DETAILED ACTION
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 20190241065)
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a charging or fueling module of a vehicle, wherein the charging or fueling module comprises the following: a base body (annotated fig 1) for mounting the charging or fueling module on a body structure of the vehicle (fig 1); a flap or cover body (200) mounted pivotally or movably on the base body (figs 2-7); and an aperture body (300) mounted on the flap or cover body or on a retaining body of the flap or cover body via a plurality of fastening elements (230, 310) (figs 2-5), which, when the flap or cover body takes on a closed position, extends flush with an outer skin of the body structure of the vehicle (fig 1), wherein each fastening element comprises a first connection partner (230) fixedly connected to the flap or cover body or to the retaining body of the flap or cover body and a second connection partner (310) fixedly connected to a rear side of the aperture body (figs 2-5), wherein the first connection partner is arranged at least partially or regionally in a complementary manner to the second connection partner and is configured to form a releasable, positive-locking connection with the second connection partner (figs 2-5).
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Regarding claim 2, Kim further discloses that the connection partners of each fastening element are configured such that the aperture body (13) can also be removed from the flap or cover body or from the retaining body of the flap or cover body when the flap or cover body takes on the closed position (figs 1-5).
Regarding claim 3 , Kim further discloses that in the fastened or mounted state of the aperture body, the connection partners of each fastening element are configured to position the latter in a stressless manner in relation to the flap or cover body or in relation to the retaining body of the flap or cover body (figs 2-5).
Regarding claim 4, Kim further discloses that the first or second connection partner(s) of each fastening element is/are configured to lock together in a desired mounting position of the two connection partners (figs 2-5).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further discloses that the first or second connection partner of each fastening element, and the first connection partner, comprises at least one catching projection (312), which, in the desired mounting position of the two connection partners, is configured to engage with or catch into a catching receptacle (232) of the other connection partner (figs 6a-b).
Regarding claim 6, Kim further discloses that the connection partners of each fastening element are configured such that a positive-locking connection between the connection partners established in the desired mounting position of the connection partners can only be released after overcoming a predefined or definable force threshold, which acts in a Y direction ([0067], figs 2-5).
Regarding claim 8, Kim further discloses the fastening elements are configured such that the aperture body can be mounted on the flap or cover body or on the retaining body of the flap or cover body by a movement, in particular by a superposed movement, of the aperture body relative to the flap or cover body or relative to the retaining body of the flap or cover body (figs 2-6).
Regarding claim 9, Kim further discloses that the fastening elements are configured such that the aperture body can be removed from the flap or cover body or from the retaining body of the flap or cover body by introduction of a predefined or definable critical force component in a Y direction, by introduction of a predefined or definable critical force component purely in the Y direction from the flap or cover body or from the retaining body of the flap or cover body ([0067], figs 2-6).
Regarding claim 10, Kim further discloses that the first or second connection partner of each fastening element, and the second connection partner, is at least partially or regionally configured as a socket having a receptacle (232), wherein a plug element (312) of the other connection partner can be inserted, in the X direction, into the receptacle to establish the positive-locking connection with the other connection partner (figs 1-6).
Regarding claim 11, Kim further discloses that the receptacles of the connection partners of each fastening element, being configured at least partially or regionally as a socket, are arranged parallel to one another, such that, for mounting or removing the aperture body on the flap or cover body, or from the flap or cover body, or on the retaining body of the flap or cover body, or from the retaining body of the flap or cover body, the aperture body is to be moved in a direction, in particular in a direction parallel to the outer skin of the vehicle, relative to the flap or cover body or to the retaining body of the flap or cover body ([0067], figs 1-6).
Regarding claim 12, Kim further discloses that the receptacle of the connection partner (5, 6) at least partially or regionally configured as a socket is formed by two guide surfaces (surfaces above and below 232) arranged opposite one another, wherein the guide surfaces are arranged spaced apart from one another such that an interstice for the plug element is formed (fig 6a).
Regarding claim 13, Kim further discloses that the receptacle of the connection partner at least partially or regionally configured as a socket is configured such that, when the plug element is inserted, the receptacle is elastically widened, wherein a tensioning and clamping ultimately occurs in a desired mounting position (figs 6a-b).
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20190241065) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Frohlich et al. (US 6003904)
Regarding claim 14, Kim further discloses that the first connection partner of each fastening element is configured integrally with the flap or cover body or the retaining body of the flap or cover body, and wherein the second connection partner of each fastening element is configured integrally with the aperture body (figs 2-6), and in particular with the rear side of the aperture body (figs 2-6).
Kim is silent regarding the fact that the connection partners of each fastening element are each configured as a plastic part, in particular as an injection-molded plastic part.
Frohlich teaches the fact that the connection partners of each fastening element are each configured as a plastic part, in particular as an injection-molded plastic part (abstract).
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of kim and Frohlich before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by Kim to include Kim the injection molded plastic as taught by Frohlich in order to achieve very favorable price in mass production (col 1 lines 10-21)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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 DANY E AKAKPO whose telephone number is (469)295-9255. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
07/07/2026
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