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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 07/01/2024 and 05/14/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(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.
Claims 1-6 and 8-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Krauss (US 20200013574 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Krauss teaches a circuit interruption system (abstract, a power switch for breaking an electrical circuit) for use with a first circuit (e.g. circuit comprising AC source, figs.1-2, 4-5) conveying a current from a power source to a load ([0063], AC source AC serving as energy source supplies an energy consumer Load), the circuit interruption system comprising:
a second circuit (e.g. circuit comprising secondary winding SW, figs.1-2, 4-5) disposed in a magnetic field generated by the current passing through the first circuit (abstract, the primary side is connected to the electrical circuit, and on the secondary side provides an energy supply), wherein the magnetic field induces an induced voltage in the second circuit ([0070], primary current Iprim in amperes [Arms] of the primary side PS of the energy converter CT is illustrated on the horizontal X-axis. The secondary current Isec in milliamperes [mArms]); and
a circuit interrupting device (i.e. switching contact CB, fig.4) configured to open the first circuit in response to a change in the induced voltage caused by a change in the magnetic field (abstract, a power switch for breaking an electrical circuit when current and/or current time span threshold values are exceeded).
Regarding claim 2, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 1, further comprising: a coil associated with the second circuit (i.e. secondary winding SW, figs.1-2, 4-5) ([0064], a secondary side SW formed by one or more turns of a secondary winding or coil) and disposed at least partially in the magnetic field ([0063], primary side PS of an energy converter CT) ([0064], energy converter CT furthermore has a secondary side SW).
Regarding claim 3, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 2, further comprising an insulator disposed between the first circuit and the coil ([0103], produced from a material that is not electrically conductive, e.g. an insulating film or a plastic part).
Regarding claim 4, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 2, further comprising: a ferromagnetic core disposed to, at least in part, direct a magnetic flux associated with the magnetic field, wherein the coil is disposed about the ferromagnetic core ([0102], a magnetic core composed of high-permeability material (such as e.g. ferrite, nanocrystalline strip or electrical sheet) with a defined air gap is also possible).
Regarding claim 5, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 4, wherein the ferromagnetic core circumscribes a portion of the first circuit ([0063], the conductor can have a plurality of turns of a primary coil of the energy converter CT. However, it is also possible for only the conductor (without a turn) to be led precisely through or past a core PCT of the energy converter CT).
Regarding claim 6, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 5, wherein the coil is disposed on the ferromagnetic core such that the coil circumscribes the portion of the first circuit ([0064], the core KCT of the energy converter CT furthermore has a secondary side SW formed by one or more turns of a secondary winding or coil).
Regarding claim 8, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 2, wherein the second circuit comprises at least one intermediate member (e.g. inductor L, low pass filter LPF, figs. 4-5) between the coil and a load associated with the circuit interrupting device (e.g. L and LPF are between SW and ETU, figs. 4-5).
Regarding claim 9, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 8, wherein the at least one intermediate member comprises at least one of a filtering circuit (e.g. low pass filter LPF, figs.4-5).
Regarding claim 10, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 4.
Regarding claim 12, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 5.
Regarding claim 13, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 6.
Regarding claim 14, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 8.
Regarding claim 15, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 9.
Regarding claim 16, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 8.
Regarding claim 18, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 9.
Regarding claim 19, it is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claim 4.
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 7 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krauss (US 20200013574 A1), and further in view of Kube (DE 102019204033 B3).
Regarding claim 7, Krauss teaches the circuit interruption system of claim 1.
Krauss does not teach, wherein the circuit interrupting device comprises a pyrotechnic device.
Kube teaches in a similar field of endeavor of electrical fuses, a circuit interrupting device (i.e. electrical fuse 1, fig.1) comprises a pyrotechnic device (i.e. electro-pyrotechnic detonator 2, fig.1).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the circuit interrupting device comprises a pyrotechnic device in Krauss, as taught by Kube, as it provides the advantage of severing contacts without contact welding issues in presence of high fault current.
Regarding claim 20, Krauss teaches the electrical system of claim 16.
Krauss does not teach, wherein the primary coil comprises a busbar.
Kube teaches in a similar field of endeavor of electrical fuses, a primary coil (e.g. high-voltage line 20, fig.1) comprises a busbar (e.g. busbar 4, fig.1).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the primary coil comprises a busbar in Krauss, as taught by Kube, as it provides the advantage of connecting to a power supply and other parts of a circuit in a conventional manner.
Conclusion
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/SREEYA SREEVATSA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 06/08/2026
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