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. 5-7, and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Eide et al. (USPUB 2022/0134899).
As to Claim 1, Eide discloses a pair of coils for use in inductive charging of a light electric vehicle, the pair of coils comprising a first frustoconical coil and a second frustoconical coil, wherein the first frustoconical coil defines an interior which is sized to accept the second frustoconical coil (Figure 1, Figure 9, Elements 4 and 54).
As to Claim 2, Eide discloses the pair of coils of claim 1, wherein the first frustoconical coil includes a liner and a spindle attached to the liner and extending into the interior and the second frustoconical coil includes a frustoconical outer body which includes a front end, the front end defining an aperture with a bore extending therefrom, the frustoconical outer body sized to be accepted by the second frustoconical coil and the aperture and bore sized to accept the spindle (Figure 9, Element 58).
As to Claim 5, Eide discloses a combination of a light electric vehicle and a charging station, wherein: the light electric vehicle includes a receiver module, the receiver module comprising a frustoconical insulating body and a frustoconical receiver coil which is housed in the frustoconical insulating body; and the charging station comprising a housing which defines a recess, a transmitter module which is housed in the recess and includes a liner and a frustoconical or conical transmitter coil which is housed in the liner and defines an interior, the interior sized to accept the receiver module (Figure 1 and 9, Elements 4 and 54).
As to Claim 6, Eide discloses the combination of claim 5, wherein the housing of the charging station defines a slot for accepting at least a portion of the light electric vehicle such that the receiver module can be mated with the transmitter module (Figure 9, Elements 4 and 54).
As to Claim 7, Eide discloses the combination of claim 6, wherein the light electric vehicle includes a steering tube and receiver module mounted on the steering tube (Figure 1, Element 4).
As to Claim 11, Eide discloses a method of charging a light electric vehicle, the method comprising: a user selecting a light electric vehicle including a battery and a frustoconical receiver module, the frustoconical receiver module including a frustoconical receiver coil which is in electrical communication with the battery (Figure 1 and Figure 9, Element 4 and 54); the user selecting a charging station, the charging station including a housing which defines a recess, a transmitter module which is housed in the recess and includes a liner and a frustoconical or conical transmitter coil which is housed in the liner and defines an interior, the interior sized to accept the receiver module; the user sliding the receiver module into the transmitter module; and the charging station powering the frustoconical or conical transmitter coil, thereby charging the battery of the light electric vehicle (Figure 9, Elements 4 and 54).
As to Claim 12, Eide discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising locking the receiver module to the transmitter module prior to charging the battery of the light electric vehicle (Figure 9, Element 58).
As to Claim 13, Eide discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising unlocking the receiver module from the transmitter module after charging the battery of the light electric vehicle (Paragraph 37).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 and 8-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J GRANT whose telephone number is (571)270-5820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at (571)272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT GRANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
