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 .
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-5, 7-11 and 15 in the reply filed on 11/24/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 2, 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manhart et al. U.S. Patent 9,006,571 (hereinafter D1) in view of Kikuchi U.S. Patent 2015/0035496 (hereinafter D2).
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Regarding claim 1, D1 teaches a bus bar assembly (100; figure 1), configured to be mounted in a cabinet and electrically connecting a power supply (implicitly taught) and at least one server (intended use; equivalent of device 116 in figure 1), the bus bar assembly (100) comprising:
a vertical bus bar (105; figure 1);
a transverse bus bar (104; figure 1), connected to the vertical bus bar;
two conductive connecting plates (see above annotated figure 1),
However, D1 does not specifically teach:
the vertical bus bar comprising a first positive plate, a first negative plate and a first insulation plate, wherein at least a part of the first insulation plate is disposed between the first positive plate and the first negative plate, and the first positive plate and the first negative plate are configured to be electrically connected to the power supply; and
the transverse bus bar comprising a second positive plate, a second negative plate and a second insulation plate, wherein at least a part of the second insulation plate is disposed between the second positive plate and the second negative plate, and the second positive plate and the second negative plate are configured to be electrically connected to the at least one server; and
wherein one of the two conductive connecting plates is electrically connected to the first positive plate and the second positive plate, and another one of the two conductive connecting plates is electrically connected to the first negative plate and the second negative plate; wherein the first positive plate and the first negative plate are perpendicular to the second positive plate and the second negative plate, respectively.
D2, shows the conventionality of a bus bar comprising a positive plate (92; figure 7; see par[0041]), a negative plate (94; figure 7; see par[0042]) and a insulation plate (104; figure 7; see par[0044]), wherein at least a part of the insulation plate is disposed between the second positive plate and the second negative plate.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to provide or substitute the 3-3-phase vertical bus bar, the transverse bus bar and the connecting plates of D1 with the bus bar structure of D2 such that the vertical bus bar would comprise a first positive plate, a first negative plate and a first insulation plate, wherein at least a part of the first insulation plate is disposed between the first positive plate and the first negative plate, and the first positive plate and the first negative plate would be configured to be electrically connected to the power supply; and
the transverse bus bar would comprise a second positive plate, a second negative plate and a second insulation plate, wherein at least a part of the second insulation plate is disposed between the second positive plate and the second negative plate, and the second positive plate and the second negative plate are configured to be electrically connected to the at least one intended use device (or server);
wherein one of the two conductive connecting plates would be electrically connected to the first positive plate and the second positive plate, and another one of the two conductive connecting plates would be electrically connected to the first negative plate and the second negative plate; wherein the first positive plate and the first negative plate would be perpendicular to the second positive plate and the second negative plate, respectively.
Such substitution would deliver less power for smaller load(s).
Regarding claim 2, as mentioned above, D1/D2 teaches the bus bar assembly according to claim 1.
However, D1/D2 does not specifically teach a first casing, a connecting casing and a second casing, wherein the first casing accommodates the vertical bus bar, the second casing accommodates the transverse bus bar, the connecting casing connects the first casing and the second casing, and the connecting casing accommodates the two conductive connecting plates.
The Examiner takes Official Notice that casing enclosing conductors/busbars has been commonly known to electrically insulate conductors/busbars.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the busbar assembly of D1/D2 with 1st/2nd/connecting casings, as recited in claim 2, as suggested by the Examiner’s Official Notice, to prevent said busbar from short circuit.
Regarding claim 8, D1/D2 teaches a server device of claim 8 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, as mentioned above, D1/D2 teaches the bus bar assembly according to claim 8.
However, D1/D2 does not specifically teach a first casing, a connecting casing and a second casing, wherein the first casing accommodates the vertical bus bar, the second casing accommodates the transverse bus bar, the connecting casing connects the first casing and the second casing, and the connecting casing accommodates the two conductive connecting plates.
The Examiner takes Official Notice that casing enclosing conductors/busbars has been commonly known to electrically insulate conductors/busbars.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the busbar assembly of D1/D2 with 1st/2nd/connecting casings, as recited in claim 2, as suggested by the Examiner’s Official Notice, to prevent said busbar from short circuit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7, 10, 11 and 15 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 3, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the bus bar assembly, in combination with all the positively recited elements of claim 2, further comprising an assembling bracket, wherein the assembling bracket comprises a bottom plate, a connecting plate, at least one connecting member, two upper side plates and two lower side plates, the bottom plate is disposed on the second casing, the connecting plate is vertically connected to the bottom plate via the at least one connecting member, the two upper side plates are vertically connected to opposite sides of the bottom plate and the connecting plate, and the two lower side plates are vertically connected to a side of the bottom plate away from the two upper side plates.
Claims 4-5 are dependent from claim 3, and therefore, are allowed for at least the same reason.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the bus bar assembly according to claim 2, wherein a side of the connecting casing away from the first casing and a side of the second casing away from the first casing have a plurality of vents, respectively.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the server device, in combination with all the positively recited elements of claim 9, wherein the bus bar assembly comprises an assembling bracket, the assembling bracket comprises a bottom plate, a connecting plate, at least one connecting member, two upper side plates and two lower side plates, the bottom plate is disposed on the second casing, the connecting plate is vertically connected to the bottom plate via the at least one connecting member, the two upper side plates are vertically connected to opposite sides of the bottom plate and the connecting plate, the two lower side plates are vertically connected to a side of the second casing away from the two upper side plates, and the two upper side plates and the lower side plates are fixed to the cabinet.
Claim 11 is dependent from claim 10, and therefore, is allowed for at least the same reason.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the server device according to claim 9, wherein a side of the connecting casing away from the first casing and a side of the second casing away from the first casing have a plurality of vents, respectively.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUNG Q. DANG
Examiner
Art Unit 2835
/IMANI N HAYMAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841