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
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2023026163 A1.
Regarding claim 1, WO 2023026163 A1 discloses a charge connection system (fig. 1) for a motor vehicle having an electric charging socket 3 on a vehicle side configured for coupling to a charging plug, the charge connection system comprising an electrically activatable locking device 5-9 associated with the charging socket 3 for securing the charging plug in the charging socket 3, the locking device having a mechanical emergency unlocking unit activatable by a remote transmission string 18 coupled to a manually operable actuating element movably mounted on the vehicle side.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 102057060 B1.
Regarding claim 1, KR 102057060 B1 discloses a charge connection system 10 for a motor vehicle having an electric charging socket 20 on a vehicle side configured for coupling to a charging plug, the charge connection system comprising an electrically activatable locking device 50 associated with the charging socket 20 for securing the charging plug in the charging socket 20, the locking device 50 having a mechanical emergency unlocking unit activatable by a remote transmission string C2 coupled to a manually operable actuating element (this is inherent since it is apparent that some type of handle must be present in order for the string C2 to be pulled) movably mounted on the vehicle side (see fig. 2 and 3).
Regarding claim 2, KR 102057060 B1 discloses the locking device 50 includes a mechanical switching element 56 arranged on an outside of a housing 51 of the locking device 50 and mounted swivelably about a swivel axis between a blocking position locking the charging plug relative to the charging socket 20 and an opening position releasing the charging plug for removal from the charging socket 20, the emergency unlocking unit having a control element 61, the control element 61 positively gripping around the switching element 56 and being swivelably mounted coaxially to the switching element 56 on the vehicle side (see fig. 2 and 3).
Regarding claim 3, KR 102057060 B1 discloses the control element 61 is mechanically coupled to the remote transmission string C2.
Regarding claim 4, KR 102057060 B1 discloses the remote transmission string C2 is designed flexible, and the charge connection system further includes a stationary carrier element 40 including guide elements, the guide elements comprising at least one guide profile 70, at least one deflection profile 72 and a guide eyelet 38 for linear guidance of the remote transmission string C2, and the remote transmission string C2 includes an end area spaced at a distance from the actuating element and is mechanically coupled to the control element 61 (see fig. 2 and 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 102057060 B1.
Regarding claim 8, KR 102057060 B1 discloses the remote transmission string C2 comprises a wire cable which is firmly connected at one end-its opposite ends to the actuating element and firmly connected at an opposite end on the one side and to the control element 61 on the other.
However, KR 102057060 B1 does not disclose the remote transmission string C2 comprises a wire Bowden cable.
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 modify the invention of KR 102057060 B1 by replacing the wire cable C2 as a wire Bowden cable, since applicants have not disclosed that having the wire cable as a wire Bowden cable solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the charge connection system would perform equally well with any type of cables.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9, 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM EST.
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 (571) 272-3560. 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.
Tdt
9/28/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
