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 § 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 1-4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagatake et al, JP 2013058312 [Nagatake] in view of Kato et al, JP 2013055738 [Kato].
Regarding claim 1, Nagatake discloses (figs.1-4) an arc extinguishing chamber comprising:
a vacuum interrupter (2) including:
a movable contact point (3) and a stationary contact point (4);
a movable lead (5) electrically connected to the movable contact point (3);
a stationary lead (6) electrically connected to the stationary contact point (4);
a vacuum container (2) accommodating the movable contact point (3), the stationary contact point (4), and the stationary lead (6) and from one end of which the movable lead (5) protrudes outward; and
a bellows (8) connecting the vacuum container (2) and the movable lead (5) to each other, the bellows (8) configured to extend in a closed state in which the movable contact point (3) and the stationary contact point (4) are in contact with each other, and configured to contract in an open state in which the movable contact point (3) and the stationary contact point (4) are separated from each other;
a contact case (9) having a tubular shape and made of a conductive material;
a contact (15) fixed to an end of the movable lead (5), disposed inside a tube of the contact case (9), and electrically connecting the contact case (9) and the movable lead (5) to each other;
a seal rod connected to the movable lead (5) and configured to move the movable lead (5); and
a movable-side support (10) having a cylinder shape with a bottom surface in which a hole through which the seal rod passes is formed.
Nagatake fails to explicitly disclose wherein an air pressure inside a closed space surrounded and sealed by the bellows, the contact case, and the movable-side support, so as not to cause inflow and outflow of a gas accompanying extension and contraction of the bellows, is atmospheric pressure in the open state, and is less than atmospheric pressure in the closed state.
Kato discloses (figs.1-11) a switching device comprising a vacuum circuit breaker (22) where an air pressure inside a closed space surrounded and sealed by a bellows (26), a contact case (20), and a movable-side support (20b) so as not to cause inflow and outflow of a gas accompanying extension and contraction of the bellows (26), is atmospheric pressure in an open state, and is less than atmospheric pressure in the a closed state [para.0030].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the vacuum circuit breaker of Nagatake with the teaching of the vacuum circuit breaker of Kato, thereby ensuring the air pressure of the inside of an enclosed space surrounded and hermetically sealed by a bellows, a contact case and a movable-side support is an atmospheric pressure during the open state; and in view of this structure, the air pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure during the closed state.
Regarding claim 2, Nagatake further discloses where the contact case (9) and the movable-side support (10) are integrated.
Regarding claim 3, Nagatake further discloses vacuum circuit breaker comprising:
a tank (1) accommodating an arc extinguishing chamber (2) and filled with an insulating gas [para.0002];
a movable-side external conductor (23) and a stationary-side external conductor (24) that are disposed in a pair of bushings (19, 20) extending upward from the tank (1);
a stationary-side support (13) electrically connecting the stationary-side external conductor (24) to the stationary lead (6);
a movable-side insulating support tube (11) causing the tank (1) to support the movable-side support (10) while insulating the movable-side support (10) from the tank (1); and
a stationary-side insulating support tube (14) causing the tank (1) to support the stationary-side support (13) while insulating the stationary-side support (13) from the tank (1), where
a lower end of the movable-side external conductor (23) is connected to the contact case (9).
Regarding claim 4, Nagatake further discloses where an air pressure inside a tube of the movable-side insulating support tube (11) is lower than an air pressure in a space inside the tank (1) and outside the arc extinguishing chamber (2), and higher than an air pressure in the closed space.
Regarding claim 6, Nagatake further discloses vacuum circuit breaker comprising:
a tank (1) accommodating an arc extinguishing chamber (2) and filled with an insulating gas [para.0002];
a movable-side external conductor (23) and a stationary-side external conductor (24) that are disposed in a pair of bushings (19, 20) extending upward from the tank (1);
a stationary-side support (13) electrically connecting the stationary-side external conductor (24) to the stationary lead (6);
a movable-side insulating support tube (11) causing the tank (1) to support the movable-side support (10) while insulating the movable-side support (10) from the tank (1); and
a stationary-side insulating support tube (14) causing the tank (1) to support the stationary-side support (13) while insulating the stationary-side support (13) from the tank (1), where
a lower end of the movable-side external conductor (23) is connected to the contact case (9).
Regarding claim 7, Nagatake further discloses where an air pressure inside a tube of the movable-side insulating support tube (11) is lower than an air pressure in a space inside the tank (1) and outside the arc extinguishing chamber (2), and higher than an air pressure in the closed space.
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagatake.
Regarding claim 5, in order to assemble and use the device, Nagatake would necessarily have performed most of the claimed method of assembling an arc extinguishing chamber (2), comprising:
a vacuum interrupter (2) including:
a movable contact point (3) and a stationary contact point (4);
a movable lead (5) electrically connected to the movable contact point (3);
a stationary lead (6) electrically connected to the stationary contact point (4);
a vacuum container (2) accommodating the movable contact point (3), the stationary contact point (4), and the stationary lead (6) and from one end of which the movable lead (5) protrudes outward; and
a bellows (8) connecting the vacuum container (2) and the movable lead (5) to each other, the bellows (8) configured to extend in a closed state in which the movable contact point (3) and the stationary contact point (4) are in contact with each other, and configured to contract in an open state in which the movable contact point (3) and the stationary contact point (4) are separated from each other;
a contact case (9) having a tubular shape and made of a conductive material;
a contact (15) fixed to an end of the movable lead (5), disposed inside a tube of the contact case (9), and electrically connecting the contact case (9) and the movable lead (5) to each other;
a seal rod connected to the movable lead (5) and configured to cause the movable lead (5) to move; and
a movable-side support (10) having a cylinder shape with a bottom surface in which a hole through which the seal rod passes is formed, the method comprising
a step of coupling the contact case (9) and the movable-side support (10) in the open state.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tsurimoto et al, Ehrlich et al, Abe et al, Yoshitomo et al, Yamamoto et al, Yano et al and Nakayama et al are examples of tank-type vacuum circuit breakers comprising vacuum interrupters configured similar to the present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM A BOLTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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