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 .
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 03/18/2024, 10/11/2024, 02/202,2025 and 06/17/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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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
“a shape of a cross section of the recess is any one of circle, ellipse, obround hole” (Claim 5),
“the recess is configured to be a through slot structure disposed on the stationary contact lead-out terminal and extending along a width direction of the movable contact piece” (Claim 5),
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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 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)(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 1-3, 9, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Minowa et al [US 2019/0013171].
Claim 1, Minowa et al. discloses a relay [100], comprising: a contact assembly [30] comprising a movable contact piece [32] and a pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [31a/31b], the movable contact piece configured to contact with [figure 5] or separate from [figure 2] the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals; wherein at least one of sides of the stationary contact lead-out terminals and the movable contact piece close to each other is provided with an inner contact portion [34a/34b on the movable contact piece or 33a/33b on the stationary contact lead-out terminals], and the stationary contact lead-out terminals and the movable contact piece are contacted only by the inner contact portion [figure 5], and the inner contact portion is disposed on a side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figures 2 and 5].
Claim 2, Minowa et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein the inner contact portion is disposed between center lines of the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [figures 2 and 5].
Claim 3, Minowa et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein an orthogonal projection area of the inner contact portion [33a/33b] on the movable contact piece [32] is smaller than an orthogonal projection area of a bottom portion of a stationary contact lead-out terminal on the movable contact piece figures 2 and 3].
Claim 9, Minowa et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, the movable contact piece [32] comprising: a thrust portion [321], disposed between projections of the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals on the movable contact piece; two extension portions [322 and 323], disposed at both sides of the thrust portion and configured to contact with the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals correspondingly [figure 5]; wherein a projected area of the inner contact portion relative to a reference plane is smaller than a projected area of an extension portion relative to the reference plane, and the reference plane is a plane where an upper surface of the thrust portion is located [figure 5].
Claim 11, Minowa et al. discloses the relay according to claim 9, wherein at least one side of the extension portion [322 and 323] facing the stationary contact lead-out terminals [31a and 31b] is configured to be an arc-shaped structure [figures 4 and 5], and the inner contact portion is located at the side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figures 4 and 5].
Claim 12, Minowa et al. discloses the relay according to claim 11, wherein in a width direction of the movable contact piece [32], two sides of the inner contact portion [34a/34b or 33a/33b] are arranged in parallel [figure 5].
Claims 1, 4, 5, 7-10, 13-15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Uruma et al [US 2015/0194284].
Claim 1, Uruma et al. discloses a relay [10], comprising: a contact assembly [10A-10Q] comprising a movable contact piece [35] and a pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [33], the movable contact piece configured to contact with or separate from the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals; wherein at least one of sides of the stationary contact lead-out terminals and the movable contact piece close to each other is provided with an inner contact portion [34 on the movable contact piece or 32 on the stationary contact lead-out terminals], and the stationary contact lead-out terminals and the movable contact piece are contacted only by the inner contact portion [34 or 32], and the inner contact portion is disposed on a side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figures 2 and 6-21].
Claim 4, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein a recess is provided at a bottom of one end of a stationary contact lead-out terminal close to the movable contact piece [portion of 33 not covered by 32, figure 18], and the inner contact portion [32] is a portion of the stationary contact lead-out terminal [33] that is not provided with the recess and is located at the side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figure 18].
Claim 5, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 4, wherein a shape of a cross section of the recess is any one of circle, ellipse, obround hole and polygon [figure 18]; or the recess is configured to be a through slot structure disposed on the stationary contact lead-out terminal and extending along a width direction of the movable contact piece.
Claim 7, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein the inner contact portion [34] is configured to be a boss protruding on one side of the movable contact piece [35] close to the stationary contact lead-out terminals [33], and the boss is at least partially located at the side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figures 6-10,12-14, 20 and 21].
Claim 8, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein an orthographic projection area of an end surface [32] of a bottom portion of a stationary contact lead-out [33] terminal facing the movable contact piece on the movable contact piece [35] is less than or equal to an orthographic projection area of a middle portion [33] of the stationary contact lead-out terminal on the movable contact piece [35; figure 18].
Claim 9, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 1, the movable contact piece [35] comprising: a thrust portion [center portion adjacent to 61; figure 6], disposed between projections of the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [33] on the movable contact piece [35]; two extension portions [34], disposed at both sides of the thrust portion and configured to contact with the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [33] correspondingly; wherein a projected area of the inner contact portion relative to a reference plane is smaller than a projected area of an extension portion relative to the reference plane, and the reference plane is a plane where an upper surface of the thrust portion is located [figure 6].
Claim 10, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 9, wherein the extension portion [34] is configured to be a tapered structure [figure 6], and a small end of the extension portion is disposed away from the thrust portion, so that the inner contact portion approaches to the side where the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals are close to each other [figure 6].
Claim 13, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 9, wherein in an axial direction of a stationary contact lead-out terminal [33], both sides of the thrust portion [34] are configured to be a planar structure respectively [figure 8].
Claim 14, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 10, further comprising an anti-short circuit assembly 61/62; paragraph 0071], which is at least disposed at one side of the thrust portion close to the stationary contact lead-out terminals.
Claim 15, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 14, the anti-short circuit assembly comprising: an upper magnetizer [61], disposed at one side of the thrust portion near the stationary contact lead-out terminals; a lower magnetizer [62], disposed at one side of the thrust portion far away from the stationary contact lead-out terminals; wherein the upper magnetizer and the lower magnetizer are capable of forming a magnetic circuit therebetween to generate a suction force for resisting an electrodynamic repulsion force between the movable contact piece and the stationary contact lead-out terminals in case that a faulty high current is occurred in the movable contact piece [figure 2; paragraph 0071].
Claim 18, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 2, wherein an orthographic projection area of a bottom portion of a stationary contact lead-out terminal [32] on the movable contact piece [35] is less than or equal to an orthographic projection area of a middle portion of the stationary contact lead-out terminal [33] on the movable contact piece [35; figure 18].
Claim 19, Uruma et al. discloses the relay according to claim 2, the movable contact piece comprising: a thrust portion [center of 35 adjacent to 61; figure 6], disposed between projections of the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals on the movable contact piece [figure 6]; two extension portions [34], disposed at both sides of the thrust portion and configured to contact with the pair of stationary contact lead-out terminals [33] correspondingly [figure 2]; wherein a projected area of an inner contact portion relative to a reference plane is smaller than a projected area of an extension portion relative to the reference plane [figure 6], and the reference plane is a plane where an upper surface of the thrust portion is located [figure 6].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 16 and 17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837