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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
The Amendment filed January 9th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-21 are pending. Claims 1, 8-9, 15 and 18 have been amended by the Applicant.
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 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Leccia, US 20200243286.
Regarding claim 18, Leccia discloses (figs.3-6) a switch (102) for an electrical apparatus, the switch (102) comprising:
an electrically conductive moveable contact (106);
an actuator (110) comprising a first end and a second end, the second end of the actuator (110) connected to the electrically conductive moveable contact (106), the actuator (110) associated with a first stable position [see fig.3] in which the electrically conductive moveable contact (106) is electrically connected to a stationary contact (104) and a second stable position [see fig.5] in which the electrically conductive moveable contact (106) is disconnected from the stationary contact (104); and
an elastic assembly (160, 180) coupled to a portion (114) of the actuator (110) between the first end and the second end, where the elastic assembly (160, 180) is configured to allow the actuator (110) to move along a linear path between the first stable position and the second stable position and to hold the actuator (110) in the first stable position or the second stable position.
Regarding claim 19, Leccia further discloses where the elastic assembly (160, 180) is further configured to apply force along a direction of movement of the actuator (110) to thereby urge the actuator (110) into the first stable position [fig.3] or the second stable position [fig.5].
Regarding claim 20, Leccia further discloses where the elastic assembly (160, 180) has an expanded state and a compressed state, the elastic assembly (160, 180) is in the expanded state when the actuator (110) is in the first stable position [see fig.3] and when the actuator (110) is in the second stable position, and the elastic assembly (160, 180) is in the compressed state when the actuator (110) is at a midpoint [fig.4] between the first stable position [fig.3] and the second stable position [fig.5].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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 8, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed switch comprising a support and an electrically conductive stationary contact mounted to the support and where the elastic assembly is connected to the actuator and the support.
Claims 1-7, 10-17 and 21 allowed.
Applicant's amendments and arguments filed January 9th, 2026 were fully considered and are persuasive.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed electrical apparatus comprising a support; a first electrically conductive contact mounted to the support; and a switch comprising an electrically conductive moveable contact; a cam; an actuator connected to the electrically conductive moveable contact, the actuator comprising a cam region configured to interact with the cam, wherein rotation of the cam moves the actuator along a linear path between one of two stable positions, the two stable positions comprising a first position and a second position; and an elastic assembly coupled connected to the actuator and the support, the elastic assembly configured to hold the actuator in either of the two stable positions.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed switch comprising an electrically conductive moveable contact; a cam; an actuator connected to the electrically conductive moveable contact, the actuator comprising a cam region configured to interact with the cam, wherein the cam is configured to apply a force to the actuator along an axis, and the actuator is configured to move along the axis between a first stable position and a second stable position in response to the force; and an elastic assembly attached to the actuator at a connection point, the elastic assembly configured to hold the actuator in either the first stable position or the second stable position and to remain attached to the actuator at the connection point while the actuator moves between the first stable position and the second stable position.
Independent claim 21 has been indicated as allowable in the previous Office Action.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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