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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/15/2026 has been entered.
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 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP H0459913 U [JPH0459913].
Regarding claim 8, JPH0459913 teaches A solenoid [figs. 1 and 6] comprising: a solenoid coil [5 or 13] which produces a magnetic flux due to excitation by energization and generates electromagnetic force [inherent feature] by which suction force is exerted axially in a hollow portion [see the hollow portion where elements 7 or 15 mounted, figs. 1 and 6]; a movable core [7 or 15, figs. 1 and 6] whose one end is rectilinearly moved in the hollow portion by the electromagnetic force [fig. 1 shows one end of 7 or 15 is rectilinearly moved in the hollow portion], and which has, on the other end side [toward the top direction, figs. 1 and 6], a protrusion portion [see the protrusions 7 or 15, figs. 1 and 6] which is provided in a right-and-left symmetrical manner in a direction perpendicular to a rectilinear motion direction [see the protrusions 7 or 15, figs. 1 and 6] and which defines at least one step having perpendicular surfaces [see P2 and P4 below] such that an end portion on the solenoid coil side is tiered [figs. 1 and 6 show the end portion of 7 or 15 on the solenoid coil side are tiered]; and a fixed core [6 and 1, 2 or 12, figs. 1 and 6] which surrounds the solenoid coil [5 or 13, figs. 1 and 6] and is provided with a concave portion [see the concave of at least elements 2 and 6] in which the protrusion portion is to be fitted [fitted inside, see figs. 1 and 6], said concave portion [2] having perpendicular surfaces [P3 on both sides, see below] that correspond to and fit with the perpendicular surfaces of the protrusion portion [P4, both sides, see below].
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Regarding claim 9, JPH0459913 teaches The solenoid according to claim 8, wherein the fixed core has a yoke that is extended in an opposite direction to the solenoid coil on an upper surface of the fixed core [see 2, fig. 1].
Regarding claim 10, JPH0459913 teaches The solenoid according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion portion has a yoke that is extended in the rectilinear motion direction on the end portion [see the protrusion 7 or 15].
Regarding claims 11-12, JPH0459913 teaches The solenoid according to claims 9 and 10, wherein the yoke is provided so as to be magnetically saturated when the movable core is rectilinearly moved [inherent feature].
Regarding claims 13-17, JPH0459913 teaches the yoke is provided so as to be magnetically saturated [inherent feature] when the height of a lowermost surface of the protrusion portion [see the protrusions 7 or 15] conforms to that of the upper surface of the fixed core [2, 1 and 6 or 12].
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 18-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP H0459913 U [JPH0459913], and further in view of NILSSON et al. WO 2017/076447 Al [NILSSON].
Regarding claims 18-27, JPH0459913 discloses the claimed invention except for the intended use (A switch comprising: a fixed contact which has a fixed contact point; a movable contact which has a movable contact point that is connected to and separated from the fixed contact point; and a solenoid which is connected to the movable contact to actuate the movable contact).
NILSSON teaches that Figs. 7a-b show a partial perspective and cross sectional views of a switching apparatus having a main movable contact and stationary contact, wherein the main movable contact is actuated by the electromagnet device via a main contact carrier.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the solenoid of JPH0459913 as part of a switch as taught by NILSSON to perform a switch function by providing current to a load.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive and addressed in the rejection above.
Conclusion
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
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