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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-8, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding claim 1; “a shielding ring” is unclear, whereas the term does not assert any particular type of shield or any particular characteristic or attribute thereof being shielded, and thus the assertion is amenable to more than one plausible claim construction including but not limited to being employing EMI shielding, heat shielding and/or shielding against movement etc.
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(s) 1-2, and 5, and 7, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by (Juge 2012/0182708).
Regarding Claim 1; Juge discloses a shielding ring (as depicted by Fig. 3--as constituted by enclosure-1 which surrounds and a linear conductor—as set forth by the abstract, wherein the linear conductor is atleast shielded from external impact, and otherwise the shielding ring includes tubes 9 to guide the sensors and keep them in position without allowing them to slide into cavities-7—as set forth by para. 0020, and further para. 0022 discloses advantageously, the gasket is also electrically insulating on condition that the smooth enclosures 2 extend (i.e. are in line with) the outer spacer 14, since the flow of return currents through the inner spacer 15 is thus hindered and these currents therefore flow in a manner that is regular and almost rectilinear through the enclosures 1 and 2, passing exclusively through the outer spacer, without any disturbance that would be responsible for radiation) comprising: a first sensor fastening unit having a ring shape having a predetermined width; a second sensor fastening unit spaced a predetermined distance from the first sensor unit and having a ring shape having a predetermined width (as depicted by Fig. 3—whereas a first and second respective sensors-19 are housed by into fastening units constituted by respective tubes-9 fastened to a cavity-7—as set forth by para.’s 0020 and 0023, whereas the fastening units constitute a predetermined width in accordance with a diameter direction of the tubes and further comprise ring shapes spaced by a predetermined distance—as depicted by Fig. 3); a vertical support unit configured to maintain a separation distance between the first sensor fastening unit and the second sensor fastening unit (as depicted by Fig. 3—as constituted by a rib 8 disposed between the fastening units and will atleast in-part limit a vertical distance along a length of the ring by which the fastening units or the sensors will move); and a connection support unit that protrudes from the first sensor fastening unit and the second sensor fastening unit and connected to an outer flange (as depicted by Fig. 3—whereas atleast spacer 15 constitutes a connection support unit protruding beyond each fastening unit and coupled to an outer flange-13).
Regarding Claim 2; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, wherein the connection support unit is a member having a 'r-'-shape having one end connected to the first sensor fastening unit and the other end connected to the second sensor fastening unit (wherein the asserted shape is constituted by atleast a length of 15 extending into a relative perpendicular flange-13 connected thereto--as depicted by Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 5; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, wherein a conductor (as constituted by the linear conductor surrounded by the enclosure—as already set forth by the abstract) of a gas insulation switchgear (as set forth by para. 0002) is disposed at a center of the ring-shaped first and second sensor fastening units (as set forth by para. 0020—whereas the linear conductor extends through the center of the enclosure, and the respective fastening unites thereof which holds the sensors—as depicted by Fig.’s 1 and 3).
Regarding Claim 7; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, wherein each of the first sensor fastening unit and the second sensor fastening unit comprises at least one stepped portion in a direction of the width (whereas 9 is in-part stepped relative to the cavity—para.’s 0010 and 0020 Note: 9 may be adhesively bonded or fastened in the cavities-7 in any other manner—para. 0020 which may be otherwise construed as stepped).
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.
Claim(s) 3, 6, and 8, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Juge 2012/0182708).
Regarding Claim 3; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, except, explicitly wherein the vertical support unit maintains the separation distance of 5 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the separation distance in accordance with a desired size of the respective cavities, and the number of winding of the sensors so as to prevent shorts and ensure desired dielectric strength since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding Claim 6; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, a voltage sensor is connected to the first sensor fastening unit (as already set forth) a current sensor is connected to the second sensor fastening unit (as constituted by a current transformer sensor). Except, Juge does not explicitly disclose wherein a voltage sensor is connected to the first sensor fastening unit. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the sensor connector to the first sensor fastening unit as an inductive sensor and/or transformer-based sensor since it was known in the art that measure voltage through electromagnetic induction and may be used in conjunction with the second sensor defined by the current transformer sensor so as to allow vary more than one related attribute to be monitored for enhanced redundancy and reliability.
Regarding Claim 8; Juge discloses the shielding ring of claim 1, except, explicitly wherein the shield ring is made of aluminum. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the shield ring as a Tungsten disulfide coating coated aluminum so as to employ low friction characteristic relative to that of the enclosure; whereas para.’s 0023-0024 already discloses grooves-21 which may hold the sensors and are cut into the spacers defining the enclosure, and thus the enclosure with or without grooves may be employed as a low friction Tungsten disulfide coated aluminum and may be selected for enhanced corrosion and wear resistance with reduced damage upon sensor install, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding Claim 4; the shielding ring of claim 1, wherein the vertical support unit and the connection support unit are arranged on areas that are opposed by 180° respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11817296 B2
Lane; Barton et al.
Fig. 4
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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