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 because they should be clear, sharp (Fig. 1), solid black lines (Fig. 2). See 37 CFR 1.84 (a)(1) & (l).
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.
Abstract
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claims 4, 8-10, 14 and 18 are objected to because:
Claim 4, line 4, “the gas” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 8, lines 4-5, “a gas-insulated circuit breaker” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 9, line 3, “a high or medium voltage circuit breaker” should be -the high or medium voltage circuit breaker-.
Claim 9, lines 5-6, “the two arcing contacts” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 10, lines 1-2, “a gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker” should be – the gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker-.
Claim 14, lines 2-3, “the two arcing contacts” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 18, lines, “a gas-insulated circuit breaker” should be -the gas-insulated circuit breaker-.
Appropriate corrections are 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, 3-4 and 6-21 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.
Claims 1, 8-9, 14, 16 and 18, “and/or” used throughout the claims renders the claims indefinite, leaving the scope of the claims unascertainable.
Claims 1, 6, 9, 14 and 16, phrase, “sealing” renders the claims indefinite, leaving the scope of the claims unascertainable, because “sealing” is an action or process and therefore should be interpreted as a -seal-.
Claims 3 and 15, “a square-like shape” or “a trapezoid-like shape” render the claim unclear, leaving the scope of the claims unascertainable.
Claims 4 and 14, “a nozzle” and “an insulating nozzle” are unclear and leave doubts as to what is being referred to, since by all indication (drawing) only one nozzle is disclosed.
Claims 19-21, “wherein gas-insulated circuit breaker adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 52 kV or more, claim 19; wherein the circuit breaker is a gas- insulated circuit breaker adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of more than 72 kV, claim 20; and wherein the gas-insulated circuit breaker is adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 145 kV or more” already disclosed in claim 18, and therefore do not further limit claim 18.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-12, 14-16 and 18-20, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dhotre et al, WO 2014096460 [Dhotre] in view of Satou et al, JPS 5231387 [Satou].
Regarding claim 1, Dhotre discloses (figs.1-8) a gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker (1) comprising:
a first arcing contact (4a) and a second arcing contact (4b), whereby at least one of the two arcing contacts (4a) is axially movable along a switching axis (Z), thereby forming, during a breaking operation, an arc (3) between the first arcing contact (4a) and the second arcing contact (4b) in an arcing region (arcing volume),
a buffer cylinder (6) including a channel (21) directed to the arcing region and/or a nozzle for blowing during the breaking operation an arc-extinguishing gas to the arcing region (arcing volume);
a first enclosure (7) associated to first arcing contact (4a) substantially surrounding the buffer cylinder (6) and arranged slidable in respect to the buffer cylinder (6) and/or a second enclosure (8) substantially surrounding the nozzle and arranged slidable in respect to the nozzle;
a labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided in the first enclosure (7) and/or in the buffer cylinder (6) between the first enclosure (7) and the buffer cylinder (6) and/or in the second enclosure (8) and/or in the nozzle between the second enclosure (8) and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided as a plurality of distant notches (13, 13’) arranged one behind each other.
Dhotre fails to explicitly disclose a sealing arranged circumferentially between the second enclosure (8) and/or the first enclosure and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure axially arranged between the sealing and the channel and/or the buffer volume.
Satou discloses (figs. 7-8) a gas circuit breaker comprising a seal (26) arranged circumferentially between a second enclosure (10) and/or a first enclosure (1) and a nozzle (4), a labyrinth structure (21-25) axially arranged between the sealing (26) and a channel (between 4-5) and/or a buffer volume (1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit braker of Dhotre with the inclusion of the sealing arrangement of Satou, thereby providing a buffer type gas blaster in which arc-extinguishing gas is compressed at the time of interruption and the resulting high-pressure arc-extinguishing gas is blown onto the arc occurring between the electrodes to extinguish the arc.
Regarding claim 9, Dhotre would necessarily perform a method of operating a gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker, the method comprising:
breaking an electric current with a high or medium voltage circuit breaker comprising:
a first arcing contact (4a) and a second arcing contact (4b), whereby at least one of the two arcing contacts (4a, 4b) is axially movable along a switching axis (Z), thereby forming, during a breaking operation, an arc (3) between the first arcing contact (4a) and the second arcing contact (4b) in an arcing region (arcing volume),
a buffer cylinder (6) including a channel (21) directed to the arcing region (arcing volume) and/or a nozzle for blowing during the breaking operation an arc-extinguishing gas to the arcing region (arcing volume);
a first enclosure (7) associated to first arcing contact (4a) substantially surrounding the buffer cylinder (6) and arranged slidable in respect to the buffer cylinder (6) and/or a second enclosure (8) substantially surrounding the nozzle and arranged slidable in respect to the nozzle;
a labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided in the first enclosure (7) and/or in the buffer cylinder (6) between the first enclosure (7) and the buffer cylinder (6) and/or in the second enclosure (8) and/or in the nozzle between the second enclosure (8) and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided as a plurality of distant notches (13, 13’) arranged one behind each other.
Dhotre fails to explicitly disclose a method a sealing arranged circumferentially between the second enclosure and/or the first enclosure and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure axially arranged between the sealing and the channel and/or the buffer volume.
