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 Interpretation
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors.
For clarity of the record, Examiner has interpreted the claims in the following ways:
Within the claims, Applicant recites and repeatedly references “release” of contacts or charging sockets in “releasing position[s].” It is not readily apparent to Examiner whether this is a translational error, or a misunderstanding of the disclosure. As best understood by Examiner, these “releasing positions” do not “release” anything; instead, they reveal or otherwise grant access to respective charging ports. For example, instant FIGS 1-6 purportedly depict various “releasing” modes or positions. A review of these figures shows that there is nothing within the charger to release; instead, all that the various positions do is enable a person to access a charging port in order to plug in a corresponding charging element. Thus, the “releasing positions” are in reality “connector selection positions” that “at least partially reveal contact elements of the corresponding charging connection.” For purposes of examination, “releasing positions” will be interpreted as “connector selection positions.”
Following the above, Applicant also recites an “inhibiting arrangement” that, as best understood by Examiner, is configured to limit access to non-selected connectors. For example, if the first charging connection is selected, the inhibiting arrangement is configured to conceal and prevent access to the second charging connection by preventing movement of a corresponding cover. Thus, for purposes of examination, lines 15-28 of claim 11 will be understood to recite the following: an inhibiting arrangement configured to: prevent revealing of a second charging connector when a first charging mode corresponding to the first charging connector is selected and/or to prevent movement for at least one charging connection cover from a covered state to a revealed state if the corresponding charging connector is not required for the selected charging mode; wherein the inhibiting arrangement, during a charging process, provides access only to the charging connection corresponding to the selected charging mode while the other charging connector(s) remain covered to prevent touching contact.
In lines 29-31 of claim 11, Applicant recites “at least one sensor arrangement…configured to monitor a current position of the at least two movable mounted charging connection covers or is configured to recognize the current charging mode.” The bolded portion is grammatically unclear because the language does not clearly indicate which element is being referenced by the word “is.” As best understood by Examiner, this portion of the claim is attempting to recite “at least one sensor arrangement…configured to monitor a current position of [the covers] or to recognize the current charging mode.”
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the various types of roller blinds recited by claim 21 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 11-21 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 claim 11, Applicant recites an unselected charging connector being “covered by the respective…cover, so as to be safe to touch” in lines 26-28 of the claim as filed. It is unclear how the connectors would be safe to touch, or how one of ordinary skill would even touch the connectors, when covered by a corresponding cover. As recited, all of the charging connectors share a common electrical coupling. Thus, if one connector is energized, all connectors are energized. While covering an energizing connectors ensures a person’s safety by preventing contact with the energized connector, Applicant recites the cover as making the connector safe to touch. This is clearly not intended or factually accurate; as a result, Examiner believes that the translation of the foreign document has resulted in an issue which renders the subject matter indefinite because an energized connector cannot be safely touched, and provision of a cover prevents touching of the connector in the first place. For purposes of examination, the limitation will be interpreted in accordance with the Claim Interpretation section, above. Claims 12-21 depend from claim 11, fail to cure this deficiency, and are therefore rejected for at least the same reason.
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.
Claim(s) 11-20 is is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0102336 (“Zhang”) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0197515 (“Southey”).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang discloses:
A charging connection device for an electrically propelled vehicle (title), the charging device comprising:
two adjacently arranged charging connections (FIG 2:11,12), which are charging sockets (“charging ports,” see para. [0023]), wherein a first of the two charging connections is a fast charging port (11) and a second of the two charging connections is a slow charging port (12), wherein the two adjacently arranged charging connections are electrically coupled via a common electrical path (inherent; as both charging ports are utilized to charge the same battery, at least some portion of the electrical connection to the battery must be shared, even if the “common electrical path” is entirely within the battery internal circuitry);
at least two movably mounted charging connection covers (FIGS 2 and 3, covers 21 and 22), wherein each of the two charging connections is assigned at least one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers (as shown), wherein the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers each cover a corresponding one of the two charging connections in at least one covering position and at least partially release contact elements of the corresponding charging connection in at least one releasing position (FIG 2, faster charger 11 is uncovered, slow charger 12 is covered; FIG 3, slow charger 12 is uncovered, fast charger 11 is covered);
an inhibiting arrangement configured to inhibit at least one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers for a transition from the at least one covering position to at least one releasing position or for a transition between releasing positions if a release of the corresponding charging connection assigned to the corresponding one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers or contact elements the corresponding one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers is not required for a current charging mode or if at least one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers has one of the releasing positions, so that, during a charging process, only one of the two charging connections, which is assigned to the charging mode, or contact elements one of the two charging connections are accessible for contacting, while another one of the two charging connections or contact elements of the other one of the two charging connections are covered by the respective one of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers, so as to be safe to touch (inherent; see discussion below); and
at least one sensor arrangement coupled to the inhibiting arrangement and configured to monitor a current position of the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers or is configured to recognize the current charging mode (inherent; see discussion below).
