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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first non-final office action on the merits. Claims 1-19 are currently pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. EP22186313.7, filed on 07/21/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/25/2023 has been received and considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 7, the scope of the claim is unclear from the phrase: “the cam is brought into contact with a second contact surface on the current collector and/or on a housing of the locking device and/or on a holding device of the locking device”, because it is not understood how the cam can be in contact with a second contact surface on the current collector, a housing of the locking device, AND a holding device of the locking device all at the same time, as these appear to be mutually exclusive surfaces that the cam can be in contact with. When using the term and/or, the claim must make sense for both the “and” term and the “or” term. It is suggested that changing the term “and/or” to just “or” will correct this problem, and for purposes of applying prior art the claim will be interpreted as the broader “or” alternatives.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 7, and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (KR 20190077719 A, provided with translation).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): A locking device (latch device; Fig. 3-4) for securing a contact strip device (arm 600) of a current collector (power collector) in a storage position (separated from the power supply wire; para. 0031), the contact strip device (600) being movable between a storage position (separated state) and a sliding contact position (maintained in contact with overhead line) relative to a conductor rail (30)(para. 0035), the locking device (latch device) comprising a cam (cam 220), a rotatably mounted shaft (cam shaft 210) and an anti-rotation device (rotation preventing projections 216, 234)(Fig. 6; para. 0036-0038), the cam (220) being disposed on the shaft (210) in a rotationally fixed manner (cam rotates with the camshaft; Fig. 3 and 6) and the cam (220) being movable from a release position (when the upper end of the operating rod 300 is inserted into the second engaging groove 224; para. 0035 and 0038) to a locking position (when the upper end of the operating rod 300 is inserted into the first engaging groove 222; para. 0035; Fig. 3) by rotation of the shaft (210); and the cam (220) in the storage position (when the collector shoe is separated from the power supply wire) of the contact strip device being able to be brought into contact at a first contact surface (first engaging groove 222) by being transferred to the locking position on the current collector (para. 0035; Fig. 3), in such a manner that a movement of the contact strip device (600) is blocked relative to the conductor rail (in contact with the conductor rail 30; Fig. 1), and a rotational movement of the shaft (210) for securing the cam (220) in the release position or the locking position being positively blocked by the anti-rotation device (216, 234)(Fig. 6; para. 0036-0038).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): the cam (220) is brought into contact with a second contact surface (rotation preventing projection 216) on the current collector (Fig. 3 and 6).
Regarding claim 14, Kim further teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): A current collector (power collection means N) for transmitting power from a conductor rail (30) to a vehicle (20)(Fig. 1), the current collector (N) having a locking device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection above), the current collector comprises a contact strip device (collector shoe 640) and a pressure device (torsion spring 530) having a rocker unit (arm 600), the contact strip device (640) of the current collector being movable relative to the conductor rail (30) by the pressure device (530) and being capable of being pressed against the conductor rail (30) in a sliding contact position using a pressure force in order to form a sliding contact (para. 0057; Fig. 1 and 3).
Regarding the instant claimed steps of method claim 15, note that the operation of the prior structure inherently requires the method steps as claimed.
Regarding claim 16, Kim further teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): the cam (220) in the storage position of the contact strip device being able to be brought into contact at the first contact surface by being transferred to the locking position on the current collector is on a rocker unit of the current collector (the cam is on the rocker unit shown in Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8-13, and 17-19 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 claims and if rejections in view of 35 USC § 112 second paragraph are overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2 and its depending claim(s) 3-6, 8-11, 13, and 17-18, the prior art fails to teach that the anti-rotation device has a pin disposed inside the shaft along the rotational axis of the shaft, a bolt and a bushing fixed with respect to the shaft, the bolt being introduced into the pin perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft, and the bolt being able to be inserted in a form-fitting manner into at least one recess of the bushing, which at least partially surrounds shaft and the pin, in such a manner that a rotational movement of the shaft is blocked. While Kim teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): a rotational movement of the shaft (210) for securing the cam (220) in the release position or the locking position being positively blocked by the anti-rotation device (216, 234)(Fig. 6; para. 0036-0038), the examiner finds no obvious reason to modify Kim such that the anti-rotation device has a pin disposed inside the shaft along the rotational axis of the shaft, a bolt and a bushing fixed with respect to the shaft, the bolt being introduced into the pin perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft, and the bolt being able to be inserted in a form-fitting manner into at least one recess of the bushing, which at least partially surrounds shaft and the pin, in such a manner that a rotational movement of the shaft is blocked. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning.
It is noted that while Kim teaches an anti-rotation device (216, 234), and a pin (fixing pin) disposed inside the shaft (210), Kim’s fixing pin is used for fixing a cover member (236) to the front end of the camshaft connecting portion (230)(para. 0039; Fig. 6). The fixing pin is also not disposed inside the shaft along the rotational axis of the shaft as claimed by the applicant. Kim also fails to teach a bolt and a bushing fixed with respect to the shaft in such a manner that a rotational movement of the shaft is blocked.
Regarding claim 12 and its depending claim(s) 19, the prior art fails to teach an anti-rotation housing is disposed on the outer circumference of the shaft and at least partially encloses the anti- rotation device. While Kim teaches (Fig. 1 and 3-6): a rotational movement of the shaft (210) for securing the cam (220) in the release position or the locking position being positively blocked by the anti-rotation device (216, 234)(Fig. 6; para. 0036-0038), the examiner finds no obvious reason to modify Kim such that the anti-rotation device is at least partially enclosed by an anti-rotation housing disposed on the outer circumference of the shaft. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure of a locking device for a current collector or pantograph: US-1487311-A, US-4413710-A, US-20240042866-A1, GB-422006-A, FR-2458506-A3, ES-2344286-A1, CN-202071702-U.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHENG XI LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-6102. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. through Fri. 9:00am to 6:00pm EST.
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/CHENG LIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3615