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, 2, 4-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mattlar (US20150090566).
Regarding claim 1, Mattlar teaches an electrical switch apparatus comprising:a base comprising: a first side (back side), a second side (front side) opposite the first side (paragraph 25), and an opening (the opening for the actuator 120) that passes through the base and is configured to receive a moveable contact assembly 120 (Fig. 1-3); and geometric features (140, 103, 105, 109) on the second side of the base, the geometric features comprising one or more engagement features 140 that extend from the second side, wherein the one or more engagement features are configured to hold one or more switch components 142 to the base without a separate fastening device, and the one or more engagement features comprise at least one arc chute engagement feature 140, the at least one arc chute engagement feature comprising: a locating block and a slotted block (the arc quenching chamber has plurality of projections or locating blocks, each two adjacent projections define a cavity or slotted block that receives a section of the arc quenching, see figures 8 and 10), and wherein the locating block and the slotted block are configured to interact with one or more exterior surfaces of an arc chute to hold the arc chute to the base without a separate fastening device (paragraph 62).
Regarding claim 2, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the one or more switch components comprise a first switch component 110 and a second switch component 112, and the geometric features further comprise a first engagement feature 103 and a second engagement feature 105, the first engagement feature is configured to hold the first switch component, and the second engagement feature is configured to hold the second switch component (Figs. 1-2, 11 and paragraph 74).
Regarding claim 4, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the first switch component comprises a first stationary electrical contact 110, and the second switch component comprises a second stationary electrical contact 112, and the one or more engagement features comprise two arc chute engagement features 140 (the chamber 140 defines plurality of projections which together define cavities), each configured to hold one arc chute to the base without a separate fastening device (Fig. 8, 10 and paragraph 62).
Regarding claim 5, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the first switch component comprises a first stationary electrical contact 110, and the second switch component comprises a second stationary electrical contact 112 (Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 6, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the one or more engagement features comprise two arc chute engagement features 140 (the chamber 140 defines plurality of projections which together define cavities), each configured to hold one arc chute to the base without separate fastening devices (Fig. 8, 10 and paragraph 62).
Regarding claim 7, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the one or more engagement features (140, 103, 105, 109) interact with each of the one or more switch components component (142, 110, 112) to hold each switch component without a separate fastening device by a frictional engagement, a tight fit, a snap fit, and/or a compression fit between the one or more engagement features and the switch component (for example, the stationary contact 110 has a recess, and that recess is engaged with a projection that is formed in the aperture 103 which receives the stationary contact, in a snap fit the engagement, see Figs. 1-2, 11 and paragraphs 68-70, 72) .
Regarding claim 8, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the base is a first base, and the electrical switch apparatus further comprises a second base, the second base comprising: a first side, a second side, and an opening configured to receive the moveable contact assembly; and, wherein the second base is identical to the first base (Fig. 1 and paragraph 25).
Regarding claim 9, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the second side of the second base comprises geometric features, the geometric features of the second base comprising one or more engagement features that extend from the second side of the second base (paragraphs 25, 72).
Regarding claim 10, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the geometric features of the first base further comprise one or more attachment features that extend from the second side of the first base; the geometric features of the second base further comprise one or more attachment features that extend from the second side of the second base; and the one or more attachment features members of the first base are configured to engage with corresponding attachment features of the second base to attach the first base to the second base with the second side of the first base facing the second side of the second base (paragraphs 25, 72).
Regarding claim 11, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein, when the first base is attached to the second base (paragraph 25); a shaft 120 of the moveable electrical contact assembly extends through the opening in the first base and the opening in the second base and is rotatable relative to the first base and the second base (paragraph 52); and at least one of the one or more switch components (142, 110, 112, 120) component is between the second side of the first base and the second side of the second base (Figs. 1-9).
Regarding claim 12, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch apparatus wherein the first base and the second base are made of electrically insulating material (paragraph 25).
Regarding claim 13, Mattlar teaches an electrical switch comprising:a base structure comprising:a first switch base comprising: a first external surface (back surface), a first internal surface (front surface), and first geometric features (140, 103, 105, 109) extending from the first internal surface, the first geometric features comprising first attachment features (both houses have either projections or recess, see paragraphs 72) and first engagement features (140, 103, 105, 109, see paragraphs 68-70); a second switch base comprising: a second external surface, a second internal surface, and second geometric features extending from the second internal surface, the second geometric features comprising second attachment features (both houses have either projections or recess, see paragraphs 72) and second engagement features (140, 103, 105, 109, see paragraphs 68-70); and at least one switch component (142, 110, 112, 130) in the base structure; wherein the at least one switch component is held by one or more of the first engagement features and the second engagement features, and the first and second attachment features connect to hold the first switch base to the second switch base with the first internal surface facing the second internal surface without separate securing devices (paragraph 62), wherein the at least one switch component comprises one or more of a first stationary electrical contact 110, a second stationary electrical contact 112, a first arc chute, and a second arc chute (Figs. 1-13).
Regarding claim 15, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch wherein the first switch base and the second switch base comprise an opening (opening for the actuator) configured to receive a shaft of a moveable contact assembly (Fig. 1 and paragraph 74).
Regarding claim 16, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch further comprising the moveable contact assembly 130, wherein the shaft is inserted through the opening of the first switch base and the opening of the second switch base, the moveable contact assembly comprises a moveable electrical contact that extends radially outward from the shaft, and rotating the shaft rotates the moveable electrical contact along an arc in the base structure (Figs. 4-7 and paragraphs 31, 52).
Regarding claim 17, Mattlar teaches the electrical switch wherein the spatial arrangement of the first geometric features and the spatial arrangement of the second geometric features aligns the first stationary contact 110 (paragraph 32) and the second stationary contact 112 with the moveable electrical contact 130 such that the angular position of the shaft determines whether or not the moveable electrical contact is connected to the first stationary contact and the second stationary contact (Figs. 1-2 and paragraphs 29, 52).
Regarding claim 18, Mattlar teaches a modular switching system comprising: switch apparatuses, each switch apparatus comprising a base structure 102, the base structure comprising:a first single-pole switch base (first housing) comprising: a first base body, the first base body comprising first engagement features (140, 103, 105, 109), first attachment features (paragraph 72), and first switch components 140 held in the first base body by the first engagement features; a second-single pole switch base (second housing) comprising a second base body, the second base body comprising second engagement features (140, 103, 105, 109) and second attachment features (paragraph 72), wherein the first attachment features are configured to connect to the second attachment features to hold the first and second single-pole switch bases together without the use of separate fastening devices (paragraph 72); and a first shaft 120 that passes through the first single-pole switch base and is configured to rotate relative to the first base body (paragraphs 50-52), the first shaft comprising a moveable contact 130 that extends radially outward (contacts moves outward from rotation axis) from the first shaft and rotates through an arc that intersects a first stationary contact 110 and a second stationary contact 112; wherein each switch apparatus is configured to be connected to one or more other identical switch apparatuses to form a multi-pole switch (Figs. 1-11 and paragraph 25).
Regarding claim 19, Mattlar teaches the modular switch wherein the first switch components are secured to the first base body only with geometric features internal to the first base body (Fig. 1 and paragraph 72).
Regarding claim 20, Mattlar teaches the modular switch wherein the first switch components comprising: a first stationary contact 110, a second stationary contact 112, a first arc chute 142, and a second arc chute 142 (the arc plates 142 defines plurality of plates, see Fig. 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 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 and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 21, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed modular switch further comprising the arc chute, and wherein the arc chute comprises a flange and a body; and to hold the arc chute to the base, the flange of the arc chute is held in a slot of the slotted block, and the body is held against the locating block.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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