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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claims 4, 7 and 9-10 are objected to because:
Claim 4, line 5, “the ground” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 7, line 2, “the sleeves” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 9, line 2, “the contact studs” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 9, line 4, “their central longitudinal axis” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 9, line 5, “the cross section” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 10, line 2, “a gas generator” should be -the gas generator-.
Claim 10, line 5, “the end opposite” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 10, lines 14-15, “the ground” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 10, line 15, “the transportation means” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
Claim limitations “transportation means” (in claims 4 and 10) have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because they use a generic placeholder “means” coupled with functional language “transportation” without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim limitations invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claims 4 and 10 have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation: All devices for the transportation of people and/or goods by land, water and air are to be considered here as transportation means.
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner's interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112 , sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the claim(s) so that it/they will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites/recite sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
For more information, see MPEP § 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C. 112 and for Treatment of Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Oldani et al, US 9013070 [Oldani].
Regarding claim 1, Oldani discloses (figs.1-5) an electrical system (1), comprising:
a load circuit (100) comprising a plurality of series- connected storage/converter cells (6) for supplying the load circuit (100); and
an event sensor (10), where isolator switches (5) are provided between series-connected storage/converter cells (6), said isolator switches (5) being in a closed position during normal operation of the electrical system (1), said isolator switches (5) being arranged such that they change to an open position when the event sensor (10) is triggered.
Regarding claim 2, Oldani further discloses where the isolator switches (5) are located between groups of storage/converter cells (6), where each group is configured to deliver a voltage below a predefined threshold.
Regarding claim 3, Oldani further discloses where at least one additional isolator switch (5) is provided between the series-connected storage/converter cells (6) and the load circuit (100), the isolator switch (5) being in the closed position in normal operation of the electrical system (1).
Regarding claim 4, Oldani further discloses where the at least one additional isolator switch (5) is combined with a main switch (11) which, after triggering the event sensor (10), is in a position in which the load circuit (100) is short-circuited to the ground of an electrically driven (16) transportation means.
Regarding claim 5, Oldani further discloses where the isolator switches (5) comprise a contact stud (56), the contact stud (56) being movable in a sleeve (51) with at least two contact rings (510, 511), where a first contact ring (510) is connected to a negative pole (negative battery terminal) of a first storage/converter cell (6) and a second contact ring (511) is connected to a positive pole (positive terminal of the battery) of a second storage/converter cell (6).
Regarding claim 6, Oldani further discloses where a gas generator (16) is provided, the gas generator (16) being operable to be triggered via the event sensor (10), where the isolator switch (5) is operable to be brought from the closed to the open position by the gas pressure generated by the gas generator (16).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed electrical system, where the sleeves of a plurality of isolator switches are connected to form a switching tube, and wherein the gas generator is provided at one end of the switching tube.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Auguet et al, Beard et al, Umphenour et al, Chuang et al, Slavik, Froschl and Chapuis et al are examples of electrical systems comprising isolator switches between storage/converter cells configured similar to the present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM A BOLTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached at (571)-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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