Zhang, during a charging operation, first sends an open signal to both cover elements (para. [0026]) such that the vehicle operator may insert the appropriate charging plug. Once a charging plug is inserted, the system of Zhang detects which charging port is being used and closes the unused charging port (“control module 50 controls the charging port cover 20 corresponding to the charging port 10 into which the plug-in end is not inserted to be closed according to the charging port cover closing instructions”). In paragraph [0031], Zhang states that “[o]nly after the receiving module 40 receives the charging port cover opening signal again, the control module 50 can control both” covers to be opened. Thus, Zhang discloses “an inhibiting arrangement” that is configured to prevent the closed cover from being automatically opened unless the controller issues an opening signal. While Zhang contemplates the covers being openable manually, the “inhibiting arrangement” as presently recited does not exclude manual operation of the covers, but instead only requires some amount of inhibition. Inhibition of automated opening is sufficient to meet the present limitations, as best understood by Examiner. In addition to the above, Zhang also inherently discloses a sensing arrangement coupled to the inhibiting arrangement, the sensing arrangement configured to recognize the current charging mode by detecting which of the plural charging ports receives a corresponding charging plug.
Thus, the sole difference between Zhang and the instant claim is a matter of the specific ports cited in claim 11. While Zhang broadly discloses “a fast charging port” and “a slow charging port,” the instant claim recites the first connection as “a combined DC-AC charging connection” and the second connection as one of “a DC charging connection, an AC charging connection, or a further DC-AC charging connection.” However, those of ordinary skill would recognize and appreciate that the charging ports depicted by Zhang include a GB/T connector (FIG 4:11) and an Mennekes connector (FIG 4:12). Thus, Zhang may be interpreted as disclosing a first charging connection that is an AC charging connection and a second charging connection that is a DC charging connection. Thus, Zhang actually differs from the instant claims in that the first connector of the instant claim is a combined charging standard.
It is well-known by those of ordinary skill in the art that an AC charging port may be modified to include a DC charging port to create a “combined charging system” (“CCS”). There are multiple types of CCS, including CCS1, which incorporates a J1772 connector (common in North America) with a DC charging port. Such a modification would have obvious benefits, including the ability to utilize fast charging stations in North America where the GB/T charging standard is less prevalent.
Southey discloses a CCS standard connector, which appears to be a CCS1 connector (see FIG 3), wherein a J1772 standard connector has been modified (compare FIG 2 to FIG 3) to include a DC charging port socket (as shown by FIG 3). Southey does not provide a motivation for adding the DC charging socket to the J1772 standard socket, simply acknowledging that it is already known.
Examiner therefore finds that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art (prior to the effective filing date) to replace Zhang’s Mennekes standard with the CCS1 port of Southey for the purposes of enabling the operator of the vehicle in Zhang to make use of DC fast charging stations in North America where the GB/T standard is not available.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Zhang and Southey (“the first combination”) discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses at least one drive configured to, depending on the charging mode recognized by the sensor arrangement, move the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers into a position in which only the charging connection assigned to the charging mode or the contact elements of the charging connection assigned to the charging mode are released (Zhang, para. [0026]).
Regarding claim 13, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses at least three movably mounted charging connection covers, wherein the first charging connection cover (Zhang, 22) is assigned to AC contact elements of the combined DC-AC charging connection (as modified by Examiner in claim 11, the combined references would have the CCS port of Southey disposed in the place of port 12 in Zhang, such that the CCS port is “assigned” to cover 22) and the second charging connection cover (Zhang, 21) is assigned to the further charging connection (Zhang, 11).
Zhang does not disclose the first charging connection cover comprising three charging connection covers, wherein a first of the three covers is assigned to an AC portion of the combined charging connection, a second of the three covers is assigned to a DC portion of the combined charging connection, and a third of the three covers is assigned to the further charging connection. This, however, amounts to a modification of the first charging cover in Zhang to instead comprise a first and second charging cover, while the existing “second” cover of Zhang represents “a third charging cover.” Thus, to render the instant claim obvious, there must be a motivation to alter the first charging cover of Zhang as described above.
Southey discloses a flap-type charging cover (FIG 5:14) configured to block access to the combined charging port in a covering position (as shown in FIG 5), allow access to only the AC portion of the combined connector in a first release position (as shown in FIG 6), and allow access to the AC and DC portion of the connector in a second release position (as shown in FIG 7). The split charging cover is provided so that the DC charging port of the combined connector remains protected from the elements (e.g., weather, dust, etc.) when not needed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art (prior to the effective filing date) to modify the first charging connection cover of Zhang to include comprise an AC socket cover and a DC socket cover, as taught by Southey, for the purposes of enabling an operator to access the AC charging port for slow charging of the vehicle while keeping the DC charging port covered and protected from the elements.
Regarding claim 14, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses first and second charging connection covers (Zhang, 21 and 22) wherein the first charging connection cover is assigned to the combined charging connection and the second charging cover is assigned to the further charging connection (as shown in FIG 5), but does not disclose the first charging cover being movable between a first and a second releasing position, the first releasing position allowing access only to the AC portion of the combined connector and the second releasing portion allowing access to both the AC and DC portions of the combined connector.
