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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Embodiment 12, Figures 13-15, Claims 1-3 and 5-18 in the reply filed on 04/10/206 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 07/27/2024, 12/26/2024, 07/24/2025, 10/14/2025, 02/13/2026 and 06/05/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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 1-6, 8, 9 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhong [EP 3608938 A1], applicant cited prior art.
Claim 1, Zhong discloses a contact piece structure [figure 1] comprising two movable contact pieces [1/2] arranged side by side, each movable contact piece comprising: a piece body [11/21]; a movable contact [12/22] and a static contact [14/24] located at opposite ends of the piece body [figure 1]; wherein the movable contact and the static contact of one of the movable contact pieces correspond to the static contact and the movable contact of the other movable contact piece respectively [figure 1], so that when the movable contact and the static contact being in contact, the two movable contact pieces form a parallel circuit structure [figure 1]; each piece body [11/21] has at least one bending portion [111/211,112/212], and bending portions of two piece bodies are arranged one-to-one to form a bending pair [figure 1]; in each of the bending pairs, top ends of two bending portions are parallel with each other, and two bending portions protrude along a same protruding direction [figure 1], a first distance between the two bending portions [111/211, 112/212] is smaller than a second distance between the two ends of two piece bodies [see annotated figure 1 below].
Claim 2, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 1, wherein the two bending portions [111/211,112/212] forming the bending pair are respectively a first bending portion [111 or 112] and a second bending portion [211 or 212], at least a portion of the first bending portion is accommodated in a space formed by a protruding portion of the second bending portion [figure 1].
Claim 3, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of bending pairs [111/211 and 112/212], and there is a third distance between the two piece bodies located between adjacent bending pairs, and the third distance is greater than the first distance [see annotated figure 1].
Claim 4, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of bending pairs [111/211 and 112/212], and there is a third distance between the two piece bodies located between adjacent bending pairs, and the third distance is greater than the first distance see annotated figure 1].
Claim 5, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 3, wherein the protruding direction comprises a first direction and a second direction which are opposite to each other [figure 1], among the plurality of the bending pairs [111/211 and 112/212], a part of the bending pairs [111/211] protrude toward the first direction, and another part of the bending pairs [112/212] protrude toward the second direction [figure 1].
Claim 6, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 2, wherein in each of the bending pairs [111/211 and 112/212], a size of an opening of the second bending portion [111 or 212] is larger than a size of a top end of the first bending portion [211 or 122], so that the top of the first bending portion is accommodated in the opening of the second bending portion [figure 1].
Claim 8, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 1, wherein each piece body comprises a plurality of spring pieces stacked with each other [figure 8], a gap is formed between adjacent spring pieces [figures 5 and 8].
Claim 9, Zhong discloses the contact piece structure according to claim 8, wherein the piece body has a plurality of gaps in a direction in which the spring piece is stacked, and the sizes of the gaps are different [figure 5, gaps pf various sizes are illustrated between the stacked spring pieces].
Claim 20, Zhong discloses a magnetic latching relay [abs], comprising the contact piece structure of claim 1.
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
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