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 .
Drawings
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 connection point between the transmission component and the second connecting rod spaced part from a mounting point between the transmission component and the housing as recited in claim 2, the main body recited in claim 3, the lock hole recited in claim 4, the driving arm contacting the open lever and driving the operating lever to rotate when the handle is rotated to the open position as recited in claim 6, and one end of the bottom [assume button] protruding out of the housing, and the other end of the bottom [assume button] being close to the opening lever, and when the locking assembly is in the locked state, when the button is pressed, the button can contact the opening lever and drive the opening lever to rotate, so that the locking assembly moves to the unlocked state as recited in claim 7 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). The drawings are also objected to because Figures 2-4 are too small, making it difficult to clearly see the parts. 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because “a open” on line 7 should be changed to “an open”.
Claim 2 is objected to because “spaced part” on line 11 should be changed to “spaced apart” or something similar.
Claim 7 is objected to because “bottom” on line 2 should be changed to “button”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-10 are 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the controller" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
With respect to claim 8, it is unclear how the transmission component is a bird’s head.
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, 5, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. [Yang hereinafter, US 8,476,992].
In regard to claim 1, Yang discloses [in Figs. 1A and 1B] a mechanical breakpoint module for a solid-state circuit breaker, comprising: a housing [102]; a handle [104] mounted to the housing [102] and rotatable between an open position and a closed position; a fixed contact [112S] fixed to the housing [102]; a moving contact [112M] capable of rotating so as to contact or separate from the fixed contact [112S] so as to put the mechanical breakpoint module in a closed state and an open state respectively; a transmission assembly [108, 111], through which the movement of the handle [104] is transmitted to the moving contact [112M]; an energy storage component [110] connected to the transmission assembly [108, 111] and configured to drive the transmission assembly [108, 111] to move; a locking assembly [114] capable of being switched between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein when the locking assembly [114] is in the locked state, the mechanical breakpoint module cannot be switched from the closed state to the open state, and when the locking assembly [114] is in the unlocked state, the mechanical breakpoint module can be switched from the closed state to the open state; wherein the locking assembly [114] can receive an unlocking signal sent by a controller [118] to be switched from the locked state to the unlocked state, so that the transmission assembly [108, 111] is driven by the energy storage component [110], and then the moving contact [112M] is driven to be separated from the fixed contact [112S].
In regard to claim 5, Yang discloses [in Figs. 1A and 1B] the mechanical
breakpoint module according to claim 1, wherein, the energy storage component [110] is a spring.
In regard to claims 9 and 10, Yang discloses [in Figs. 1A and 1B] a solid-state circuit breaker, comprising the mechanical breakpoint module according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic breakpoint module [121], wherein the electronic breakpoint module [121] is connected in series with the mechanical breakpoint module.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 6-8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. In regard to claim 2, in combination with other limitations, the transmission component rotatably mounted to the housing, and a connection point between the transmission component and the second connecting rod spaced apart from a mounting point between the transmission component and the housing, the transmission component fixedly connected with the moving contact, and when the locking assembly is in the locked state, the locking assembly blocking the movement of the transmission component, thereby preventing the mechanical breakpoint module from being switched from the closed state to the open state is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yang et al. [US 8,836,453] discloses a similar module.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LHEIREN MAE A CAROC whose telephone number is (571)272-2730. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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