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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed August 13th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 12-13, 19, 21 and 23-24 are pending. Claims 12, 19, 21 and 23 have been amended and claims 14-17, 20 and 22 have been canceled by the Applicant. Applicants’ amendments have overcome claim objection.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because:
Claim 19, line 12, “an encapsulation housing” should be -the encapsulation housing-.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 12-13, 19, 21 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mueller, DE 19517287 in view of Tomomitsu et al, JP 2004079446 [Tomomitsu}] and further in view of Maruyama, JP 2011082021.
Regarding claim 12, Mueller discloses (figs.1-2) a switching device, comprising:
a vacuum interrupter (12) having a first bellows (30) being configured for sealing a vacuum of said vacuum interrupter (12) relative to an ambient pressure of said vacuum interrupter (12);
an encapsulation housing (10) enclosing said vacuum interrupter (12), said encapsulation housing (10) having a second bellows (21) being configured for sealing a fluid in said encapsulation housing (10) relative to outside air under atmospheric pressure, and said second bellows (21) protruding outward from said encapsulation housing (10).
Mueller fails to disclose the first bellows made from a low- carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy, and the second bellows made of a low-carbon nickel- chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy.
Tomomitsu discloses (figs.1-5) a vacuum valve comprising a bellows (8) made from a low- carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy (Inconel 625) [para.0010].
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 switch of Mueller with the substitution of the bellows of Tomomitsu, thereby providing a bellows having a material with high mechanical strength and heat resistance, further improving the opening and closing life cycle.
Tomomitsu fails to disclose a second bellows made of a low-carbon nickel- chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy.
Maruyama discloses (figs.1-4) a switching device comprising an encapsulation housing (4) with a fluid (gas) and a second bellows (6) made of said low-carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium, alloy (Inconel), where said second bellows (6) being configure for sealing a fluid (gas) in said encapsulation housing (4) in relation to outside air under atmospheric pressure.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the switching device of Mueller with the substitution of the second bellows of Maruyama, thereby providing a bellows sealing a fluid within the encapsulation housing having a material with high mechanical strength and heat resistance, further improving the opening and closing life cycle.
Regarding claim 13, Tomomitsu and Maruyama further disclose wherein said nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy is an alloy with a material number 2.4856 (Inconel 625 is identical to a material number 2.4856).
Regarding claim 19, in order to assemble and use a switching device, Mueller (figs.1-2) would necessarily perform a method of using bellows, which comprises the steps of:
providing the at least one bellows (30) in the switching device;
using the at least one bellows (30) as a first bellows (30) for sealing a vacuum of a vacuum interrupter (12) of the switching device in relation to an ambient pressure of the vacuum interrupter (12);
providing an encapsulation housing (10) enclosing the vacuum interrupter (12);
providing a second bellows (21), the second bellows (21) protruding outward from said encapsulation housing (10);
using the second bellows (21) for sealing a fluid in an encapsulation housing (10) of the switching device in relation to outside air under atmospheric pressure.
Mueller fails to disclose the method of using first bellows made from a low- carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy, and the second bellows made of a low-carbon nickel- chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy.
Tomomitsu (figs.1-5) would necessarily perform a method for a vacuum valve comprising a bellows (8) made from a low- carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy (Inconel 625) [para.0010].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of vacuum switch of Mueller with the substitution of the bellows of Tomomitsu, thereby providing a bellows having a material with high mechanical strength and heat resistance, further improving the opening and closing life cycle.
Tomomitsu fails to disclose the method of using a second bellows made of a low-carbon nickel- chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy.
Maruyama (figs.1-4) would necessarily perform a method of a switching device comprising an encapsulation housing (4) with a fluid (gas) and a second bellows (6) made of said low-carbon nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium, alloy (Inconel), where said second bellows (6) being configure for sealing a fluid (gas) in said encapsulation housing (4) in relation to outside air under atmospheric pressure.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the method of the switching device of Mueller with the substitution of the second bellows of Maruyama, thereby providing a bellows sealing a fluid within the encapsulation housing having a material with high mechanical strength and heat resistance, further improving the opening and closing life cycle.
Regarding claim 21, Tomomitsu would further perform the method, where the first bellows (8) is used on a moving contact rod (7) of the vacuum interrupter.
Regarding claim 23, Maruyama would further perform the method, where the second bellows (6) is used on a moving contact rod (8) of the switching device.
Regarding claim 24, Tomomitsu and Maruyama would further perform the method, where said nickel-chromium-molybdenum-niobium alloy is an alloy with a material number 2.4856 (Inconel 625 is identical to a material number 2.4856).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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