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
Claims 21, 24, & 25 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/32/2026.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/29/2024 & 6/20/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner has considered the information disclosure statements.
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.
Claims 1-20 & 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Honma (Japanese Patent Application Publication # JP2000-059930A).
Regarding Claim 1, Honma discloses a gas-tight pressure vessel (i.e. busbar/line tanks 8a/8b) for a switch panel (i.e. gas-insulated switchgear/switching device) of electrical energy technology, comprising at least one stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) that is fastened (i.e. through mounting frame 12b) to an outer side (i.e. tank flanges 2d/2e) of the pressure vessel and that is configured as telescopic (i.e. through telescopically accordion-shaped bellows 12a) perpendicular to the outer side and lockable (Fig. 1-4, 7; Abstract; Paragraph 0011-0020).
Regarding Claim 2, Honma discloses that the switch panel of electrical energy technology is of medium-voltage technology (i.e. gas-insulated switchgear used in power systems) (Paragraphs 0017-0018).
Regarding Claim 3, Honma discloses that the stiffening element comprises at least one slot guide (i.e. mounting frames 12b) and at least one latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) that is arranged in the slot guide (Fig. 2-4; Paragraph 0013).
Regarding Claim 4, Honma discloses that the slot guide (i.e. mounting frames 12b) comprises a telescoping section (i.e. telescopically accordion-shaped bellows 12a) and at least one locking section (i.e. bolt holes on mounting frames 12b), with the latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) and the locking section being releasably latchable (i.e. bolts can be loosened and removed) to one another (Fig. 2-4; Paragraph 0013).
Regarding Claim 5, Honma discloses that the slot guide (i.e. mounting frames 12b) has a U-shaped recess (i.e. opposing U-shaped ends of elliptical aperture in mounting frames 12b for elliptical bellows 12a as shown in Fig. 2-3), with two parallel sections (i.e. top and bottom straight sections of elliptical aperture in mounting frames 12b) of the recess forming a first locking section (i.e. top bolt holes on mounting frames 12b) and a second locking section (i.e. bottom bolt holes on mounting frames 12b) that are connected to one another via the telescoping section (i.e. telescopically accordion-shaped bellows 12a) (Fig. 2-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 6, Honma discloses that the slot guide (i.e. mounting frames 12b) is formed in a plane perpendicular to the outer side (i.e. tank flanges 2d/2e), with the latch being arranged in parallel with the outer side in the slot guide (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 7, Honma discloses that the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) comprises a plurality of rib pairs (i.e. pair of mounting frames 12b) spaced apart in parallel from one another (Fig. 1-4; Paragraph 0013-0014, 0020).
Regarding Claim 8, Honma discloses that each rib pair comprises at least one fixed rib (i.e. one of the mounting frames 12b), which is oriented perpendicular to the outer side and fastened thereto, and at least one rib (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) that is displaceable (i.e. when bellow 12a expands) relative to the fixed rib (Fig. 1-4; Paragraph 0013-0014, 0020).
Regarding Claim 9, Honma discloses that the at least one rib (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) that is displaceable relative to the fixed rib contacts (i.e. when the bellow 12a is compressed) the fixed rib (Fig. 1-4; Paragraph 0013-0014, 0020).
Regarding Claim 10, Honma discloses that at least one rib (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) of the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) has a slot guide in which a latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) is arranged (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 11, Honma discloses that at least one rib (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) of the stiffening element has an opening (i.e. bolt holes on mounting frame 12b) in which a latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) is received in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 12, Honma discloses that at least one fixed rib (i.e. one of the mounting frames 12b) of at least one rib pair has a slot guide in which a latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) is arranged, with at least one displaceable rib of the rib pair having an opening (i.e. bolt holes on mounting frame 12b) in which the latch is received in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 13, Honma discloses that at least one displaceable rib (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) of at least one rib pair has a slot guide in which a latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) is arranged, with at least one fixed rib of the rib pair having an opening (i.e. bolt holes on mounting frame 12b) in which the latch is received in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 14, Honma discloses that the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) comprises a fixed profile part which has at least one bead (i.e. O-rings 3), which is fastened to the outer side (i.e. tank flanges 2d/2e) and to which the fixed ribs are fastened, with the outer contours of the fixed ribs being adapted to the cross- sectional shape of the fixed profile part (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 15, Honma discloses that at least one passage (i.e. as shown in Fig. 1) is formed between the fixed profile part and the outer side (i.e. tank flanges 2d/2e) and/or between the fixed profile part and all the fixed ribs, said passage being provided to be able to guide a functional component (i.e. busbar 5) of the switch panel through the passage of the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) (Fig. 1-4; Paragraph 0013-0016, 0020).
Regarding Claim 16, Honma discloses that the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) comprises a displaceable profile part (i.e. the other one of the mounting frames 12b at the other end of the telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a) that has at least one bead (i.e. O-rings 3) and that is fastened to the displaceable ribs, with the outer contours of the displaceable ribs being adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the displaceable profile part (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 17, Honma discloses that the latch (i.e. bolts (not shown)) is designed as a rod or bolt that extends in an axial direction, with the ends of the latch each being provided with a securing device (i.e. a nut, which is inherent to a bolt), whereby the latch is secured against an axial movement (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014).
Regarding Claim 18, Honma discloses that the securing device is a nut and/or a cotter pin (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0013-0014). A nut is inherent to a bolt which is disclosed by Honma as the mechanism to attach the expansion joints 12 to the tank flanges 2d/2e or walls.
Regarding Claim 19, Honma discloses that the stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) comprises at least three component sets (i.e. multiple telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joints 12 are used to connect multiple busbar/line tanks 8a/8b as shown in Fig. 1) having different components (i.e. two mounting frames 12b & one telescopically accordion-shaped bellow 12a), with each of the three component sets including at least two identical components (Fig. 1-3; Paragraph 0012-0016).
Regarding Claim 20, Honma discloses that each of the three component sets includes at least two identical components (i.e. two equal, opposing mounting frames 12b) having identical shapes (Fig. 1-4; Paragraph 0012-0016).
Regarding Claim 22, Honma discloses a switch panel (i.e. gas-insulated switchgear/switching device) of electrical energy technology, comprising a gas-tight pressure vessel (i.e. busbar/line tanks 8a/8b) that comprises at least one stiffening element (i.e. telescopic/expansion conduit/expansion joint 12) that is fastened (i.e. through mounting frame 12b) to an outer side (i.e. tank flanges 2d/2e) of the pressure vessel and that is configured as telescopic (i.e. through telescopically accordion-shaped bellows 12a) perpendicular to the outer side and lockable (Fig. 1-4, 7; Abstract; Paragraph 0011-0020).
Regarding Claim 23, Honma discloses the switch panel according to claim 22 that is of medium-voltage technology (i.e. gas-insulated switchgear used in power systems) (Paragraphs 0017-0018).
Relevant Cited Art
The cited art in PTO-892 was found during the examiner's search, but was not relied upon for this office action. However, it is still considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RHADAMES J ALONZO MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-7829. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm PST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RJA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
Prosecution Insights