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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A; Figures 2-3; and Claims 1, 2, 8, 9, and 171-9 in the reply filed on 12/03/2025 is acknowledged. However, claims 9 and 19 are directed to embodiment shown in Figures 4A & 4B, non-planar contact interfaces among the members and the holes being arranged at equidistant or non-equidistant positions. Accordingly, claims 9 and 19 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention.
Drawings
Figures 1A and 1B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 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.
Claim 8 is 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 8, lines 1-2, “the plurality of couplings” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 8, line 4, “longitudinal” should be deleted, see application’s publication paragraph [0043]; otherwise, it would create a 112(a) issue, enablement.
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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wellner (DE 10129568).
Wellner discloses a bus bar system comprising a plurality of members (2, 3); a component (4) configured to couple the plurality of members together to form a connection portion comprising a cavity, and the component being arranged in the cavity (Figs 1-2) (re-claim 1). Wellner also discloses that the component has an outer surface at least partially abutting an inner surface of the cavity, and the component comprises a hole adapted to be passed through by a coupling (5) to couple and fix the plurality of members (re-claim 2).
Claims 1, 2, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1029a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (2011/0284264).
Kim et al. discloses a bus bar system comprising a plurality of members (1); a component (4) configured to couple the plurality of members together to form a connection portion comprising a cavity, and the component being arranged in the cavity (Fig. 3) (re-claim 1). Kim et al. also discloses that the component has an outer surface at least partially abutting an inner surface of the cavity, and the component comprises a hole adapted to be passed through by a coupling (6) to couple and fix the plurality of members (re-claim 2); an electrical assembly comprises the bus bar system according to claim 1 (re-claim 17); and an electrical equipment comprises the electrical assembly according to claim 17 (re-claim 18).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wellner in view of Kim et al.
Wellner discloses the invention substantially as claimed including the plurality of couplings (5) which extend through the component (4) and protrude from outer surfaces of the plurality of members. Wellner does not disclose additional members being coupled (via the couplings) to the plurality of members in a direction not perpendicular to a cross-section of the connection portion. Kim et al. (Fig. 20) discloses a plurality of couplings (6, only one shown in Fig. 20) protruding from outer surfaces of a plurality of members (1) so as to couple additional members (4, only one shown in Fig. 20) to the plurality of members in a direction not perpendicular to a cross-section of a connection portion. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to couple additional members (4), as taught by Kim et al., to the plurality of members (2, 3) of Wellner, via the couplings (5), to provide additional connection means in the system.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAU N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1980. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAU N NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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