DETAILED ACTION
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 01/10/2025, 08/13/2025 and 12/23/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 16 appears to have a typographical error when refereeing to “one of the movable contact pars” instead of “one of the movable contact parts”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 8-13 are 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 recites the limitation "the first direction" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 9-13 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, deficiency from parent claim 8.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the second direction" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 11-13 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, deficiency from parent claim 10.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-8 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong [CN-106971913-B] in view of Cornell [CN-105047482-A].
Claim 1, Zhong discloses a relay [figures 1-11], comprising: a contact part [figure 1] comprising two sets of movable contact parts [1/2], each set of the movable contact part comprising a movable contact piece [11/21], a movable contact unit [12/22], a static contact unit [14/24] and a movable contact leading-out piece [13/23], the movable contact unit [12/22] being arranged on the movable contact piece [11/21; figure 1]; the static contact unit [14/24] being arranged on the movable contact piece and/or the movable contact leading-out piece [figure 5]; two movable contact units [12/22] corresponding to two static contact units [14/24], respectively [figure 1]; at least one [23] of two movable contact leading-out pieces [13/23] being provided with an avoidance notch [not labeled, see figure 2; contact leading-out piece 23 has a notch to allow passage of pushing block 5]; the static contact unit [24] of the movable contact part [21] having the avoidance notch comprising a static contact [24], the movable contact unit corresponding to the static contact unit comprising a movable contact [12], the static contact [24] and the movable contact [12] corresponding with each other [figures 1 and 3; and a push rod [5] assembly comprising a first push rod [5 connected to 11] and a second push rod [5 connected to 21], the first push rod [5 connected to 11] being movably passing through the avoidance notch of the movable contact leading-out piece [23] of one of the movable contact parts [figure 2], the first push rod [5 connected to 11] being connected with the movable contact piece [11] of the other the movable contact part; the second push rod [5 connected to 21] being connected with the movable contact piece [21] of one of the movable contact parts.
Zhong fails to teach that the static contact unit [24] of the movable contact part [21] having the avoidance notch comprising at least two static contacts, the movable contact unit corresponding to the static contact unit comprising at least two movable contacts, the at least two static contacts and the at least two movable contacts corresponding with each other.
Cornell disclose a relay [10] comprising a contact part [figure 2] comprising two sets of movable contact parts, each set of the movable contact part comprising a movable contact piece [40a/54a], a movable contact unit [52a/72a/72b], a static contact unit [50a/50b/70a] and a movable contact leading-out piece [12/14], the movable contact unit [52a/72a/72b] being arranged on the movable contact piece [40a/54a; figure 2]; the static contact unit [50a/50b/70a] being arranged on the movable contact piece and/or the movable contact leading-out piece [figure 2]; the static contact unit [50a/50b] of the movable contact part [40a] comprising at least two static contacts [50a/50b], the movable contact unit [72a/72b] corresponding to the static contact unit comprising at least two movable contacts [figure 5], the at least two static contacts and the at least two movable contacts corresponding with each other [figures 2 and 5].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to increase the number of contacts in the relay of Zhong as taught by Cornell in order to divide the current passing though each contact to reduce arcing during contact actuation since a simple substitution of one known element for another, producing a predictable result, renders the claim obvious.
Claim 2, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein Zhong further discloses that in each movable contact part [1/2], the static contact unit [14/24] is disposed at a connection position between the movable contact piece [11/21] and the movable contact leading-out piece [13/23; see figures 5-8].
Claim 3, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein Zhong further discloses that in each movable contact part [1/2], the movable contact piece [11/21] has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a length direction [figures 5-8]; the movable contact unit [12/22] is disposed at the first end, the static contact unit [14/24] is disposed at a connection position between the second end of the movable contact piece and the movable contact leading-out piece [13/23; figures 5-8]; the first end of one of the movable contact pieces [11/21] corresponds to the second end of the other one of the movable contact pieces [figures 1].
Claim 4, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein Zhong further discloses that one [23] of two movable contact leading-out pieces [13/23] is provided with the avoidance notch [not labeled, see figure 2; contact leading-out piece 23 has a notch to allow passage of pushing block 5], the static contact unit [14] of the movable contact part [11] without the avoidance notch comprises one or two static contacts [14], the movable contact unit [22] corresponding to the static contact unit [14] comprises one or two movable contacts [24; figure 1].
