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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed June 26th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-4-15 are pending. Claims 1, 4-5 and 11-14 have been amended and claims 2-3 have been canceled by the Applicant. Applicant’s amendments have overcome drawings and claim objections.
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 and 4-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qian et al, CN209447734 [Qian] in view of Joyce, US 3530263.
Regarding claim 1, Qian discloses (figs. 1-27) an electrical assembly being a generator switch (intended use) operating in a high-current application, the electrical assembly, comprising
a module (100) of the generator switch; and
an isolator function (3), a circuit breaker function (2) and at least one ground electrode function (4) all being integrated in said module (100);
said module (100) is single-phase or multi-phase and for each electrical phase having:
a circuit breaker (2) providing said circuit breaker function and having two switching contacts (within, 7) being movable relative to one another, being in contact with one another in a switched-on state of said circuit breaker (2) and being spaced apart from one another along a main axis in a switched-off state, a first fixed terminal contact electrically connected to one of said two switching contacts (within, 7) and a second fixed terminal contact electrically connected to another of said two switching contacts;
an isolator blade (31) providing said isolator function and being pivotable about an isolator pivot axis;
a first ground electrode blade (42) providing a first ground electrode function (4) and being pivotable about a first ground electrode pivot axis [see fig.6].
Qian fails to explicitly discloses a second ground electrode blade providing a second ground electrode function and being pivotable about a second ground electrode pivot axis.
Joyce discloses a switching isolator comprising a second ground electrode blade (20) providing a second ground electrode function and being pivotable about a second ground electrode pivot axis [col.2, lines 50-52].
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 module of Qian with the teaching of an additional grounding switch of Joyce, thereby providing grounding functions to both the input and output terminals of the module.
Regarding claim 4, Qian further discloses where said isolator pivot axis passes through said first fixed terminal contact of said circuit breaker (2) and is held mechanically by said first fixed terminal contact [se fig.5].
Regarding claim 5, Qian further discloses where said first ground electrode blade (42) has a remote blade end (41) making direct contact with and touching said second terminal contact of said circuit breaker (2) in a ground electrode position.
Regarding claim 6, Qian and Joyce further comprise a fixed isolator contact (18), said second ground electrode blade (Joyce, 20) having a remote blade end making contact with and touching said fixed isolator contact (18) in a ground electrode position, and said isolator blade (Joyce, 5) also making contact with and touching said fixed isolator contact (18) in a closed position of said isolator blade (5).
Regarding claim 7, Qian and Joyce further comprise a connection plane, said remote blade end of said first ground electrode blade (Joyce,20) in said ground electrode position, said remote blade end of said second ground electrode blade (Joyce, 20) in said ground electrode position, and said first and second terminal contacts (17, 18) of said circuit breaker all lying in said connection plane.
Regarding claim 8, Joyce further discloses where said isolator pivot axis lies in said connection plane.
Regarding claim 9, Joyce further comprises a main axis lying in said connection plane.
Regarding claim 10, Joyce further discloses where said isolator pivot axis (via, 4) and said main axis span a main plane.
Regarding claim 11, Joyce further discloses where said isolator pivot axis (via,4) and said main axis span a main plane, and said main plane and said connector plane are parallel or form the same plane.
Regarding claim 12, Qian and Joyce further comprise a main axis, said remote blade end (41) of said first ground electrode blade (42) in said ground electrode position, said remote blade end of said second ground electrode blade (Joyce, 20) in said ground electrode position, and said first and second terminal contacts (17, 18) of said circuit breaker all lying on said main axis.
Regarding claim 13, Joyce further discloses where at least one of: a ground electrode pivot axis plane spanned by said first ground electrode pivot axis and said second ground electrode pivot axis and a main plane spanned by said isolator pivot axis and a main axis, are parallel planes spaced apart from one another.
Regarding claim 14, Qian further comprises: ground electrode drives (43) for driving said ground electrode blades (42); and a pivot drive for driving said isolator blade (31);
said module (100) having a carrier frame (1); and said ground electrode pivot axes, said ground electrode drives (43) for driving said ground electrode blades (42), said pivot drive for driving said isolator blade (31), and said circuit breaker (2) being held by said carrier frame (1).
Regarding claim 15, Qian further discloses where said carrier frame (1) spans a frame plane in which said ground electrode pivot axes lie; and said frame plane is at least one of: parallel to a main plane spanned by said isolator pivot axis and a main axis.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendments and arguments filed June 26th, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that claim 1, has amended, incorporates the subject matter of claim 3 and additional subject matter, is neither anticipated by nor obvious over the prior art. Neither of the references, whether taken alone or in combination, teach an electric assembly which is a generator switch operating in a high-current application and has a circuit breaker providing a circuit breaker function, an isolator blade providing an isolator function and first and second ground electrodes providing a ground electrode function, as recited in amended claim 1. It is accordingly believed to be clear that the prior art neither teaches nor suggests the limitations of claim 1. Claim 1 is, therefore, believed to be patentable over the art.
Examiner cannot concur with the Applicant , because, firstly, the added limitations, “a generator switch operating in a high-current application” is a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention and there seems to be no structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art, and therefore if the prior art is capable of performing the intended use, then the prior art satisfies the claim invention. Examiner, further notes that Qian and Joyce are structurally similar, are in the same field of endeavor and aim to achieve the same results disclose by a circuit breaker function, an isolator blade providing an isolator function and first and second ground electrodes providing a ground electrode function, and therefore the prior art combination clearly teaches the claimed invention.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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