DETAILED ACTION
The following is a first action on the merits of application serial no. 18870632 filed 11/29/2024.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 11/29/24 and 9/8/25 have been considered.
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 “a wall of the location hole, an outer wall of the first elastic sleeve configured with a first recess” (recited in claim 3); “an inner wall of the first elastic sleeve is configured with a first metal sleeve and a second metal sleeve is configured between an inner wall of the location hole” (per embodiment as recited in claim 4); “the location pin mounting base is configured with a through hole, the second elastic sleeve is configured with a second recess, the location pin penetrates the through hole, and the location pin mounting base is embedded in the second recess” (as recited in claim 6); and “an end of the outer metal sleeve is configured with a flange, the location pin mounting base is configured with an upper end surface in an axial direction of the location pin” (as recited in claim 11) 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. Note: examiner is requesting that the bolded limitations be pointed out in the current drawings for better understanding of claim limitations.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the implied phrase “The present disclosure” should be deleted in line 1. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 5-14 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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a first elastic sleeve which isn’t recited in claim 1 from which this claim depends from (limitation is recited (introduced) in claim 2).
-Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a first and second elastic sleeve which isn’t recited in claim 1 from which this claim depends from (a first elastic sleeve limitation is recited (introduced) in claim 2 and a second elastic sleeve limitation is recited (introduced) in claim 5).
-Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a first and second elastic sleeve which isn’t recited in claim 1 from which this claim depends from (a first elastic sleeve limitation is recited (introduced) in claim 2 and a second elastic sleeve limitation is recited (introduced) in claim 5).
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) 1-3, 5, 12, 13 and 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 109649214 (with machine translation) and LI 20230291052 in view of CN 202727953 (with machine translation). As to claim 1, CN and LI discloses a positioning device, configured to locate a relative location between a battery frame (as shown in Figure 3 in CN and 100 in LI) and a battery swap base (201 in CN and 200/300 in LI) of a heavy-duty battery swap system of a truck (as described on page 6, line 13 in CN and as shown in Figure 1 in LI); comprising: a location pin (204 in CN and 301 in LI), wherein the location pin is disposed on a location pin mounting base (surface where 204 is mounted on 201 in CN and surface where 301 is mounted on 300 in LI) of the battery swap base; a location hole (as shown in Figure 5 in CN and 105 in LI), wherein the location hole is disposed on a location hole mounting base (surface where 204 is inserted within frame in CN and as shown in Figure 7; [0079], lines 1-4 in LI) of the battery frame, and the location pin is inserted into the location hole; and a buffer assembly (LI discloses a buffer assembly using a combination of 201, 204, 302), wherein the buffer assembly is disposed at least in one of following positions: between the location pin mounting base and the location pin (LI discloses that the spring 201 can be sleeved on pin 301 as described in [0084], lines 11-13 in combination with the buffer 302 mounted on 300), between the location pin and the location hole mounting base (LI discloses that the spring 201 can be sleeved on pin 301 as described in [0084], lines 11-13 in combination with the buffer 204 mounted on 200 which would be between 301 and 105), and on the location pin (via 201 sleeved on 301 in LI); and in a case that a relative movement exists between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly provides a buffer for shock absorption in a radial direction of the location pin ([0082], lines 1-6 in LI). However, CN doesn’t disclose a buffer assembly as recited and LI doesn’t explicitly disclose that in a case that a hole spacing deviation exists between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly offsets the hole spacing deviation.
CN ‘953 discloses a positioning device, configured to locate a relative location between a battery frame (9 or 12) and a battery swap base (9 or 12) of a heavy-duty battery swap system ([0002] describes large bus); comprising: a location pin (8), wherein the location pin is disposed on a location pin mounting base (12) of the battery swap base; a location hole (within 10), wherein the location hole is disposed on a location hole mounting base (9) of the battery frame, and the location pin is inserted into the location hole; and shows that it is well known in the art to have a buffer assembly (combination of 2, 3, 4, 6, 7), wherein the buffer assembly is disposed at least in one of following positions: between the location pin mounting base and the location pin (as shown in Figure 4), between the location pin and the location hole mounting base (as shown in Figure 4), and on the location pin (via 6 and 7 sleeved on 8), such that in a case that a hole spacing deviation exists between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly offsets the hole spacing deviation ([0003], [0006], [0008] describes a processing error or defect between the pin and hole contact solved by the buffer assembly via deformation of 2 via pressure from 6, 7 and 4, [0017]) and in a case that a relative movement exists between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly provides a buffer for shock absorption in a radial direction of the location pin (via deformation of 2 via pressure from 6, 7 and 4, [0017]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide CN ‘214 with a buffer assembly in view of CN ‘953 and provide LI with a buffer assembly to offset hole spacing deviation in view of CN ‘953 to provide precise mounting between battery frame and battery base during positioning which increases structural performance and operating efficiency of battery assembly.
As to claim 2, CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses wherein the buffer assembly comprises a first elastic sleeve (2 in CN ‘953), and the first elastic sleeve is located between the location pin (8 in CN ‘953) and the location hole mounting base (9 in CN ‘953).
As to claim 3, CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses wherein the first elastic sleeve (2 in CN ‘953) is located between the location pin (8 in CN ‘953) and a wall of the location hole (portions of 10 surrounding 2 in CN ‘953), an outer wall of the first elastic sleeve (outer portions of 2 in CN ‘953) is configured with a first recess, and the location hole mounting base is embedded in the first recess, so as to fix the first elastic sleeve to the location hole mounting base (see annotation below).
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As to claim 5, CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses wherein the buffer assembly comprises a second elastic sleeve (6 in CN ‘953), and the second elastic sleeve is located between the location pin and the location pin mounting base.
As to claim 12, CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses wherein the buffer assembly comprises a third elastic sleeve (6 in CN ‘953 can be considered third elastic sleeve due to an elastic sleeve not being recited (introduced) in claim 1 from which this claim depends from), the location pin comprises a pin core (body of 8 in CN ‘953) and a pin shell (top of 8 with 11 in CN ‘953), the third elastic sleeve is connected with the pin core and the pin shell respectively, and the third elastic sleeve is located between the pin core and the pin shell (as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in CN ‘953).
As to claim 13, CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses wherein the pin shell (top of 8 with 11 in CN ‘953) sleeves the pin core (top of 8 with 11 is over body of 8 in CN ‘953), an accommodation cavity (within 11 in CN ‘953) is formed between the pin core and the pin shell, and the third elastic sleeve (6 in CN ‘953) is located in the accommodation cavity.
As to claim 15, CN ‘214 and LI discloses wherein the location pin comprises a first portion (top of 204 in CN ‘214 and top of 301 in LI) and a second portion (below top of 204 in CN ‘214 and below top of 301 in LI); the first portion (as shown in Figures 4 and 5 in CN ‘214 and Figure 4a in LI) is conical, the second portion (as shown in Figures 4 and 5 in CN ‘214 and Figure 4a in LI) is cylindrical, and the second portion is disposed closer to the location pin mounting base compared with the first portion (as shown in Figures 4 and 5 in CN ‘214 and Figure 4a in LI); and after the location pin is inserted into the location hole, the second portion is configured to cooperate with the location hole (as shown in Figure 5 in CN ‘214 and Figure 2 in LI).
As to claim 16, CN ‘214 and LI discloses a truck (as described on page 6, line 13 in CN and as shown in Figure 1 in LI), comprising a plurality of positioning devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of positioning devices are disposed at intervals (as shown in Figure 4 in CN and Figure 3 in LI).
As to claim 17, CN ‘214 and LI discloses further comprising a socket (as described on page 7, lines 38-42 in CN and [0080] in LI ) of a battery swap connector and a plug (206 in CN and 206 in LI) of the battery swap connector, wherein the socket of the battery swap connector is disposed on a battery frame of the truck, the plug of the battery swap connector is disposed on a battery swap base of the truck, and the plug of the battery swap connector is inserted into the socket of the battery swap connector.
As to claim 18, CN ‘214 and LI discloses wherein the plurality of the positioning devices are disposed at intervals in a length direction of a battery frame of the truck (as shown in Figure 4 in CN and Figures 1 and 2 in LI).
As to claim 19, CN ‘214 and LI discloses a positioning device, configured to locate a relative location between a battery frame (as shown in Figure 3 in CN and 100 in LI) and a battery swap base (201 in CN and 200/300 in LI) of a heavy-duty battery swap system of a truck (as described on page 6, line 13 in CN and as shown in Figure 1 in LI); comprising: a location pin (204 in CN and 301 in LI), wherein the location pin is disposed on a location pin mounting base (surface where 204 is mounted on 201 in CN and surface where 301 is mounted on 300 in LI) of the battery swap base; a location hole (as shown in Figure 5 in CN and 105 in LI), wherein the location hole is disposed on a location hole mounting base (surface where 204 is inserted within frame in CN and as shown in Figure 7; [0079], lines 1-4 in LI) of the battery frame, and the location pin is inserted into the location hole; and a buffer assembly (LI discloses a buffer assembly using a combination of 201, 204, 302), wherein the buffer assembly is disposed at least in one of following positions: between the location pin mounting base and the location pin (LI discloses that the spring 201 can be sleeved on pin 301 as described in [0084], lines 11-13 in combination with the buffer 302 mounted on 300), between the location pin and the location hole mounting base (LI discloses that the spring 201 can be sleeved on pin 301 as described in [0084], lines 11-13 in combination with the buffer 204 mounted on 200 which would be between 301 and 105), and on the location pin (via 201 sleeved on 301 in LI); and in a case that a relative movement occurs between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly provides a buffer for shock absorption in the radial direction of the location pin ([0082], lines 1-6 in LI). However, CN doesn’t disclose a buffer assembly as recited and LI doesn’t explicitly disclose that in a case that a location deviation occurs in a radial direction of the location pin and between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly is pressed to offset the location deviation.
CN ‘953 discloses a positioning device, configured to locate a relative location between a battery frame (9 or 12) and a battery swap base (9 or 12) of a heavy-duty battery swap system ([0002] describes large bus); comprising: a location pin (8), wherein the location pin is disposed on a location pin mounting base (12) of the battery swap base; a location hole (within 10), wherein the location hole is disposed on a location hole mounting base (9) of the battery frame, and the location pin is inserted into the location hole; and shows that it is well known in the art to have a buffer assembly (combination of 2, 3, 4, 6, 7), wherein the buffer assembly is disposed at least in one of following positions: between the location pin mounting base and the location pin (as shown in Figure 4), between the location pin and the location hole mounting base (as shown in Figure 4), and on the location pin (via 6 and 7 sleeved on 8), such that in a case that a location deviation occurs in a radial direction of the location pin and between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly is pressed to offset the location deviation ([0003], [0006], [0008] describes a processing error or defect between the pin and hole contact solved by the buffer assembly via deformation of 2 via pressure from 6, 7 and 4, [0017]) and in a case that a relative movement occurs between the battery frame and the battery swap base, the buffer assembly provides a buffer for shock absorption in the radial direction of the location pin (via deformation of 2 via pressure from 6, 7 and 4, [0017]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide CN ‘214 with a buffer assembly in view of CN ‘953 and provide LI with a buffer assembly to offset location deviation in view of CN ‘953 to provide precise mounting between battery frame and battery base during positioning which increases structural performance and operating efficiency of battery assembly.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of Chen et al 20230223626. CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 discloses an inner wall of the first elastic sleeve (at least within 2 of CN ‘953) configured with a sleeve (3 in CN ‘953), but doesn’t disclose that the sleeve is metal and a second metal sleeve configured between an inner wall of location hole and first elastic sleeve.
Chen discloses a battery arrangement and shows that it is well known in the art to provide a mounting arrangement with an inner wall of a first elastic sleeve (510; [0103, lines 21-25) configured with a first metal sleeve (520; [0104], lines 5-8), and a second metal sleeve (540; Figures 15-17; [0121], lines 12-14) configured between an inner wall of a location hole (511) and the first elastic sleeve.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide CN ‘214 and LI in view of CN ‘953 with inner and outer metal sleeves further in view of Chen to avoid disengagement between pin and battery frame when the battery is impacted due to the material of the elastic sleeve being too soft, this will increase structural performance and operating efficiency of battery assembly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 and 14 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record doesn’t disclose or render obvious a motivation to provide for:
-(as to claim 6 in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claims 1 and 5), wherein the location pin mounting base is configured with a through hole, the second elastic sleeve is configured with a second recess, the location pin penetrates the through hole, and the location pin mounting base is embedded in the second recess.
-(as to claim 7 in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claims 1 and 5), wherein the second elastic sleeve is configured with an elastic boss, the elastic boss is located between the location pin mounting base and the location hole mounting base, and a lower surface of the elastic boss abuts against an upper surface of the location pin mounting base.
-(as to claim 8 in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claims 1 and 5), further comprising a nut, wherein the location pin is configured with an external thread; the nut is in threaded connection with the external thread, and the location pin is configured with a limit surface; and the limit surface and the nut abuts against two ends, in an axial direction of the location pin, of the second elastic sleeve respectively, such that the second elastic sleeve is located between the nut and the limit surface, and the location pin is further fixedly connected with the second elastic sleeve.
-(as to claim 9 in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claims 1 and 5), wherein the buffer assembly further comprises an inner metal sleeve and an outer metal sleeve, the inner metal sleeve is disposed between the second elastic sleeve and the location pin, and the outer metal sleeve is disposed between the second elastic sleeve and the location pin mounting base.
-(as to claim 14 in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claim 1), wherein the buffer assembly comprises a third elastic sleeve, an outer wall of the location pin is configured with an accommodation recess, and the third elastic sleeve is embedded in the accommodation recess.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-CN 113335051 (Figure 2; damper 24) and CN 215883383 (Figure 2; buffer 3) both disclose battery positioning arrangements and shows that it is well known in the art to provide a buffer assembly between a pin and battery frame.
-CN PCT as filed has been reviewed by examiner and it is agreed that at least CN 215436075 (corresponding to LI prior art used in above rejections) meets at least via inventive step of current claims 1 and 15-19 as recited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TISHA D LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-7093. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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, Anna M Momper can be reached at 571-270-5788. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdl
/TISHA D LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 July 9, 2026
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