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 Group 4, Figures 8-10, claims 1-13 in the reply filed is acknowledged.
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 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connell (US 9,484,172).
Regarding claim 1, Connell discloses a device comprising:
a base (see the drawing below);
a contact part (see the drawing below) disposed on the base (see the drawing below) and comprising two sets of movable contact parts (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b),
each set of the movable contact parts (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b) comprising a movable contact piece (40a, 40b, 54a, 54b),
a movable contact unit (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b) and a static contact unit (50a, 50b, 70a, 70b),
the movable contact unit (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b) being arranged on the movable contact piece (40a, 40b, 54a, 54b),
two movable contact units (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b) of the contact part (see the drawing below) corresponding to two static contact units (50a, 50b, 70a, 70b) of the contact part (see the drawing below), respectively;
a push rod assembly (see the drawing below) comprising a first push rod (84a) and a second push rod (84b),
the first push rod (84a) and the second push rod (84b) being connected to the two movable contact pieces (54a, 54b), respectively; and
a magnetic circuit part (94, 96) arranged on the base (see the drawing below) and configured to drive the movements of the first push rod (84a) and the second push rod (84b) in an opposite directions, so as to drive the two movable contact pieces (40a, 40b, 54a, 54b) to come into contact or move away from each other, achieving contact or separation between the static contact unit (50a, 50b, 70a, 70b) and the movable contact unit (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b).
Regarding claim 1, Connel teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose the stiffnesses of two movable contact pieces are difference.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the stiffnesses of two movable contact pieces as taught by Connel are difference for the purpose of ensuring reliable electrical connection, preventing contact bounce, and optimizing mechanical wear. Since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
[AltContent: textbox (Push rod assembly)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Contact part)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Contact part)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Base )][AltContent: arrow]
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Regarding claim 10, Connel discloses:
each set of movable contact parts (52a, 52b, 72a, 72b) further comprises a movable contact leading-out piece (12, 14, 16, 18),
the movable contact leading-out piece (42a, 42b) is connected to the movable contact piece (40a, 40b, 54a, 54b);
the static contact unit (70a, 70b) is disposed at a connection position between the movable contact piece (40a, 40b) and the movable contact leading-out piece (12, 14, 16, 18)
Regarding claim 11, Connel discloses:
The movable contact piece (40a, 40b) has a first end and (132a) a second end (132b) opposite to the first end (132a) in its own length direction;
the movable contact unit (52a, 52b) is disposed at the first end (132a), and the second end (132b) is connected to the movable contact leading-out piece (12, 14, 16, 18),
the first push rod (84a) and the second push rod (84b) are respectively connected with the first ends of the two movable contact pieces (40a, 40b).
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Regarding claim 12, Connel discloses:
the magnetic circuit part (94, 96) comprises a coil assembly (10a, 100b) and a armature assembly (98a, 98b),
the armature assembly (98a, 98b), is pivotally connected to the base (see the drawing above),
the armature assembly (98a, 98b), is respectively connected to the first push rod (84a) and the second push rod (84b),
the coil assembly (10a, 100b) is configured to drive the armature assembly (98a, 98b) to pivot;
the first push rod (84a) and the second push rod (84b) are located at opposite sides of the armature assembly (98a, 98b).
Regarding claim 13, Connel teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose the contact part is in connected state, the movable contact piece with smaller stiffness is deformed under an action of the first push rod or the second push rod and has an elastic force, the elastic force makes the movable contact piece has a moving tendency to disconnect the contact.
It is inherent for the contact part is in connected state, the movable contact piece with smaller stiffness is deformed under an action of the first push rod or the second push rod and has an elastic force, the elastic force makes the movable contact piece has a moving tendency to disconnect the contact. for the purpose of Preventing Contact Welding & Arcing, preventing contact damage and ensuring a clean, safe electrical shutdown.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 are 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:
The prior art does not teach or suggest the relay comprising:
Claim 2: the contact part is in a disconnected state, a contact gap between the movable contact unit and the static contact unit corresponding to each other in one set is smaller than a contact gap between the movable contact unit and the static contact unit corresponding to each other in the other set; the movable contact unit and the static contact unit in one set with a smaller contact gap is defined as an arc-resistant end contact, and movable contact unit and the static contact unit in the other set with a larger contact gap is defined as a current-carrying end contact; the movable contact piece provided with the movable contact unit of the current-carrying end contact is defined as a first movable contact piece, the movable contact piece provided with the movable contact unit of the arc-resistant end contact is defined as a second movable contact piece; the first push rod is connected with the first movable contact piece, the second push rod is connected with the second movable contact piece; the stiffness of the first movable contact piece is less than the stiffness of the second movable contact piece.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Lisa Homza whose telephone number is (571) 272-3592.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (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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/Lisa Nhung Homza/
Patent Examiner - Art Unit 2837
October 14, 2026
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
