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 Objections
Claims 1, 4, 7 and 9 are objected to because:
Claim 1, line 13, “the action” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 1, line 14, “the other orientation” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 1, line 17, “the direction” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 1, line 18, phrase, “between them” is unclear and leave doubts as to what is being referred to.
Claim 1, line 21, “the dispersion units” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 1, line 21, “the same side” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 4, line 2, “the two contact zones” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 7, line 2, “the two planes” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 9, line 1, “a quenching system” should be -the quenching system-.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerving et al, US 20140166620 [Gerving] in view of Gerving et al, US 20140360982 [Gerving].
Regarding claim 1, Gerving, 620’ discloses (figs.1-3) a quenching chamber (3) for two-way DC current, the quenching chamber (3) comprising:
first and second fixed contacts (15, 15’);
a mobile contact (20) configured to move between:
a closed position, in which the mobile contact (20) is in contact with the fixed contacts (15, 15’) at first and second contact zones (16), respectively, and
an open position, in which the mobile contact (20) is moved away from the fixed contacts (15, 15’);
a device (81, 82) configured to generate a magnetic field having a constant direction; and
for each contact zone (16):
a first, respectively second, pair of guides (42, 42’) extending from the mobile contact (20) and the contact zone (16) under consideration, for guiding, under the action of the magnetic field, an electric arc of current flowing in one orientation, respectively in the other orientation, between the contact zone (16) under consideration and the mobile contact (20);
Gerving, 620’ fails to explicitly disclose wherein the pairs of guides succeed one another in the direction of the magnetic field and, with each pair of guides delimiting a guide zone between them, the guide zones overlap at least partially in the direction of the magnetic field, wherein the mobile contact is designed to move along a direction of movement between the open position and the closed position, and wherein the dispersion units lie on the same side of a plane passing through the contact zones and defined by the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of movement of the mobile contact.
Gerving, 982’ discloses (figs.1-7) a switching device comprising an arc guide assembly where a pairs of guides (29, 31 and 28, 30) succeed one another in a direction of a magnetic field (B) and, with each pair of guides (29, 31 and 28, 30) delimiting a guide zone (J1, J2) between them, the guide zones (J1, J2) overlap at least partially in the direction of the magnetic field (B), where a mobile contact (11) is designed to move along a direction of movement between an open position and a closed position, and where a dispersion units (32) lie on a same side of a plane passing through contact zones (12) and defined by the direction of the magnetic field (B) and the direction of movement of the mobile contact (11).
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 arc guide assembly of Gerving, 620’ with the teaching of the arc guide assembly of Gerving, 982’, thereby providing a switching device which can be operated independently of polarity, which can therefore be used for different current directions, wherein in particular arcs that occur can be extinguished in only a single arc extinguishing device, regardless of the current direction.
Regarding claim 2, Gerving, 620’ further discloses where each of the guides (42, 42’) belongs to only one of the pairs.
Regarding claim 3, Gerving, 620 further discloses where the guides are fixed (41, 41’) and where the guides (42, 42’) extending from the mobile contact (20) are separated therefrom by a gap allowing movement of the mobile contact (20).
Regarding claim 4, Gerving, 620’ further discloses where the two contact zones (16) succeed one another in the direction of the magnetic field.
Regarding claim 5, Gerving, 620’ further comprising, for each contact zone (16), first and second electric arc dispersion units (50), up to which the first and second pairs of guide (41, 41’ and 42, 42’), respectively.
Regarding claim 6, Gerving, 620’ further discloses where the dispersion units (50) comprise fin blocks (71-74).
Regarding claim 7, Gerving, 620’ discloses a quenching system comprising two quenching chambers [see fig.6] where the two planes delimit between them a central space outside which the dispersion units (50) are located.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerving et al, US 20140166620 [Gerving] in view of Gerving et al, US 20140360982 [Gerving] and further in view of Dong et al, CN 102157295 [Dong].
Regarding claim 8, Gerving, 620’ and Gerving, 982’ fail to disclose an aircraft comprising the quenching chamber.
Dong discloses (figs.1-6) a DC high voltage circuit system comprising a quenching chamber (21) used in aircrafts [para.0002].
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 switching device of Gerving, 620’ with the teaching of the switching device of Dong, thereby providing a switching device having a compact structure, safe and reliable in hazardous working environment.
Regarding claim 9, Gerving, 620’ and Gerving, 982’ fail to disclose an aircraft comprising a quenching system.
Dong discloses (figs.1-6) a DC high voltage circuit system comprising a quenching system used in aircrafts [para.0002].
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 switching device of Gerving, 620’ with the teaching of the switching device of Dong, thereby providing a switching device having a compact structure, safe and reliable in hazardous working environment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Loos et al, Engewald, Kralik, Lang et al, Birner et al, and Wolf are examples of arc quenching systems 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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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