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 . Claims 1-20 are pending in the current application.
Drawings
Each of Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8, are objected to because an exploded view that is shown in a figure which is on the same sheet as another figure should be placed in brackets. See 37 C.F.R. 1.84(h)(1).
Additionally, each of Figures 17, 18, and 19, are objected to because all views of the drawing must be clearly separated from one another. 37 C.F.R. 1.84(h).
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, 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
Regarding Claim 3, line 1, it appears that the language “wherein the second” should be changed to “wherein the first” and will be treated as such for purposes of examination.
Regarding Claim 4, each of lines 7 and 15, it appears that the term “configure” should be changed to “configured.”
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 1-3 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Niehoff et al. (U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2022/0139644 A1, hereinafter “Niehoff”).
Specifically, regarding Claim 1, Niehoff discloses a direct current (DC) solid state circuit breaker mechanism (SSCBM; Abstract) comprising: a first switch assembly (8; FIG. 1) configured to selectively close a first airgap and open the first airgap, a second switch assembly (6) configured to selectively close a second airgap and open the second airgap (FIG. 2), wherein the second switch assembly (6) is adjustable into an unlatched position to open the second airgap at a first time (FIGS. 1 and 2), and wherein unlatching the second switch assembly (6) initiates adjustment of the first switch assembly (8) into an unlatched position to open the first airgap at a second time that is later than the first time (¶¶ [0032]-[0034]).
Regarding Claim 2, Niehoff discloses that the first switch assembly (8) and the second switch assembly (6) are connected in series (FIG. 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Niehoff discloses that the [first] switch assembly (6) and the second switch assembly (6) are connected in parallel (FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 20, Niehoff discloses a direct current (DC) solid state circuit breaker mechanism (SSCBM) comprising: a first switch assembly (8; FIG. 2) configured to selectively close a first airgap and open the first airgap (FIG. 2), the first switch assembly (8) including a first armature (6ARM; FIG. 2 below) configured to be adjusted into a first unlatched position which unlatches it from a first cradle (1C) to open the first airgap (FIG. 1), and a second switch assembly (6) configured to selectively close a second airgap and open the second airgap (FIG. 2), the second switch assembly (6) including a trip linkage (TL; FIG. 2 below) configured to adjust a second armature (8ARM; FIG. 2 below) into a second unlatched position which unlatches it from a second cradle (2C; FIG. 2 below) to open the second airgap at a first time period (FIG. 2), wherein adjusting the second armature (8ARM) into the second unlatched position induces adjustment of the first armature (6ARM) into the first unlatched position to open the first airgap at a second time period that is later than the first time period (¶¶ [0032]-[0034]).
PNG
media_image1.png
726
1032
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-19 are objected to, as discussed above, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, and to overcome the objections identified above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY R. JIMENEZ whose telephone number is 313-446-6518. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 1030am - 9pm.
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, 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.
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.
/ANTHONY R JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights