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Restriction requirement, dated May 11, 2026, is withdrawn.
Claims 1-12 are examined.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because: the lines are not clean or clear.
Additionally, in fig. 1, reference number 2 points to three different structures.
Drawings may also be missing the following features: “a primary electrode”, a secondary electrode”, “an isolation element”, “a ventilation gap” are missing reference numbers.
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.
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 “storage slot” and “ventilation gap” 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In page 14, “a primary electrode”, a secondary electrode” and “an isolation element” are missing reference numbers.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (CN212161427; translation attached) in view of Yu et al. (CN20220043140; translation attached).
Regarding claims 1, 3 and 4, Min teaches a thermally protected varistor (metal oxide varistor [MOV]; see at least the 3rd page of the translation and figs. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B and 4C), comprising a frame (housing 302 and 314), a varistor (MOV 310), a slider (arc shield slider 306), an elastic member (springs 304a and 304b), and a reed electrode (movable electrode 100; reed electrode is interpreted as a moving electrode), wherein the slider (306) is provided between the reed electrode (100) and the varistor (310); the reed electrode (100) is welded to an electrode of the varistor through a low-melting-point alloy (solder is used to weld the varistor electrode 316 to the reed electrode 100; 3rd and 4th page); and
the elastic member (340) is connected to the slider (306) to drive the slider to abut against a connection position between the reed electrode (connection at 118; see fig. 4A) and the varistor.
Min teaches the claimed invention except for a wrapper made of a heat-resisting material being provided on the outside the slider.
Yu teaches the use of a U-shaped ceramic arc extinguishing sleeve (8) over a slidable block (1a) to surround and to shield the gap of the electrode tripping point, and to further prevent arcing, that is protect from arcing at the tripping point (last paragraph in the 4th page).
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 Yu with Min, since the sleeve taught by Yu further prevents the MOV device from arcing at the tripping point, thus preventing a more dangerous situation.
Regarding claim 2, Min teaches the thermally protected varistor according to claim 1, wherein a back side of the frame is provided with a mounting slot for accommodating the varistor (see figs. 3B, 4A and 4C of Min; varistor being 310), and a front side of the frame is provided with a storage slot for accommodating the reed electrode (reed electrode 100); the frame is provided with a through hole communicated with the storage slot through the mounting slot; the electrode of the varistor is welded to the reed electrode through the through hole; and the slider is slidable provided in the storage slot.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 5, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min in view of Yu as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of Tsovilis et al.
Regarding claim 5, Min and Yu teach the claimed invention except for the frame being provided with a first remote signaling electrode and a second remote signaling electrode; and when the reed electrode is disconnected from the varistor, a connection state between the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode changes accordingly.
Tsovilis teaches an integral indicator mechanism (170) including a local alarm mechanism, as well as an indicator window, all for the purpose to indicate the status of the surge protection device (see at least col. 3, lines 22-35, col. 15, lines 10-30 and col. 20, lines 28-50), especially a disconnection from solder melt. These indicators are connected to signaling electrodes to visually and audibly show the current status of the surge protection device.
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 Tsovilis with Min and Yu, since the indictors taught by Tsovilis will provide a visual and audible indication of the thermal disconnect status for the device of Min and Yu.
Regarding claims 9 and 11, Min and Yu teach the claimed invention except for the varistor being connected in series with a discharge tube.
Tsovilis teaches the gas discharge tube (GDT 610; see fig. 1), the thermal disconnect and the varistor (current management 620) being connected in series the purpose of protecting sensitive electronic equipment from damage in response to surge current event.
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 Tsovilis with Min and Yu, since the GDT taught by Tsovilis provides an additional protection layer to the thermal protection device of Min and Yu.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 10 and 12 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 6, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thermally protected varistor, wherein the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode are abutted against a limit slot of the frame; and each of a side of the first remote signaling electrode abutted against the frame and a side of the second remote signaling electrode abutted against the frame is provided with a ventilation gap.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thermally protected varistor, wherein the slider is provided with a compression part and a limit part; and the frame is provided with an insertion slot; and
when the reed electrode is connected to the varistor, the limit part is inserted into the insertion slot, and the compression part compresses the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode, such that the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode are connected to form a normally closed remote signaling alarm; and when the reed electrode is disconnected from the varistor, the limit part is pulled out of the insertion slot, and the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode are rebounded and disconnected.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thermally protected varistor, wherein the slider is provided with a compression part and a hook groove; and
when the reed electrode is connected to the varistor, the compression part compresses the first remote signaling electrode, and the second remote signaling electrode extends into the hook groove, such that the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode are disconnected to form a normally opened remote signaling alarm; and when the reed electrode is disconnected from the varistor, the compression part is disconnected from the first remote
signaling electrode, and an inner wall of the hook groove moves the second remote signaling
electrode to rebound, such that the first remote signaling electrode and the second remote signaling electrode are connected.
Regarding claims 10 and 12, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thermally protected varistor, wherein the back side of the frame is provided with the mounting slot for accommodating the varistor, an accommodation slot for accommodating the discharge tube, and a connection slot; and the electrode of the varistor and an electrode of the discharge tube extend into the connection slot and are connected to each other.
Conclusion
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/KYUNG S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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