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 1-13, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Angelo [ US 10493837].
Regarding claim 1: Angelo shows a support structure for an electric vehicle, comprising: a pair of elongated frame rails (202, 204) spaced apart from one another, each frame rail having a front end and a rear end; a pair of front rail brackets (342, 344), each front rail bracket (342, 344) having a first end coupled to a frame rail and a second end extending downwardly therefrom; a pair of rear rail brackets (342), spaced apart from the front rail brackets, each rear rail bracket (342) having a first end coupled to a frame rail rearward of the front rail brackets and a second end extending downwardly therefrom; and at least one battery case (304) having at least a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom, the battery case coupled to the front rail brackets (342) and the rear rail brackets (342), the battery case (304) being coupled to the frame rails proximate to the respective second ends of the front rail brackets and the second ends of the rear rail brackets, such that the battery case extends below the frame rails (202), and is coupled to the frame rails, through the front rail brackets and the rear rail brackets (342), at a point below the frame rails (202, 204).
Regarding claim 2: Angelo shows further comprising: a pair of front battery brackets (see fig 3A, there is multiple battery brackets 312. 314) coupled to the front wall of the battery case (304); a pair of rear battery brackets (see fig 5A) coupled to the rear wall of the battery case (304); a pair of front bushings (362, 366), each front bushing coupled to and extending between a respective second end of a front rail bracket and a respective front battery bracket; and a pair of rear bushings (362, 366), each rear bushing coupled to and extending between a respective second end of a rear rail bracket and a respective rear battery bracket.
Regarding claim 3: Angelo shows wherein the front bushings (362, 366) and the rear bushings each have a resilient inner core.
Regarding claim 4: Angelo shows wherein each frame rail (202, 204) forms a vertical plane, and wherein at least a portion of the front bushings (362, 366) and the rear bushings are spaced outwardly from the vertical plane formed by the frame rails.
Regarding claim 5: Angelo shows wherein each frame rail (202, 204) is an elongated member having a height, and wherein the height of each frame rail is less in the portion of each frame rail (202, 204) above the battery case, and more in the portion of each frame rail distal from the battery case (304).
Regarding claim 6: Angelo shows wherein each frame rail (202, 204) has a front section, a middle section (510) and a rear section, wherein the middle section is directly above the battery case (304), and wherein the front and rear sections each have a greater height than the middle section.
Regarding claim 7: Angelo shows further comprising a plurality of cross supports (510, see fig 5B) coupled to and extending between the pair of elongated frame rails (202, 204).
Regarding claim 8: Angelo shows wherein the battery case (304) comprises a plurality of battery packs (400) fixedly coupled to one another.
Regarding claim 9: Angelo shows A frame rail structure for an electric vehicle, comprising: a pair of elongated frame rails (202, 204) spaced apart from one another, each frame rail having a front end and a rear end (202, 204); at least one battery case below the frame rails, the battery case (304) having at least a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom; a first coupling structure, extending between the front wall of the battery case (304) and the pair of elongated frame rails; and a second coupling structure, extending between the rear wall of the battery case and the pair of elongated frame rails, wherein the first coupling structure and the second coupling structure secure the battery case (304) below the frame rails.
Regarding claim 10: Angelo shows wherein the first coupling structure comprises: a pair of spaced apart front rail brackets (342, 344), each having a first end coupled to a respective frame rail and a second end extending downwardly therefrom; a pair of front battery brackets (312, 314) coupled to the front wall of the battery case and extending forwardly therefrom (“…brackets 312 and 314 respectively located at the fore/front and aft/back of the first battery subassembly 300 are configured to couple with respective frame brackets 342, 344…”); and a pair of front bushings (“…One or more bushings are included in between the flanges of the frame bracket 342 and bracket 312…”), each front bushing coupled to and extending between a respective second end of a front rail bracket and a respective front battery bracket, wherein the front bushings establish a mounting point for the battery case to the frame rail below the frame rail.
Regarding claim 11: Angelo shows wherein each front bushing has a resilient inner core (“…Such bushings may provide isolation, damping, and/or absorption functions similar to those described above for bushings 364 or 366…”).
