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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first non-final office action on the merits. Claims 1-6 are currently pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN202310894311.6, filed on 07/20/2023.
Drawings
The drawings are accepted.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “an other end of the first bolt is connected to the mounting plate through a first rubber gasket and a first screw cap the second spring connecting piece is connected to a second spring adjustable connecting block through a second shaft” in lines 15-17. However, it seems there should be a comma or semicolon between “a first screw cap” and “the second spring connecting piece” to separate the two clauses for clarity purposes.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-6 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the mounting seat" in line 20. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 also recites “a slider mounting seat” and “a limit mounting seat”. For examination purposes, “the mounting seat" has been construed as “the slider mounting seat".
Claims 2-6 are rejected for their dependency on claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 are rejected to under 35 USC § 112 second paragraph, but would be allowable if all claim objections and rejections in view of 35 USC § 112 second paragraph are overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1 and its depending claim(s) 2-6, the closest prior art reference Zhang et al. (US 9630507 B2) teaches (Fig. 2-8): A spring damping type current collector for subway vehicles (train; coil. 1, lines 25-52; Fig. 3), comprising: an insulating back plate (insulating plate 531)(Fig. 6), wherein the insulating back plate (531) is connected to one side of each of second tooth-shaped plates through a corresponding one of first tooth-shaped plates arranged at two lateral portions of the insulating back plate (531)(annotated Fig. 6 below and Fig. 7), and an other side of the each of the second tooth-shaped plates (annotated Fig. 6 below) is connected to a mounting plate (second mounting base 2); a first spring assembly (elastic member 21) arranged on one side of the mounting plate (2)(Fig. 6), wherein the first spring assembly (21) comprises a rubber block (rubber sleeve 25) and a tension steel spring (21)(col. 5, lines 22-27; Fig. 8), one end of the tension steel spring (21) is connected to a first spring connecting piece (annotated Fig. 6 below), an other end of the tension steel spring (21) is connected to a second spring connecting piece (annotated Fig. 6 below).
However, Zhang fails to teach the following limitations: A two-series spring camping type current collector, wherein the tension steel spring is internally provided with the rubber block in a shape of cylinder, a diameter of the rubber block is equal to a diameter of an inner cavity of the tension steel spring, a length of the rubber block is equal to a length of the tension steel spring in a pre-tightened state, the first spring connecting piece is connected to a first spring adjustable connecting block through a first shaft, the first spring adjustable connecting block is connected to one end of a first bolt, an other end of the first bolt is connected to the mounting plate through a first rubber gasket and a first screw cap, the second spring connecting piece is connected to a second spring adjustable connecting block through a second shaft, the second spring adjustable connecting block is connected to one end of a second bolt, and an other end of the second bolt is connected to a swing arm through a second rubber gasket and a second screw cap,
While Zhang teaches (Fig. 6 and 8): a tension metal spring (21) provided with a rubber block (first or second elastic rubber sleeve 24 or 25) provided in the shape of a cylinder (Fig. 8), the examiner finds no obvious reason to provide the rubber sleeves internally within the tension spring, and configure a diameter of the sleeves to be equal to a diameter of an inner cavity of the tension spring, and configure a length of the sleeves to be equal to a length of the tension spring in a pre-tightened state. Such modifications would require improper hindsight reasoning. It is noted that while the first or second elastic rubber sleeve (24, 25) may be construed as a cylindrical rubber block, Zhang do not teach an cylindrical rubber block mounted internal to the steel tension spring (21)(See Fig. 8 below).
While another reference Dehn (US 3509292 A) teaches an alternate current collector, wherein (Fig. 1): a rubber block (rubber member 53) enclosed by stainless steel members (54) and is disposed internal of springs (45, 46), Dehn’s rubber block 53 is not provided in the shape of a cylinder, with a diameter equal to a diameter of an inner cavity of the tension spring. Such a modification would require improper hindsight reasoning and modifications to a modifying reference.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure of a two-series damping current collector with a spring having a rubber interior block: US-1871239-A, US-3740498-A, US-11173791-B2, US-11522305-B2, US-11541760-B2, US-12539763-B2, KR-20000049665-A, CN-102431459-A, WO-2015059052-A1, PL-1586480-T3, CN-107225976-A, CN-110194060-A, CN-111231686-A, CN-111301174-A, CN-112297891-A, CN-109552055-B, CN-113002312-A, JP-2021532716-A, WO-2022089740-A1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHENG XI LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-6102. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. through Fri. 9:00am to 6:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel (Joe) Morano can be reached at 5712726684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHENG LIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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