Satou would necessarily perform (figs.7-8) a method of a gas circuit breaker comprising a sealing (26) arranged circumferentially between a second enclosure (10) and/or a first enclosure (1) and a nozzle (4), a labyrinth structure (21-25) axially arranged between the sealing (26) and a channel (between 4-5) and/or a buffer volume (1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method the circuit braker of Dhotre with the inclusion of the method of the sealing arrangement of Satou, thereby providing a buffer type gas blaster in which arc-extinguishing gas is compressed at the time of interruption and the resulting high-pressure arc-extinguishing gas is blown onto the arc occurring between the electrodes to extinguish the arc.
Regarding claim 14, Dhotre discloses (figs.1-8) a gas-insulated high or medium voltage circuit breaker comprising:
a first arcing contact (4a) and a second arcing contact (4b), whereby at least one of the two arcing contacts (4a, 4b) is axially movable along a switching axis (Z), thereby forming, during a breaking operation, an arc (3) between the first arcing contact (4a) and the second arcing contact (4b) in an arcing region (arcing volume),
a buffer cylinder (6);
a nozzle;
a channel (21) extending through the buffer cylinder (6) and the nozzle directed to the arcing region (arcing volume) for blowing during the breaking operation an arc-extinguishing gas to the arcing region;
an insulating nozzle is provided adjacent to the channel (21), for transporting the gas from the arcing region to a buffer volume (8) downstream of the insulating nozzle;
a first enclosure (7) associated to first arcing contact (4a) substantially surrounding the buffer cylinder (6) and arranged slidable in respect to the buffer cylinder (6) and/or a second enclosure (8) substantially surrounding the nozzle and arranged slidable in respect to the nozzle;
a labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided in the first enclosure (7) and/or in the buffer cylinder (6) between the first enclosure (7) and the buffer cylinder (6) and/or in the second enclosure (8) and/or in the nozzle between the second enclosure (8) and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure (13, 13’) provided as a plurality of distant notches (13) arranged one behind each other.
Dhotre fails to explicitly disclose a sealing arranged circumferentially between the second enclosure (8) and/or the first enclosure and the nozzle, the labyrinth structure axially arranged between the sealing and the channel and/or the buffer volume.
Satou discloses (figs.7-8) a gas circuit breaker comprising a sealing (26) arranged circumferentially between a second enclosure (10) and/or a first enclosure (1) and a nozzle (4), a labyrinth structure (21-25) axially arranged between the sealing (26) and a channel (between 4-5) and/or a buffer volume (1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit braker of Dhotre with the inclusion of the sealing arrangement of Satou, thereby providing a buffer type gas blaster in which arc-extinguishing gas is compressed at the time of interruption and the resulting high-pressure arc-extinguishing gas is blown onto the arc occurring between the electrodes to extinguish the arc.
Regarding claims 3 and 15, Dhotre further discloses whereby the notches (13, 13’) comprise a square-like shape or a trapezoid-like shape [see figs.3c, 3e].
Regarding claim 4, Dhotre further discloses with the nozzle, whereby the nozzle includes the channel (21) directed to the arcing region(arcing volume), and an insulating nozzle is provided adjacent to the channel (21), for transporting the gas from the arcing region to a buffer volume (8) downstream of the insulating nozzle.
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Dhotre and Satou further disclose with the second enclosure (10), whereby the second enclosure (10) comprises an inner enclosure portion (27) and a coaxially arranged outer enclosure portion and the sealing (Satou, 26) and the labyrinth structure (21-25) are provided between the inner enclosure portion (27) and the nozzle (4).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Dhotre further discloses where the circuit breaker is a gas- insulated circuit breaker adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 12 kV or more (1kV-72.5kV).
Regarding claim 10, Dhotre further discloses the method, where breaking the electric current comprises:
separating the first arcing contact (4a) and the second arcing contact (4b) by moving at least one of the first and second arcing contact (4a, 4b) along the switching axis (Z) to initiate a breaking operation.
Regarding claims 11 and 19, Dhotre further discloses where gas-insulated circuit breaker adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 52 kV or more (1kV-72.5kV).
Regarding claims 12 and 20, Dhotre further discloses where the circuit breaker is a gas- insulated circuit breaker adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of more than 72 kV (1kV-72.5kV).
Claims 7 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dhotre and Satou and further in view of Pierres et al, US 10170256 [Pierres].
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Dhotre and Satou fail to explicitly disclose a metal enclosure and wherein the circuit breaker is provided as metal enclosed circuit breaker.
Pierres discloses (fig.1) a gas circuit breaker (10) comprising a metal enclosure (14) and where the circuit breaker is provided as metal enclosed circuit breaker [col.1, lines 34-43].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit braker of Dhotre with the teaching of the circuit breaker of Pierres, thereby providing a metal outer casing that is at zero potential, thus limiting the risk of electric arcing between a portion of the chamber that is electrically charged.
Claims 13 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dhotre and Satou and further in view of Galletti et al, US 20200395180 [Galletti].
Regarding claims 13 and 21, Dhotre and Satou fail to disclose wherein the gas-insulated circuit breaker is adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 145 kV or more.
Galletti discloses (figs.1-2) a gas-insulated circuit breaker (100) adapted to interrupt medium to high-voltages of 145 kV or more [para.0025].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the circuit braker of Dhotre, with the teaching of the circuit breaker of Galletti, thereby capable of operating in the high voltage ranges of up to 145kV, successfully.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sakuyama et al, Florez et al, Hermosillo et al, Kotsuji et al and Dienemann et al are examples of gas-insulated circuit breakers comprising labyrinth structures configured similar to the present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM A BOLTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S 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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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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