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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-3 | 8 | 15 | 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. US 5886860 A [Chen].
Regarding claims 1 | 15, Chen teaches A cutoff device or A driving device that drives a device [FIGS. 4-6] comprising: an electrical path [99]; a first coil [123] in which a first induced current corresponding to an electric current flowing through the electrical path is generated [C. 4 teaches that a ground fault interruption circuit is designed to interrupt the electric current to the load when a fault current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit. As in FIG. 2, the contacts 101 are in series with the live line, 99. The neutral line 121 is also indicated in FIG. 4. A ground fault detection circuit, 123, is on the load side of the circuit breaker. The ground fault detection circuit, 123, sends a signal to a ground fault circuit board, 125, upon occurrence of a ground fault.]; a breaker configured to interrupt the electrical path [see 101; C. 5 teaches The trip coil 127 and the relay coil 107 could be wound on the same core. The relay coil will be energized to trip the breaker whenever there is an overload or short circuit. The trip coil will be energized to trip the circuit breaker whenever there is a ground fault in the circuit.]; and wiring configured to electrically connect the first coil and the breaker [fig. 5 shows wiring the includes element 125 between the elements 123 and 107/101], wherein the breaker is driven with the first induced current generated in the first coil [C. 4 teaches that a ground fault interruption circuit is designed to interrupt the electric current to the load when a fault current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit. As in FIG. 2, the contacts 101 are in series with the live line, 99. The neutral line 121 is also indicated in FIG. 4. A ground fault detection circuit, 123, is on the load side of the circuit breaker. The ground fault detection circuit, 123, sends a signal to a ground fault circuit board, 125, upon occurrence of a ground fault.].
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches The cutoff device according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch [129] connected between the first coil [123] and the breaker [107/101] and configured to electrically connect the first coil and the breaker when the first induced current exceeds a predetermined value [C. 5 teaches The ground fault circuit board includes a semiconductor-controlled rectifier ("SCR") 129, that conducts upon detection of a ground fault. The effect of this is to apply the full line voltage across the relay coil, 107, thus activating it].
Regarding claim 3, Chen teaches The cutoff device according to claim 2, wherein the switch is a first semiconductor switch [C. 5 teaches a semiconductor-controlled rectifier ("SCR") 129].
Regarding claim 8, Chen teaches The cutoff device according to claim 1, further comprising: a yoke inserted through a through-hole of the first coil [inherent feature for a coil].
Regarding claim 18, Chen teaches The cutoff device according to claim 3, wherein the first semiconductor switch includes a thyristor [C. 5 teaches a semiconductor-controlled rectifier ("SCR") 129].
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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. US 5886860 A [Chen].
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses the claimed invention except that the breaker is a pyro-fuse, and an igniter for the pyro-fuse is driven with the first induced current.
Chen teaches that [The ground fault detection circuit, 123, sends a signal to a ground fault circuit board, 125, upon occurrence of a ground fault. The ground fault circuit board activates a trip coil, 127, that is also capable of operating the contacts 101. The trip coil 127 and the relay coil 107 could be wound on the same core.] is an equivalent structure known in the art. Therefore because these two breakers were art-recognized equivalents at the time the invention was filed, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute (contacts 101) for (pyro-fuse).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See (PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMAD A MUSLEH whose telephone number is ((571)272-9086. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10 am - 7 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S. 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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/Mohamad A Musleh/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837