Regarding claim 12: Angelo shows wherein the second coupling structure comprises: a pair of spaced apart rear rail brackets (352, 354), each having a first end coupled to a respective frame rail and a second end extending downwardly therefrom; a pair of rear battery brackets (322, 324) coupled to the rear wall of the battery case and extending rearwardly therefrom; and a pair of rear bushings, each rear bushing coupled to and extending between a respective second end of a rear rail bracket (352, 254) and a respective rear battery bracket, wherein the rear bushings establish a mounting point for the battery case to the frame rail below the frame rail.
Regarding claim 13: Angelo shows wherein each rear bushing has a resilient inner core (“…Such bushings may provide isolation, damping, and/or absorption functions similar to those described above for bushings 364 or 366…”).
Regarding claim 15: Angelo shows wherein each frame rail (202, 204) is an elongated member having a height, and wherein the height of each frame rail is less in the portion of each frame rail above the battery case (see fig 5B), and wherein the height of the frame rail is more in the portion of each frame rail extending forwardly and rearwardly from the battery case.
Regarding claim 16: Angelo shows an integrated frame rail and battery case structure for an electric vehicle, the structure comprising: a pair of elongated frame rails (202.204) spaced apart from one another, each frame rail having a front end and a rear end; at least one battery case (304) below the frame rails (202, 204), the battery case (304) having at least a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom; a first coupling structure, extending between the front wall of the battery case (304) and the pair of elongated frame rails (202, 204), the first coupling structure including a first bushing below one frame rail and a second bushing below the other frame rail (“…Such bushings may provide isolation, damping, and/or absorption functions similar to those described above for bushings 364 or 366…”); and a second coupling structure, extending between the rear wall of the battery case (304) and the pair of elongated frame rails, the second coupling structure including a third bushing below one frame rail and a fourth bushing below the other frame rail, wherein the first bushing, the second bushing, the third bushing and the fourth bushing provide a four-point mounting system (“…any of hangers 334, 610, 620, or 630 may comprise a single hanger (rather than two hangers) with bushings disposed between the single hanger and each of the subassemblies 300, 320 to allow the subassemblies 330, 320 to move independently of each other…”) to couple the battery case to the frame rails below the frame rails (202, 204).
Regarding claim 17: Angelo shows wherein the first coupling structure comprises: a pair of spaced apart front rail brackets (342, 344), each having a first end coupled to a respective frame rail and a second end extending downwardly therefrom, and a pair of front battery brackets (312, 314) coupled to the front wall of the battery case and extending forwardly therefrom; and wherein the first bushing is coupled between a second end of a front rail bracket and a front battery bracket, the second bushing is coupled between a second end of a front rail bracket and a front battery bracket, and wherein the first bushing and the second bushing have a resilient inner core.
Regarding claim 18: Angelo shows wherein the second coupling structure comprises: a pair of spaced apart rear rail brackets, each having a first end coupled to a respective frame rail and a second end extending downwardly therefrom, and a pair of rear battery brackets (322, 324) coupled to the rear wall of the battery case and extending rearwardly therefrom; and wherein the third bushing is coupled between a second end of a rear rail bracket and a rear battery bracket, the fourth bushing is coupled between a second end of a rear rail bracket and a rear battery bracket, and wherein the third bushing and the fourth bushing have a resilient inner core (“…any of hangers 334, 610, 620, or 630 may comprise a single hanger (rather than two hangers) with bushings disposed between the single hanger and each of the subassemblies 300, 320 to allow the subassemblies 330, 320 to move independently of each other…”).
Regarding claim 19: Angelo shows further comprising a cross-member (510) extending between and fixedly coupled to the front rail brackets.
Regarding claim 20: Angelo shows further comprising a cross-member (510) extending between and fixedly coupled to the rear rail brackets.
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angelo [ US 10493837] in view of Kuroda [DE 102013204339]
Regarding claim 14: Angelo does not explicitly show wherein at least one of the front bushings or the rear bushings are molded to provide greater resiliency in one direction However Kuroda shows wherein at least one of the front bushings or the rear bushings are molded to provide greater resiliency in one direction (“…A threaded bushing, which is molded during molding of the housing body…”).
It would have been to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have made molded bushing to provide vibration damping and noise reduction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. [ US Pat # 12,594,824] shows battery packs and brackets (see fig 3) and frame rails (156) and cross brackets (1626).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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