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, 9-12, 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by US5426408 by Jones et al ( Jones).
Referring to claim 1 Jones teaches A magnet (a ceramic superconducting magnet using stacked models See Fig 1-7 item 40 magnet abstract ) comprising:
a plurality of plates (See Fig 3, 6 stack plates 12) arranged in a stack that includes a first plate (see item 42) and a second plate (item 44), the first plate (item 42) comprising:
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a first conducting path (See Fig 1-6 item 18 conducting path), at least part of the first conducting path being a spiral path (col 5 lines 44-47,) the first conducting path (item 18) comprising a high temperature superconductor (HTS) material (Fig 1-6 item 16 col 4 lines 44-47); and
a first conductive joint ( Fig 4 item 46 is regarded as first conductive joint between plates col 7 lines 18-21 and 25-27) arranged interior to, or exterior to, the spiral path of the first conducting path, the first conductive joint (item 46) being electrically coupled to the HTS material (item 16) of the first conducting path (item 18), and the second plate (item 42) being arranged next to the first plate (item 44) in the stack and comprising: a second conducting path (item 19) comprising the HTS material (item 16 see col 7 lines 3 to 28)); and
a second conductive joint (Fig 5 item 48) arranged adjacent to and electrically coupled to the first conductive joint (item 46), the second conductive joint (item 48) being electrically coupled to the HTS material (item 16) of the second conducting path (see col 7 lines 3-28).
Referring to claim 9 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein the HTS material of the first conducting path (Fig 3 item 18) does not contact the second conductive joint (Fig 5 item 48 second joint col 7 lines 22 to 25), and the HTS material of the second conducting path (Fig 5 item 19) does not contact the first conductive joint. (Fig 4 item 46 see col 7 lines 15 to 21).
Referring to claim 10 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein at least part of the second conducting path is a spiral path. (See Fig 2 item 19 is spiral path accommodates the HTS material 16 col 4 lines 54-58).
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Referring to claim 11 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein the first conducting path (Fig 1 item 18) further comprises a first conductive material ( Fig 1 item 15 conductive layer col 6 lines 17-26) contact with the HTS material (item 16 HTS material)..
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Referring to claim 12 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, further comprising at least one cooling path (Fig 3 item 50 col 7 lines28 to 31) arranged within the first plate adjacent to the first conductive joint. (Fig 5 item 48 Fig 7 and col 7 lines 66-68 col 8 lines 1-18 suggests conducting path design considerations).
Referring to claim 14 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, comprising a plurality of instances of the first plate (see Fig 3 item 42) and a plurality of instances of the second plate (item 44) arranged in the stack (Fig 3 item 40 magnet module ), wherein the plurality of the plates (item 12 stack of plates) in the stack alternate between the instances of the first plate (item 42) and the instances of the second plate (see col 6 lines 67, 68 col 7 lines 1-12 where Jones teaches the superconducting magnet module 40 arranged in stack of plates 12, alternatively with plates 42, 44).
Referring to claim 15 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein the first plate is formed from a first material in which the first conducting path is formed, and wherein the first material comprises steel. (Fig 1 item 16 HTS material 18 conductive path groove and material 12 can be made of steel or gold plated steel ..see col 6 lines 17 to 31).
Referring to claim 16 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein the spiral path of the first conducting path (Fig 1 item 18) is a racetrack spiral (See abstract)
Referring to claim 17 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, wherein the HTS material comprises a stack of HTS tapes. (Fig 1, 3 and see col 6 lines 17 to 31).
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 2, 4 , 13, 18, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jones reference as applied above for claim 1 further in view of US20200211744 A1 by Labomnard et al (Labombard).
Referring to claim 2 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, but Jones is silent on further comprising a layer of conductive metal between the first and second conductive joints that contacts both the first conductive joint and second conductive joint.
However, Labomnard suggests using indium as a interconnect and interface layer to bridge the connection (See paragraph [0092]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of instant application to incorporate Labombard teachings using conductive joint soldering between the HTS conductors between the stacked plates of Jones superconducting magnet 40 for thermal stability avoiding the eddy currents by increasing the resistance. (See Labombard paragraph [0092]).
Referring to claim 3 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 2, but Jones is silent on wherein the layer of conductive metal is a layer of indium.
However, Labomnard suggests using indium as a interconnect and interface layer to bridge the connection (See paragraph [0092]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of instant application to incorporate Labombard teachings of using conductive joint soldering between the HTS conductors between the stacked plates of Jones superconducting magnet 40 for thermal stability avoiding the eddy currents by increasing the resistance. (See Labombard paragraph [0092]).
Referring to claim 4 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, but Jones is silent on further comprising at least one bolt coupling the first conductive joint to the first plate.
Labombard teaches a bladder element or coupling for heat removal between the stacked plates (See paragraph [0015]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of instant application to incorporate Labombard teachings to use a bolt for stable clamping for proper thermal equilibrium and/or may be to avoid soldering (See paragraph [0015]).
Referring to claim 13 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, but Jones is silent on wherein the first conductive joint comprises copper.
However, Labombard suggests wherein the first conductive joint comprises copper. (See paragraphs [0015], [0016] [0026]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before filing the instant application could incorporate Labomnard teachings of copper soldering between the plates using copper at Jones superconducting magnet for conducting joints soldering as copper has good thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity to stabilize the contact. (See paragraph Lambombard[0026]).
Referring to claim 18 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 17, Jones teaches wherein each HTS tape of the stack of HTS tapes comprises a rare earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) material (Col 6 lines 5-21 and claim 6) but silent on wrapped in copper cladding.
However, Labombard suggests on copper cladding of HTS tapes (see Labombard paragraphs [0064] and [0065]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before filing the instant application could incorporate copper cladding around superconductors for better thermal and electrical stability applications at low temperature (See paragraph [0064]).
Referring to claim 19 Jones teaches the magnet of claim 1, but silent on wherein the conducting path of the first plate further comprises a Pb and/or Sn solder in contact with the HTS material.
However, Labombard suggests on wherein the conducting path of the first plate further comprises a Pb and/or Sn solder in contact with the HTS material. (Labomnard suggests that soldering HTS stacks with interactive layer where using indium or indium alloy to bridge connection and suitable low temperature soldering between plates See Fig 3A and paragraph [0092])
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before filing the instant application could incorporate Labombard suggestions in preparing the superconducting module 40 of Jones use soldering between the plates and superconducting materials. (See paragraph [0092]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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 1 and any intervening claims. Since claim 6 is depending on claim 5, and claims 7-8 depending on claim 6, claims 5,7, 8 are also objected.
Referring to claim 6 the closest prior art has failed to teach or reasonably suggest that The magnet of claim 5, further comprising a first clamp arranged within the first plate and a second clamp arranged within the second plate, and wherein the at least one bolt coupling the first plate to the second plate is also coupled to the first clamp and the second clamp.
Conclusion
Claims, 1-4, 9-19 are rejected.
Claims 5-8 are objected.
The prior of art made of record and not relied upon is considered to pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the notice of references cited PTOL 892 attached here with. The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicants. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU whose telephone number is (571)272-4250. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-3:30PM, 5PM -8:30PM.
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/SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU/ 07/20/2026
SRINIVAS . SATHIRAJU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights