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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-11 and 21 are under examination.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments resolve the claim objections, which are herein withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Remarks dated 05/29/2026, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections for claims 2, 8, and 9 are withdrawn.
The remaining rejections are maintained.
The traversal per the restriction requirement is unpersuasive because a serious search and examination burden exists for the reasons described on pages 2-3 of the 12/29/2025 Non-Final Rejection; additionally, a search for method of operating a control element is substantially different from the control element structure per se.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 8, and 9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the reasons on pages 10 – top of page 12 in the 05/29/2026 Remarks.
Because claim 12 has been amended to include all the limitations of claim 1, if claim 1 is ultimately found allowable, the method claims will be rejoined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code 102 not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 11, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP865 (JP 2008002865 A).
Regarding claim 1, JP865 discloses a system (fig. 1) for limiting withdrawal of control elements from a nuclear reactor core, the system comprising: a limiter (21) coupled with a control element (12) for the core (10), wherein the limiter is configured to selectively block movement of the control element to a further withdrawn position within a stroke range (the vertical range of the control rod 12) of the control element (for example, after it has been partially withdrawn, the brake 21 can stop the control rod 12 from being more withdrawn, see page 4); and a controller (38) communicatively coupled with the limiter, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a withdrawal command to the limiter to cause the limiter to stop the blocking movement of the control element to the further withdrawn position (the controller 38 can turn off the power supply to the brake 21, which therefore prevents it from stopping the continued withdrawal of the control rod 12, see page 4).
Regarding claim 11, JP865 discloses a nuclear power plant (“nuclear power plant,” page 1) commercially generating electricity using heat generated from a nuclear reactor core (10, fig. 1) controlled by insertion and withdrawal of control elements (12), the plant comprising: at least one of the controllers (38) of claim 1 (as cited above in claim 1); and a plurality of the limiters of claim 1 each coupled with a control element for the core (“A plurality of electromagnetic brakes 21 are also installed corresponding to the control rods 12,” page 4).
Regarding claim 21, JP865 anticipates all the elements of the parent claim and further discloses wherein the limiter (21) physically blocks movement of the control element (12) by physically contacting and stopping movement in the control element (12 and 21 are physically connected via intermediate structure 24b, see page 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code 103 not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP865 in view of KR101 (KR 101721101 B1).
Regarding claim 5, JP865 anticipates all the elements of the parent claim and further discloses wherein the controller (38) is communicatively coupled to the limiter (21) through a wired connection (as shown in fig. 1) but does not explicitly state that it is only a wired connection. KR101 does. KR101 is also in the art area of nuclear reactor control rods and teaches (top of third page) utilizing only a wired communication with a control unit: ”The control unit…through either a wired communication network or a wireless communication network.” The ordinary skilled artisan would have been motivated to utilize a wired connection for speed and security, as is known in the art. The skilled artisan is easily able to choose between a wired connection and a wireless connection.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP865 in view of JP246 (JP2010032246 uploaded via IDS).
Regarding claim 6, JP865 anticipates all the elements of the parent claim and further discloses wherein the controller (38) is further communicatively connected to a user operating the control elements of the nuclear reactor (the control rods of every nuclear reactor are necessarily in communication with the reactor operator), and wherein the controller is configured to transmit the withdrawal command in response to the user requesting withdrawal of at least one of the control elements (every nuclear reactor has a reactor operator who communicates with the electronic controllers) but does not explicitly state this is the only user. JP246 does teach this. JP246 is also in the art area of control rods for nuclear reactors (abstract) and teaches that the control rod can only be withdrawn in response to the reactor operator requesting withdrawal (reactor operator must use the control panel 9a to withdraw a control rod). The skilled artisan would have been motivated to utilize such a feature in the system of JP865 so that, as is well-known in the art, the reactor operator is able to control the reactivity of the reactor as needed for desired output and personnel safety.
Regarding claim 7, the above-described combination of JP865 and JP246 teaches all the elements of the parent claim. Additionally, JP865 discloses wherein the user is at least one of a control rod drive system, an algorithmic plant controller, and a human plant operator (every nuclear reactor has a human reactor operator who communicates with the electronic controllers).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LILY C GARNER whose telephone number is (571)272-9587. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5 CT.
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LILY CRABTREE GARNER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3646
/LILY C GARNER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3646
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