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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “comprises”, “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because the dashes at the beginning of lines 2-6 and 8 should be deleted.
Claim 16 is objected to because “held” on line 2 should be changed to “hold”.
Claim 24 is objected to because the dashes at the beginning of lines 4 and 5 should be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 14-17, 20-23 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tumu et al. [Tumu hereinafter, US 9,842,708].
In regard to claim 14, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] a switching device, comprising a first and a second fixed contact [116], a contact bridge [114], a first and a second movable contact [118] arranged at the contact bridge [114], at least one contact spring [138], a contact bridge carrier [112] which is movable, is coupled to the contact bridge [114] via the at least one contact spring [138] and comprises a carrier tip [140], a lever arm connected to the contact bridge and comprising a tip [at 144], wherein that the tip of the lever arm is configured to irreversibly engage with the carrier tip [140] of the contact bridge carrier [112] in case of a short circuit, wherein the tip of the lever arm is continuously held in a fixed position by the carrier tip [140] of the contact bridge carrier [112] after a short circuit, and wherein the switching device is configured such that the fixed position cannot be released after a short circuit.
In regard to claim 15, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the tip [at 144] of the lever arm and the carrier tip [140] of the contact bridge carrier [112] are configured to provide a latching between the lever arm and the contact bridge carrier [112] in case of a short circuit.
In regard to claim 16, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the lever arm and the contact bridge carrier [112] are configured to held the contact bridge [114] in a switched-off state after a short circuit.
In regard to claim 17, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the switching device is free of a mechanism to set the contact bridge [114] in a switched-on state after the short circuit.
In regard to claim 20, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the switching device comprises a first terminal contact [104] at which the first fixed contact [116] is attached and a second terminal contact [106] at which the second fixed contact [116] is attached.
In regard to claim 21, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the switching device is configured that a current flowing in case of a short circuit through the first fixed contact [116], the first movable contact [118], the contact bridge [114], the second movable contact [118] and the second fixed contact [116] causes a movement of the contact bridge [114] relative to the contact bridge carrier [112] in case of a short circuit.
In regard to claim 22, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the switching device comprises an armature [126], wherein the armature [126] is movable and is coupled to the contact bridge carrier [112], and wherein the switching device is configured that the movement of the contact bridge [114] relative to the contact bridge carrier [112] in case of a short circuit starts before the armature [126] starts to move.
In regard to claim 23, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the lever arm is configured to be bended towards the carrier tip [140] by the movement of the contact bridge [114] in case of a short circuit.
In regard to claim 26, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] a method for operating a switching device, wherein the switching device comprises a first and a second fixed contact [116], a contact bridge [114], a first and a second movable contact [118] arranged at the contact bridge [114], at least one contact spring [138], a contact bridge carrier [112] which is movable, comprises a carrier tip [140] and is coupled to the contact bridge [114] via the at least one contact spring [138] and a lever arm connected to the contact bridge and comprising a tip [at 144], wherein that the method comprises: irreversibly engaging of the tip with the carrier tip [140] in case of a short circuit, wherein the tip of the lever arm is continuously held in a fixed position by the carrier tip [140] of the contact bridge carrier [112] after a short circuit, and wherein the fixed position cannot be released after a short circuit.
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 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tumu et al. [Tumu hereinafter, US 9,842,708] in view of Nishide et al. [Nishide hereinafter, US 2022/0328260].
In regard to claim 18, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14. Tumu does not disclose that the first and the second movable contact are made of a metal and have a thickness in a range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Nishide teaches [in Fig. 1, claim 1, and par. 0104] that the first and the second movable contact are made of a metal and have a thickness in a range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to replace the movable contacts of Tumu with the movable contacts taught by Nishide in order to provide a switching device that “can perform reliable on/off control while coping with problems of arc discharge and heat generation in a contact pair” [Nishide, par. 0084].
In regard to claim 19, Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14. Tumu does not disclose that the first and the second fixed contact are made of a metal and have a thickness in a range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Nishide teaches [in Fig. 1, claim 1, and par. 0104] that the first and the second fixed contact are made of a metal and have a thickness in a range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to replace the fixed contacts of Tumu with the fixed contacts taught by Nishide in order to provide a switching device that “can perform reliable on/off control while coping with problems of arc discharge and heat generation in a contact pair” [Nishide, par. 0084].
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tumu et al. [Tumu hereinafter, US 9,842,708] in view of Friedrichsen et al. [Friedrichsen hereinafter, US 2022/0044896]. Tumu disclose [in Figs. 1-7C] the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the contact bridge [114] is configured to perform a rotational movement in case of a short circuit. Tumu does not disclose that the contact bridge is configured to perform a linear movement at a transition from a switched-off state to a switched-on state of the switching device, and at a transition from a switched-on state to a switched-off state of the switching device. Friedrichsen teaches [in Fig. 2 and par. 0020] that the contact bridge [100] is configured to perform a linear movement at a transition from a switched-off state to a switched-on state of the switching device, and at a transition from a switched-on state to a switched-off state of the switching device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a contact bridge that is configured to perform a linear movement at a transition from a switched-off state to a switched-on state of the switching device, and at a transition from a switched-on state to a switched-off state of the switching device in order to “reduce the welding tendency of the switching contacts” [Friedrichsen [par. 0020]
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tumu et al. [Tumu hereinafter, US 9,842,708]. Tumu discloses [in Figs. 1-7C the switching device according to claim 14, wherein the contact bridge [114] includes a first leg end, a second leg end and an intermediate section, wherein the first movable contact [118] is attached to the first leg end, wherein the second movable contact [118] is attached to the second leg end, and wherein the intermediate section connects the first leg end to the second leg end and is connected to the lever arm. Tumu does not disclose that the contact bridge is configured in a C-form or U-form. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have used any various shape, since selection and use of any known equivalent shape would have been within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Conclusion
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833