DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on April 30, 2024.
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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because in lines 6-8, the phrases “the metallic rings enable the delivery of electrical power” and “the bores enable the delivery of pneumatic power” lack antecedent bases and should be --the metallic rings enable delivery of electrical power-- and --the metallic rings enable delivery of electrical power--, respectively. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, lines 9-11 and 16: “axis” is later referred to as the “longitudinal axis” in claims 3 and 6, therefore the examiner suggests changing “an axis”, “the axis” and “the axis” from lines 9-10, 11 and 16, respectively, to --a longitudinal axis--, --the longitudinal axis-- and --the longitudinal axis--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiwara, et al. (US-20120094553-A1) in view of Kent, et al. (WO-2020186296-A1), further in view of Whitehead (US-3391243-A).
With respect to Claim 1:
Fujiwara discloses a conductor rod 20 configured to convey electrical energy (Figs. 1-3; [0055]-[0056]), the conductor rod 20 having a first end and a second end (Figs. 1 and 3-4), the conductor rod 20 comprising:
a rigid outer tube 26 (Fig. 3) having an outer diameter and a longitudinal center defining a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end (Fig. 3: axis extends vertically through the center of bus bar 20);
tubular conductors 21,23,25 successively arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis (Figs. 3-5) and separated, at least in part, by insulators (Fig. 4; [0063]: bus bar conductors 21,23,25 and bus bar insulators 22,24,26 are arranged by "alternately laminating the conductors and the insulators in a concentric arrangement"); and
metallic rings 43A,42C,41E attached respectively to terminations of the tubular conductors 21,23,25 proximate the first end ([0069]; Figs. 3-5), individual ones of the metallic rings extending orthogonally from corresponding ones of the tubular conductors to the outer diameter and being spaced apart along the longitudinal axis (Fig. 3).
Fujiwara does not explicitly disclose a work machine, comprising: an electric engine; a battery; traction devices configured to cause movement of the work machine when powered by the electric engine; and wherein the conductor rod is configured to convey electrical energy to the work machine during a movement of the work machine. (Missing features are italicized.)
However, Kent teaches a system for delivering electric power to a work machine (vehicle 102), the work machine inherently comprising an engine, a battery, and traction devices configured to cause movement of the work machine when powered by the engine, and wherein the work machine receives electric power from a conductor rod (arm 1810).
Thus, Fujiwara and Kent each disclose apparatuses for transferring electric power to a motor/engine. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the vehicle of Kent could be combined with the bus bar and connector of Fujiwara because it would serve as an alternate method of supplying a work vehicle with electric power (Fujiwara, [0075]: the connector 30 is attached to a motor, generator, or power supply unit, and establishes an electrical connection via connection with the bus bar 20). Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
Fujiwara does not explicitly disclose wherein the tubular conductors are separated, at least in part, by air.
However, using air as an insulator to separate conductors is well known in the art. For example, Whitehead teaches an electric power transmission conductor, wherein conductors are "supported by insulators of a disc type spaced along the pipes. […] The pipes are preferably filled with a gas, such as air, carbon dioxide CO2" (col. 2, lines 8-14).
Thus, Fujiwara and Whitehead each disclose energy transmission technology. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that using air as insulators of Whitehead could be combined with the bus bar insulators of Fujiwara because air would allow for more fluid movement within the bus bar than solid insulators would. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
With respect to Claim 2:
Fujiwara in view of Kent and further in view of Whitehead discloses the work machine of claim 1.
Fujiwara also discloses wherein the first end comprises an endcap 31 of insulative material ([0077]: connector insulator 31) encasing regions between the metallic rings (Figs. 1, 3 and 5; [0076]-[0078]).
With respect to Claim 3:
Fujiwara in view of Kent and further in view of Whitehead discloses the work machine of claim 1.
Fujiwara also discloses wherein the terminations of the tubular conductors 21,23,25 are located along the longitudinal axis toward the first end in an order equal to a sequence of the tubular conductors radially from the outer diameter to the longitudinal axis (Figs. 1 and 3-5: the ends of conductors 21,23,25 are arranged in the same order both longitudinally from the first end to the second end, and radially from the core to the outer diameter).
With respect to Claim 4:
Fujiwara in view of Kent and further in view of Whitehead discloses the work machine of claim 1.
Fujiwara also discloses wherein the outer diameter comprises at the first end, toward the second end, an alternating sequence of insulative material and outer edges of the metallic rings (Figs. 1 and 3-5; [0063]).
With respect to Claim 5:
Fujiwara in view of Kent and further in view of Whitehead discloses the work machine of claim 4.
Kent also discloses wherein the first end [of the arm 106] is rotatably coupled to the electric engine ([0059]; Fig. 5: coupled through electric current collector 700).
Fujiwara also discloses the outer edges of the metallic rings 43A,42C,41E providing electrical contact for the electrical energy between the conductor rod 20 and the electric engine (Fig. 1; [0078], [0091]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 6, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting “wherein the insulative material and the metallic rings include one or more bores parallel with the longitudinal axis for passing pressurized gas from equipment associated with the electric engine to cavities between the tubular conductors,” as recited in claim 6, in conjunction with ALL the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 6. These limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 6, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 1 is allowable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amara Anderson whose telephone number is (703)756-1470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00 EST..
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/AMARA ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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