Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/573,107

CHARGING GUN THAT CAN REALIZE CHANGEABLE COLOR ACCORDING TO TEMPERATURE CHANGE AND A PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF

Non-Final OA §103§112
Filed
Dec 21, 2023
Priority
Sep 15, 2022 — CN 202211120275.X +1 more
Examiner
NGUYEN, TRUC T
Art Unit
2834
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Suzhou Yihang Electronic Technology Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
87%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 87% — above average
87%
Career Allowance Rate
1127 granted / 1289 resolved
+19.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +7% lift
Without
With
+7.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 10m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
1316
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
51.8%
+11.8% vs TC avg
§102
34.3%
-5.7% vs TC avg
§112
9.0%
-31.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1289 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §112
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 § 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 1-7 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. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the rear side” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the interior” and “the outer side” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the outer side” in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the first riveting screw” in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the second riveting screw” in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites the limitation “the side far away” in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4 recites the limitation “the charging gun” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4 recites the limitation “the gun shell” and “the position” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4 recites the limitation “the changeable color block” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 4 recites the limitation “the gun head” in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 7 recites the limitation “the integral injection molding” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 7 recites “PC material” is unclear of what does PC mean. Claim 6, the limitation “said injection molding process is performing secondary injection molding to the PC injection molding material according to the ratio of 1:200 added with red and orange temperature-sensitive material to fill the position of the changeable color block completely.” is unclear. 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. Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Musick (US 9,705,225) in view of Liu et al. (CN 207403595) and further in view of Miyazaki (US 2004/0266261). Regarding claim 1, Musick disclose a charging gun including a gun head (10), one end of said gun head is provided with a waterproof pad (20), and the rear side of the waterproof pad is connected with a terminal cover (18); the interior of said terminal cover is connected with terminals (12), and the outer side of the terminals are provided with terminal rubber coatings (6), and one end of said terminals is connected with a terminal wiring harness (14); the outer side of the terminal located at the outer side of the terminal is provided with a left gun shell (34B), one side of the left gun shell is connected with a right gun shell (34A). Musick substantially disclosed the claimed invention except riveting screws, changeable color block according to temperature change, the waterproof pad is a silicone pad, and a rubber coating is o the outer side of the terminal. Liu et al. teaching screws (5), changeable color block (2). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the screws and the changeable color block into Musick’s charging gun, as taught by Liu et al. for attaching the shells together and to displace the status of the charging gun. Musick in view of Liu substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the changeable color block according to temperature change. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitation. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987). Musick substantially disclosed the waterproof pad is a silicone material. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have silicone material for waterproofing the charging gun, since it has been held that to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. Musick substantially disclosed the claimed invention except a rubber coating is provided on the terminal. Miyazaki teach a rubber coating (31) is provided on a terminal (26) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the rubber coating on Musick’s terminal, as taught by Miyazaki retaining the terminal in the charging gun. Regarding claim 2, in the modified charging gun, Musick discloses inside the terminal cover is provided with limiting holes, and the terminals penetrate through the limiting holes and extend to the inside of the gun head; there are a plurality groups of terminals and limiting holes. [AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] PNG media_image1.png 100 142 media_image1.png Greyscale [AltContent: textbox (holes)] Regarding claim 3, in the modified charging gun, Liu et al. discloses the top of said left gun shell and right gun shell are both provided with empty slots, and the empty slots are fixedly connected with the changeable color block by injection molding. [AltContent: textbox (slots)][AltContent: arrow] [AltContent: textbox (slots)][AltContent: arrow] PNG media_image2.png 353 382 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding claims 4 and 7, the method claim is deemed inherence as Musick in view of Liu et al. substantially disclosed the charging gun apparatus. One skill in the art understood that apparatus must be made by injection molding comprising following steps: Step 1: The gun shell is firstly injection molded as a whole, leaving the position of the changeable color block empty; Step 2: completely filling the position of the changeable color block at the position of the changeable color block of the gun shell by secondary injection molding; Step 3: assembling the gun head, silicone waterproof pad, terminal cover, terminal component, first riveting screw, second riveting screw, left gun shell, and right gun shell. the integral injection molding of the gun shell in step 1 adopts PC material, and the injection molding adopts the traditional injection molding process of injection molding in one shot. Regarding claim 5, in the modified charging gun, Musick et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the material of the changeable color block from 50° C. red temperature-sensitive material, 38° C. orange temperature-sensitive material. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to choose the claimed material, since it has been held that to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. Regarding claim 6, in the modified charging gun, Musick et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the ratio of 1:200 added with red and orange temperature-sensitive material to fill the position of the changeable color block completely. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was to made to provide the ratio of 1:200 for optimum performance, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim a are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2011. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday (7-4). 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, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. 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. /TRUC T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 21, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 31, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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CHARGING INLET
2y 6m to grant Granted May 19, 2026
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2y 10m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
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3y 0m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
87%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+7.1%)
1y 10m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1289 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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