DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
4. Claims 1-8, 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by USPN 12,347,590 to Rahm.
As to claim 1, Rahm teaches an air cooled resistor arrangement(col. 1: lines 56 – col. 2: lines 12), comprising: a resistor housing comprising an air inlet(fig. 3: “204”), an air outlet(fig. 3: “206”), a first side wall (fig. 5: “504”) extending from the air inlet (fig. 5: “204”) to the air outlet(fig. 5: “206”), and a second side wall (fig. 5: “506”) extending from the air inlet (fig. 5: “204”) to the air outlet (fig. 5: “206”) on an opposite side to the first side wall(fig. 5: “504”); and a plurality of elongated resistor elements arranged in the resistor housing, each one of the elongated resistor elements extending from the first side wall to the second side wall, wherein the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged in columns along a direction between the air inlet and the air outlet wherein each one of the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged equidistantly to all its neighboring elongated resistor elements(fig. 3, col. 9: lines 17-63 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a plurality of elongated resistor elements to extend from the first side wall to the second side wall and is arranged in columns along a direction between the air inlet and the air outlet wherein each one of the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged equidistantly to all its neighboring elongated resistor elements).
As to claim 2, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged equidistantly to its neighboring elongated resistor elements in the same column(fig. 3, col. 9: lines 17-63).
As to claim 3, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged equidistantly to its neighboring elongated resistor elements in a neighboring column(see fig. 3).
As to claim 4, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of elongated resistor elements comprise two neighboring elongated resistor elements in the neighboring column(see fig. 3).
As to claim 5, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongated resistor elements is arranged in wave-shaped rows along the direction (see fig. 3) between the air inlet (fig. 3: “204”) and the air outlet(fig. 3: “206”).
As to claim 6, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, the resistor housing further comprising an upper wall extending between the first(fig. 5: “504”) and second walls(fig. 5: “506”), wherein the upper wall comprises an inner surface facing the plurality of elongated resistor elements, the inner surface of the upper wall being wave shaped (see fig. 3 and col. 9: lines 17-63).
As to claim 7, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 6, wherein a distance from the inner surface of the upper wall to an adjacent elongated resistor element is equal for every other column of elongated resistor elements(see fig. 3).
As to claim 8, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 6, the resistor housing further comprising a lower wall extending between the first and second side walls on an opposite side to the upper wall, wherein the lower wall comprises an inner surface facing the plurality of elongated resistor elements, the inner surface of the lower wall being wave shaped(see figs. 3 & 5, col. 9: lines 17-63).
As to claim 12, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the resistor elements is equal for the plurality of elongated resistor elements(fig. 5 wherein a cross-sectional area of the resistor elements is equal for the plurality of elongated resistor elements).
As to claim 13, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the air cooled resistor arrangement is an air cooled brake resistor arrangement configured to be arranged in a vehicle(col. 4: lines 46 – col. 5: lines 8).
As to claim 14. Rahm teaches a braking system for a vehicle, comprising: an electric traction motor configured to propel the vehicle and to controllably regenerate electric power during regenerative braking of the vehicle(col. 5: lines 44-47 & col. 7: lines 1-3); an electric machine comprising an output shaft; an air blower connected to the output shaft of the electric machine, the air blower being operable by the electric machine by rotation of the output shaft, wherein the air blower is arranged in an air conduit; the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, the air inlet of the air cooled resistor arrangement being arranged in downstream fluid communication with the air blower and a source of electric power electrically connected to the electric machine and to the plurality of resistor elements of the air cooled resistor, wherein the electric machine and the air cooled resistor arrangement are operated by electric power received from the source of electric power, the source of electric power being further electrically connected to the electric traction motor and configured to receive electric power during regenerative braking(col. 4: lines 46-64, col. 5: lines 44-47 & col. 7: lines 1-3 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a vehicle regenerative braking and air cooled resistor arrangement).
As to claim 15, Rahm teaches a vehicle, comprising: an electric traction motor configured to propel the vehicle; a source of electric power comprising an electric storage system, wherein the source of electric power is electrically connected to the electric traction motor; and the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resistor elements is electrically connected to the source of electric power for dissipating electric power generated by the electric traction motor during braking(col. 4: lines 46 – col. 5: lines 8).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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.
6. Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 12,347,590 to Rahm.
As to claim 9, Rahm teaches the air cooled resistor arrangement of claim 6.
Rahm does not teach an apparatus wherein a distance from the inner surface of the upper wall to an adjacent elongated resistor element is different for neighboring columns of elongated resistor elements.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Rahm in order to obtain the invention as disclosed in claim 9 because Rahm teaches an air-cooled resistor arrangement for a vehicle braking system.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Rahm teaches an air-cooled resistor arrangement for a vehicle braking system which can be modified by a person of ordinary skill in the art to make a proper use of space to mount all the air-cooled resistor arrangement components properly.
As to claim 10, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Rahm in order to obtain the invention as disclosed in claim 10 because Rahm teaches an air-cooled resistor arrangement for a vehicle braking system and a person of ordinary skill in the art can make a proper use of space to mount all the air-cooled resistor arrangement components properly.
As to claim 11, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Rahm in order to obtain the invention as disclosed in claim 11 because Rahm teaches an air-cooled resistor arrangement for a vehicle braking system and a person of ordinary skill in the art can make a proper use of space to mount all the air-cooled resistor arrangement components properly.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 6,430,045 to Everitt discloses a cooling resistor bank apparatus.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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