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 .
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 features of “the cooling medium is unevenly distributed in the hollow inner cavity” as claimed in claim 22 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 1-3, 5-9, 13-18, and 21-26 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.
Claim 1, line 1 recites “assembly having a solid-state cooling medium”. Claim 1, lines 5-6, recites “semi-solid-state cooling medium”. This renders the claim indefinite.
Claim 3, line 2, “the connection terminal” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 5, line 2, “one hollow inner cavity” is unclear to how this relates to at least one hollow inner cavity cited in claim 1.
Claim 26 has the same issue as claim 1.
Claims 2, 6-9, 13-18, and 21-25 are included in this rejection because of dependency.
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)(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, 2, 5, 14, and 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Prasad et al. (2025/0007267).
Prasad et al. discloses a connector assembly (Fig. 1) having a solid-state cooling medium, comprising at least one electrical connection framework (Figs 2B-2D) and connectors (Fig. 1), wherein the connectors comprise connection terminals (314, 401, 402), two ends of the electrical connection framework are electrically connected to the connection terminals respectively (Figs 3C & 4C), and the electrical connection framework is provided with at least one hollow inner cavity (228) which is at least partially filled with a solid-state cooling medium ([0070], any other suitable cooling medium can be used…such as a solid or phase change material, such as hydrated salts or paraffin wax) (re-claim 1).
Prasad et al. also discloses that the electrical connection framework comprises a rigid hollow conductor (223) (re-claim 2); when the electrical connection framework is provided with one hollow inner cavity, the hollow conductor has a uniform wall thickness (Figs 2B-2D) (re-claim 5); a partial region of the electrical connection framework is flexible and comprises at least one bent portion (Figs 1 & 2A) (re-claims 24-25); and a vehicle comprising the connector assembly as claimed in claim 1 (re-claim 26).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 3, 21, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prasad et al.
Re-claim 3, Prasad et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for the connection framework being connected to the terminal by means of welding or crimping. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the connection framework to the connection terminal of Prasad et al. by either welding or crimping to meet the specific use of the resulting assembly since both welding and crimping are well-known in the art used for joinings.
Re-claim 21, Prasad et al. discloses cooling medium (227) filling the inner cavity (228), but does not disclose the cooling medium accounting for more than 1.1% of the volume of the inner cavity. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to fill the inner cavity of Prasad et al. with the cooling medium such that the cooling medium accounts for more than 1.1% of the volume of the inner cavity to meet the specific use of the resulting assembly, more volume of coolant faster time to cool the conductor. It has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Re-claim 23, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a charging cradle as one of the connectors in the connector assembly of Prasad et al. since charging cradle is known in the art for its many benefits such as stationary dock, keeping devices charged.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prasad et al. in view of Krug et al. (2024/0103108).
Prasad et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for the hollow conductor having a cross-sectional area of 0.3 mm2 to 240 mm2 (re-claim 6). Krug et al. discloses a hollow conductor having a cross-sectional area of 0.3 mm2 to 240 mm2 ([0043]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the hollow conductor of Prasad et al. with a cross-sectional area of 0.3 mm2 to 240 mm2 as taught by Krug et al. to meet the specific use of the resulting assembly.
Re-claim 7, Krug et al. discloses that the hollow inner cavity accounts for 3.7% to 85% of the cross-sectional area of the hollow conductor ([0043], cross-sectional area of the hollow conductor 35 mm2; cross-sectional area of the inner cavity 9 mm2 => 9/35 = 25.7%). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the inner cavity of Prasad et al. such that it accounts for 3.7% to 85% of the total cross-sectional area, as taught by Krug et al., to hold the required coolant therein.
Claims 8, 9, 13, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prasad et al. in view of Wang et al. (2024/0356290).
Re-claims 8, 9, 15, and 16, Prasad et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed including an outer periphery of frameword being sleeved with an insulation layer (224), and an outer periphery of the insulation layer being further sleeved with a shielding layer (225) and an outer insulation layer (226) (re-claim 15). Prasad et al. does not disclose the connector comprising a shielding inner shell which is made of a material containing metal, wherein the shielding layer is electrically connected to the shielding inner shell (re-claims 8, 9, and 16). Wang et al. discloses a connector assembly comprising a shielded framework and a connector (Figs 3, 5, and 7-9) comprising a shielding inner shell (22 or 4) which is made of a material containing metal ([0070]), wherein the shielding layer of the shielding framework is electrically connected to the shielding inner shell (Figs 3, 5, and 7-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a shielding inner shell as taught by Wang et al. in the connector of Prasad et al. to improve electrical performance of the assembly, shielding electromagnetic field.
Re-claim 13, it is noted that since the shielding inner shell in the modified assembly of Prasad et al. comprises structure and material as claimed, the shielding inner shell has a transfer impedance of less than 100 mΩ.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prasad et al. in view of Wang et al. (CN 215379644).
Prasad et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for the cooling medium containing mica or silicon or silicone grease. Wang et al. discloses a connector assembly comprising a cooling medium (heat conducting part 41) containing mica or silicon or silicone grease. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use mica, silicon, or silicone grease as taught by Wang et al. for the cooling medium of Prasad et al. to meet the end use of the assembly since these materials are known as cooling mediums. It is noted that since the cooling medium in the modified assembly of Prasad et al. comprises material as claimed, the cooling rate of the cooling medium is 0.05 K/s to 10.3 K/s.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prasad et al. in view of Takeno et al. (5532434).
Prasad et al. discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for the cooling medium being unevenly distributed in the inner cavity. Takeno et al. discloses a connection framework (Fig. 8) provided with a hollow inner cavity which is partially filled with a cooling medium (carbon, copper oxide, alumina), wherein the cooling medium is unvenly distributed in the inner cavity (Fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Prasad such that the cooling medium is unvenly distributed in the inner cavity to meet the specific use while reducing manufacture cost, less coolant used. It is taught by Takeno et al. that the filling can be distributed evenly (Figs 3 and 4) or unevenly (Fig. 8).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAU N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1980. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAU N NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
