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 .
Election/Restrictions
Restriction dated September 17, 2025 is withdrawn. All claims, claims 16-32 are examined.
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 16-17, 19-21, 23-24, 27, 29 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Boese et al. (US Pat. 10,109,399).
Regarding claims 16 and 17, Boese teaches a protective assembly of a surge arrester indicator (housing for surge arrester disconnector unit; see at least the “Summary of the Invention” and figs. 1-4), wherein the protective assembly has a fireproof and a shatterproof receptacle for the surge arrester indicator (The housing, comprising of an inner housing 15 and an outer housing 16, prevents sparks and hot particles which may ignite a fire in the environment/surrounding of the disconnector device from leaving the housing. Further, gas from the disconnection cartridge escapes the receptacle, however, the receptacle stays intact. See at least col. 3, lines 7-15.).
Regarding claims 19, 21 and 24, Boese teaches the protective assembly of the surge arrester indicator, wherein said receptacle has an access opening (open access shown in fig. 1) and a closure element (The receptacle 14 is two-part receptacle [see fig. 3], wherein one of the part is the closure element that is forced-fitted and/or pressed fitted “by bolt-nut connection, by fusion, riveting or other connection means” to close the access opening. See col. 6, line 59 to col. 7, line 2) for closing said access opening, and wherein said closure element is configured to secure said access opening with a force-fit; and
the closure element is secured by way of a bolt that traverses the receptacle at least partially (bolt-nut connection is used to secure the closure element [the second part of the receptacle] the bolt traversing through the flange 18 of the receptacle; see col. 6, line 59 to col. 7, line 2).
Regarding claim 20, the receptacle (14) is substantially delimited by hollow cylindrical walls (see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 23, the surge arrester indicator (moving indicator 40 held inside the receptacle by the retaining rim 50; see fig. 1) is affixed to the closure element.
Regarding claims 27 and 29, Boese teaches the protective assembly of the surge arrester indicator, wherein the access opening is a first access opening and the closure is a first closure element (outer receptacle 16 possesses the first access opening and the first closure; see figs. 1 and 3), and wherein the receptacle has a second access opening and a second closure element (the inner receptacle 15 possesses the second access opening and the second closure), and wherein the first and second closure elements are clamped to one another in a force-fitting fashion (the closures are forced-fitted and/or pressed fitted “by bolt-nut connection, by fusion, riveting or other connection means” to close the access opening. See col. 6, line 59 to col. 7, line 2), forming a multiple layered receptacle.
Regarding claim 32, Boese teaches the receptacle being transportable (col. 6, lines 1-5) that an opening 55 (see fig. 1) is between 0.1 mm to 5 mm (see col. 8, lines 33-42).
Claims 16, 18-19, 22 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kozorezov et al. (US Pat. 3,848,100).
Regarding claims 16 and 18, Kozorezov teaches a protective assembly of a surge arrester indicator, wherein the protective assembly has a fireproof and soundproof receptacle for the surge arrester indicator (hermetically sealed steel receptacle 4; see fig. 2 and col. 2, lines 54-59 and claim 1).
Regarding claim 19, Kozorezov teaches the receptacle having an access opening (closed by closure 9) and a closure element (9) for closing the access opening, and wherein the closure element (9) is configured to secure the access opening with a force fit (secure by bolt 10).
Regarding claim 22, Kozorezov teaches the closure element (9) having a metal seal seat (clamp nut 12, the copper plug 16 and aluminum tube 1 are hermetically sealed (col. 2, line 66 to col. 3, line 13).
Regarding claim 28, Kozorezov teaches the closure element (9) having a receiving groove (by reference number 11) for receiving therein a body edge delimiting the access opening (the groove for joining access opening and the closure element).
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.
Claims 30 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozorezov in view of Raudabaugh (US Pat. 5,138,517).
Regarding claim 30, Kozorezov teaches the claimed invention (including hermetically sealed steel receptacle 4) except for the receptacle further having a second layer containing ceramic fiber.
Raudabaugh teaches the use of ceramic fiber for the purpose of reinforcing the receptacle to provide a shatterproof enclosure (see col. 3, line 60 to col. 4, line 8).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Raudabaugh with Kozorezov, since reinforcing the receptacle with ceramic fiber as taught Raudabaugh increases the structural strength of the protection assembly of Kozorezov.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 25 and 26 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.
Regarding claim 25, the prior art does not teach or suggest the surge arrester indicator being connected to the bolt. Claim 26 depends on claim 25.
Conclusion
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/KYUNG S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833