groove; preferably, the locking mechanism further comprises a supporting base, the through groove further comprising a supporting groove, the supporting base is arranged with the supporting groove that is horizontally penetrating and is in an inverted L shape, and some of the hanging members of the top hanging type battery pack are arranged to pass through the supporting groove.
Regarding claim 19, Horder discloses the electric vehicle according to claim 17, wherein, the electric vehicle further comprises a fixing bracket, the fixing bracket is a plate-shaped structure, the fixing bracket is arranged to side walls of the longitudinal beam or the bottom of the longitudinal beam, and the locking mechanism is connected to the longitudinal beam by means of the fixing bracket (shown in Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 9, 13, 16, and 20 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.
Reasons for allowance, if applicable, will be the subject of a separate communication to the Applicant or patent owner, pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.104 and MPEP § 1302.14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Horder (US Patent Publication 20230173904) discloses locking arrangement for a mounting system for an energy storage systems.
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/LORI WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655