During examination, claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation that is not inconsistent with the disclosure as filed. Here, Applicant recites the first charging cover being assigned to the combined charging connection and being configured to move between a covered position and a first or a second releasing position. Applicant’s claim does not exclude an interpretation wherein the “first charging connection” comprises one or more sub-elements, e.g., “a first charging connection door” and “a second charging connection door.” Stated another way, the instant claim does not require the first charging cover to be only a single element, but may instead comprise plural elements that may be provided in multiple configurations.
Southey discloses a flap-type charging cover (FIG 5:14) configured to block access to the combined charging port in a covering position (as shown in FIG 5), allow access to only the AC portion of the combined connector in a first release position (as shown in FIG 6), and allow access to the AC and DC portion of the connector in a second release position (as shown in FIG 7). The split charging cover is provided so that the DC charging port of the combined connector remains protected from the elements (e.g., weather, dust, etc.) when not needed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art (prior to the effective filing date) to modify the first charging connection cover of Zhang to include comprise an AC socket cover and a DC socket cover, as taught by Southey, for the purposes of enabling an operator to access the AC charging port for slow charging of the vehicle while keeping the DC charging port covered and protected from the elements.
Regarding claim 15, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses the two charging connections being arranged in a common charging recess (Zhang, FIG 4, where both of charging ports 11 and 12 are recessed within charging hole 31).
Regarding claim 16, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses the two charging connections arranged in two separate and adjacently arranged charging recesses (Zhang, FIG 4, where each of the charging ports is also depicted as having its own recess within charging hole 31).
Regarding claim 17, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 16 and further discloses at least one of the separate and adjacent charging recesses comprises at least one cover element (Zhang, e.g., FIG 4:30) covering a corresponding charging recess in at least a first position (when door 30 is closed, both recesses are covered) and at least partially releases the corresponding charging recess in at least a second position (when door 30 is opened, as in FIG 4, both recesses are at least “partially released” because, despite still being covered by individual charging connection covers, door 30 represents a second layer of coverage that blocks access to either port if it is closed), wherein the at least one cover element is arranged above the at least two movably mounted charging connection covers with respect to a vehicle environment (as shown by FIG 4).
Regarding claim 18, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses the inhibiting arrangement comprising at least one locking element (Zhang, outer cover 30 may be plausibly and reasonably interpreted as “a locking element” of the inhibiting arrangement) configured to lock a corresponding connection cover in a covering position (inherent; when the connection covers are in the covering position and the outer cover 30 is closed and latched, it effectively locks the concealed connection covers into their respective covering positions).
Regarding claim 19, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 11 and further discloses the inhibiting arrangement comprising at least one blocking arrangement (inherent; see discussion below) configured to block at least one drive (also inherent; see below) configured to drive the at least two movably mounted charging covers (also inherent; see below).
Zhang, in paragraph [0029] discloses the system therein being configured with sensors to detect environmental data and, in response to undesirable conditions, prevent an automated opening of the charging covers 21 and 22. As the opening of the covers is automated, there must inherently be “a drive” that is “configured to drive the at least two movably mounted charging covers” from their covered position to an uncovered position. Moreover, the system being configured to prevent an automated opening may be reasonably interpreted as the system having “a blocking arrangement” that is configured “to block at least one drive” from opening the covers. Thus, Examiner finds that Zhang explicitly or inherently discloses the limitations of claim 19.
Regarding claim 20, the first combination discloses the limitations as set forth in claim 17 and further discloses the at least one cover element being a rotationally movably mounted flap (Zhang, see FIG 4).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the first combination as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0086217 (“Scherdin”).
Regarding claim 21, the first combination discloses the limitations of claim 17, as detailed above, but does not disclose at least one of the two movably mounted charging connection covers or the at least one cover element being a foldable, rollable, or bendable roller blind.
Scherdin discloses an electric vehicle charging system (title, FIGS 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) wherein a movable charging port cover is provided as a rollable roller blind (6). While the reference does not provide a motivation for utilizing such a rolled blind, Scherdin does acknowledge that such coverings are “well-known.” As Scherdin recognizes roll-front covers as being “well-known” and furthermore utilizes such as a cover for a charging port in an electric vehicle, Examiner finds that the prior art recognizes the suitability of roller blinds as a substitutable equivalent to other covering means. Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that flap-type coverings, such as those disclosed by Zhang, may be damaged if force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction; a roller-type covering, such as Scherdin’s obviates such a concern because the covering does not extend outwardly, but instead slides into a reel secured within the body of the vehicle.
Examiner therefore finds that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art (prior to the effective filing date) to further modify Zhang, replacing the flap-type connection coverings of Zhang with roller-type coverings as disclosed by Scherdin, because the prior art recognizes roller-type coverings being a suitable substitute for the flap-type coverings and provision of the roller-type coverings obviates structural weaknesses of the flap-type coverings as discussed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Those documents cited, but not discussed above, generally pertain to electric vehicle charging ports, systems, and coverings.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS K QUIGLEY whose telephone number is (571)272-4050. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM EST.
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/THOMAS K QUIGLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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