Claim 5, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein Zhong further discloses that the relay further comprises a base [3], the base [3] has an accommodation space [figures 10 and 11], and the accommodation space has an opening [generally at 31/32] communicated with outside of the base; the contact part [1/2] is arranged in the accommodation space [figures 10 and 11], the movable contact leading-out piece [13/23] extends along a thickness direction of the base [figures 10 and 11], and a portion [133/233] of the movable contact leading-out piece [13/23] extends out of the base from the opening [generally at 31/32; see figures 10 and 11], the thickness direction is perpendicular to the moving direction of the first push rod [figures 10 and 11].
Claim 6, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 1, wherein Zhong discloses that the relay further comprises a magnetic circuit part [4], the magnetic circuit part drivably connected with the first push rod [5 connected to 11] and the second push rod [5 connected to 21];
Zhong as modified fails to teach that there are two contact parts respectively arranged on opposite sides of the magnetic circuit part, and one ends of the first push rod and the second push rod are respectively connected with two movable contact pieces of one of the contact parts; the other ends of the first push rod and the second push rod are respectively connected with two movable contact pieces of the other contact part [figure 4; the push rods 5 are connected to either side of the rotating armature].
Cornell further teaches a relay with two contact parts [40a/54a and 40b/54b] respectively arranged on opposite sides of a magnetic circuit part [28], with a first and second push rods [122; figure 2] wherein one ends of the first push rod and the second push rod are respectively connected with two movable contact pieces of one of the contact parts; the other ends of the first push rod and the second push rod are respectively connected with two movable contact pieces of the other contact part [figure 2].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention include two contact parts in the relay of Zhong as modified as further taught by Cornell in order to switch two separate signals at the same time.
Claim 7, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 6, wherein in each contact part, at least one [23] of two movable contact leading-out pieces [13/23] is provided with the avoidance notch; the first push rod [5 connected to 11] movably passes through the avoidance notch of one of the contact parts [23], the second push rod [5 connected to 21] movably passes through the avoidance notch of the other one of the contact parts [duplicating the contact part in the relay of Zhong on the opposite side of the magnetic circuit as taught by Cornell yields the claimed arrangement]
Claim 8, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 6, wherein Cornell teaches that the relay further comprises a base [20], the base has a middle area [containing 28], a first contact area and [containing 40a/54a] a second contact area [containing 40b/54b], the middle area is arranged between the first contact area and the second contact area [figure 2], the first contact area and the second contact area are spaced from each other along a first direction [up/down in figure 2]; two contact parts are respectively arranged in the first contact area and the second contact area, the magnetic circuit part is arranged in the middle area [figure 2].
Claim 10, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 8, wherein Cornell teaches that the base [20] further has a first moving area [where 122 left is located in figure 2] and a second moving area [where 122 right is located in figure 2] spaced from each other along a second direction [left/right in figure 2], and the middle area [containing 28] is located between the first moving area and the second moving area; the second direction [left/right in figure 2] is perpendicular to the first direction [up/down in figure 2]. the first push rod [122 left] movably arranged in the first moving area; the second push rod [122 right] movably arranged in the second moving area [figure 2].
Claim 11, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 10, wherein Cornell teaches that the first contact area, the first moving area, the second contact area and the second moving area are sequentially connected end-to-end to form a rectangular structure [figure 2].
Claim 12, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 11, wherein Cornell teaches among the two contact parts four sets movable contact unit and the static contact unit are located at the four corners of the rectangular structure respectively [figure 2].
Claims 9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong [CN-106971913-B] in view of Cornell [CN-105047482-A] as applied above, and further in view of Matsuo [US 4,587,502]
Claim 9, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 8, with the exception of the base comprises: a first partition, arranged between the first contact area and the middle area; a second partition, arranged between the second contact area and the middle area.
Matsuo teaches a relay [figures 3 and 4] comprising a base [10/33] with a first partition [11], arranged between the first contact area [13 and the middle area [14]; a second partition [12], arranged between the second contact area [15] and the middle area [14; figure 3 and 4].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the partitions of Matsuo in the relay of Zhong as modified between the first contact area, the middle area and the second contact area in order to protect the magnetic circuit in the middle area from arcing debris created in the first and second contact areas.
Claim 13, as best understood, Zhong as modified discloses the relay according to claim 10, with the exception of the base further comprises: a third partition, arranged between the first moving area and the middle area; a fourth partition, arranged between the second moving area and the middle area.
Matsuo teaches a relay [figures 3 and 4] comprising a base [10/33] with a first partition [11], arranged between the first contact area [13 and the middle area [14]; a second partition [12], arranged between the second contact area [15] and the middle area [14; figure 3 and 4].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the partitions of Matsuo in the relay of Zhong as modified between the first moving area and the middle area and the second moving area in order to protect the components in the moving areas from arcing debris.
Conclusion
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/BERNARD ROJAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837