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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuehrer et al. (US 2017/0229820, hereinafter “Fuehrer”).
Claim 1: Fuehrer discloses a thermal monitoring and control plug (Figs.2-6; see [0011] and [0024]), the plug comprising:
a power conductor terminal (any of 42B-E) configured to:
electrically couple to a vehicle charging port (shown in Figs.1 and 2); and
transfer electrical energy to the vehicle charging port (see [0039]);
a temperature detection system (440, 44B-E) that includes:
a thermal truss (440, a crimp sleeve with a material with high thermal conductivity; see [0042]) at least partially surrounding the power conductor terminal (see Fig.6, [0034]); and
a temperature sensor (corresponding 44A-E for the power conductor terminal) coupled to the thermal truss (see Fig.6) and configured to detect a temperature change of the power conducting terminal (see [0034]).
Claim 19: Fuehrer discloses a method of thermal management of an electrical connection plug (Figs.1-6), the method comprising:
measuring temperature data of a power conductor terminal (42B) using a temperature sensor (44B; see [0042]-[0043]) coupled to a thermal truss (440) that at least partially surrounding the power conductor terminal (see Figs.3 and 6), wherein the power conductor terminal is configured to electrically couple to a vehicle charging port and transfer electrical energy thereto (see Fig.1 and [0039]); and
determining if the electrical connection plug will exceed a critical temperature of the thermal monitoring and control plug based on the measured temperature data (see [0047], where a temperature threshold is detected and appropriate countermeasures are triggered).
Claim 2: Fuehrer discloses wherein the thermal truss completely surrounds the power conductor terminal (see Fig.6).
Claim 3: Fuehrer discloses an electrical isolator interposed between the thermal truss and the power conductor terminal (on the temperature sensor, which has an electrically insulating casing; see [0023]).
Claim 7: Fuehrer discloses a plug housing (40) surrounding at least a portion of the power conductor terminal, wherein the plug housing completely encloses the thermal truss (see Fig.2, where the housing encloses the terminals, the thermal crimp sleeve, and temperature sensors).
Claim 9: Fuehrer discloses the thermal truss is formed of a conductive metal (see [0034], where the crimp sleeve may be made of a metal).
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 8, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuehrer et al. (DE 102018131558 A1, hereinafter “Fuehrer2”).
Claim 1: Fuehrer2 discloses a thermal monitoring and control plug (Figs.3-5; see pg.10, first paragraph, where the thermal monitoring may instead be on the plug and pg.6, 5th paragraph, where a control device may be connected to the sensor for control), the plug comprising:
a power conductor terminal (one of 42) configured to:
electrically couple to a vehicle charging port (shown in Fig.1; see pg.10, first paragraph, where the device may also be provided in a plug); and
transfer electrical energy to the vehicle charging port (see pg.7, 7th paragraph);
a temperature detection system (51, 44, and 52) that includes:
a thermal truss (52 and 44, including elements 52 that are thermally conductive; see pg.8, second paragraph) at least partially surrounding the power conductor terminal (see Figs.4 and 5); and
a temperature sensor (51) coupled to the thermal truss (see Figs.4 and 5) and configured to detect a temperature change of the power conducting terminal (see pg.8, 4th paragraph).
Claim 12: Fuehrer2 discloses an electric connection unit (Figs.3-5) comprising:
a first power conductor terminal (one of 42) configured to transfer electrical energy to a device (an electric vehicle; see pg.6, 5th paragraph; see pg.10, first paragraph, where the thermal monitoring may instead be on the plug);
a second power conductor terminal (other of 42) configured to transfer electrical energy to the device (to the electric vehicle);
a temperature detection system (51, 52, and 44) that includes:
a thermal truss (52 and 44, including elements 52 that are thermally conductive; see pg.8, second paragraph) at least partially surrounding the first power conductor terminal and the second power conductor terminal (see Figs.4 and 5, where 52 and 44 surround both terminals 42); and
a temperature sensor (51) coupled to the thermal truss and configured to detect a temperature change of a singular power conducting terminal (see pg.7, last paragraph, pg.3, 3rd-4th paragraphs).
Claim 2: Fuehrer2 discloses wherein the thermal truss completely surrounds the power conductor terminal (see Figs.4 and 5).
Claim 4: Fuehrer2 discloses a second power conductor terminal (other of 42) configured to transfer electrical energy to the vehicle charging port (see pg.7, 7th paragraph), wherein the thermal truss at least partially surrounds the second power conductor terminal (see Figs.4 and 5).
Claim 5: Fuehrer2 discloses wherein the thermal truss wholly surrounds the second power conductor terminal (see Figs.3 and 10).
Claim 8: Fuehrer2 discloses wherein the thermal truss is formed of two pieces (e.g. each of 52) separated by a gap (formed by the mounting of 52 on 44), with the temperature sensor coupled to both pieces of the thermal truss (51 being physically coupled to the entire truss component of 44 and 52, thus “coupled to both pieces”).
Claim 13: Fuehrer2 discloses a first surrounding element completely surrounding the first power conductor terminal (one of 52); a second surrounding element completely surrounding the second power conductor terminal (the other of 52); and an integral platform positioned between the first surrounding element and the second surrounding element (44, which includes a structure between each of 52; see Fig.4).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuehrer in view of JP 3144604 U (hereinafter ‘604).
Fuehrer discloses the limitations of claim 9, as well as the crimp sleeve corresponding to the “thermal truss” being made of a metal (see [0034]), but does not disclose the metal as copper specifically. ‘604 discloses that a pressure bonding sleeve that can perform stable pressure-bonding (abstract) may be made of copper (see Background Art, first paragraph, pg.1). One of ordinary skill in the art would have further found copper to be a suitable metal for a thermal sleeve, as disclosed by Fuehrer. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have provided the metal thermal sleeve of Fuehrer as copper specifically in order to have provided a suitable and stable pressure-bonded metal sleeve as required by Fuehrer.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuehrer in view of Wikipedia (SAE J1772, hereinafter “Wiki”).
Fuehrer discloses the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above, but does not disclose wherein the power conductor terminal is configured to transfer electrical energy at multiple voltages. Wiki discloses the SAE J1772 standard, which includes a power conductor terminal configured to transfer electrical energy at multiple voltages (120 V at Level 1 or 240 V at Level 2; see pg.4). Wiki discloses that such a standard supports a wide range of single-phase AC charging rates as a North American standard (see pg.1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have utilized an SAE J1772 connector disclosed by Wiki as the connector of Fuehrer, thus providing a terminal configured to transfer electrical energy at multiple voltages, as a plug supporting a North American standard for a wide range of single-phase AC charging rates.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuehrer2.
Fuehrer2 discloses the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above, but does not disclose wherein the power conductor terminal is configured to transfer electrical energy at multiple voltages. However, Fuehrer2 discloses a connector and plug within the context of level 3 fast DC charging (see Fig.2, which shows a CCS Combo 2 connector). The examiner takes Official Notice that providing multiple voltages at a level 3 charger depending on the voltage platform of the vehicle is well-known in the art (e.g. providing 800V some EV architectures versus 400V for others). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to have provided terminals capable of transferring energy at multiple voltages, as is well known in the art, in order to have provided an appropriate DC voltage for fast charging according to vehicle architecture.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 14-18, and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to claims 6 and 15, the prior art does not disclose a “electrical isolator interposed between the thermal truss and the … power conductor terminal” within the context of “a second power conductor terminal” and “the thermal truss at least partially surrounds the second power terminal”, as Fuehrer2 explicitly teaches away from requiring an electrical isolator interposed between the thermal truss and power conductor terminal in pg.3, last paragraph to pg.4, second paragraph, which describes forming the thermal truss as an electrical insulator to provide direct contact with the contact element and where Fuehrer does not disclose the truss surrounding both a first and second contact element.
With regard to claim 14, the prior art does not clearly disclose “wherein the temperature sensor contacts the integral platform”.
With regard to claim 16, the prior art does not disclose “wherein the first surrounding element is thermally coupled to the second surrounding element through only the temperature sensor”.
With regard to claims 17 and 18, in the embodiment requiring the thermal truss at least partially surround a first and second power conductor, as required by claim 12, Fuehrer2 only discloses forming the thermal truss with an electrical insulator and teaches away from the truss being “formed of a conductive metal” or “of copper”.
With regard to claim 20, the prior art does not disclose “determining a length of the cable coupled to the thermal monitoring and control plug based on the measured temperature data”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryan Johnson whose telephone number is (571)270-1264. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Menna Youssef can be reached at 571-270-3684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN JOHNSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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