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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/24/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1, 3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by Yoo [US 2022/0277912].
Claim 1, Yoo discloses an electromagnetic contactor [10] comprising: a pair of fixed contacts [200] having first and second fixed contact points; a movable contact [430] having first and second movable contact points at opposite ends in a longitudinal direction of the movable contact [figure 2], the first and second movable contact points being able to come into contact with and separate from the first and second fixed contact points [paragraph 0156]; an electromagnet unit [300] configured to drive the movable contact [paragraphs 00156 and 0155]; a housing [110/120] configured to house the pair of fixed contacts, the movable contact, and the electromagnet unit [figure 3]; a box-shaped arc extinguishing wall [600; figures 10-13] having a first opening and a second opening [615] and arranged in the housing so as to contain the pair of fixed contacts and the movable contact [figures 10-13]; and a pair of arc extinguishing permanent magnets [621 and 622] arranged to face each other and configured to extend a first arc generated between the first fixed contact point and the first movable contact point toward a first arc extinguishing space [near 621] and to extend a second arc generated between the second fixed contact point and the second movable contact point toward a second arc extinguishing space [near 622], the first arc extinguishing space and the second arc extinguishing spaces being formed on one side and the other side of the movable contact in the longitudinal direction so as to be surrounded by the arc extinguishing wall [figures 10-13], wherein the first opening [615] is formed in a wall portion which is on a side of the arc extinguishing wall toward which the first arc is extended and the second opening is formed in a wall portion which is on a side of the arc extinguishing wall toward which the second arc is extended [figures 10-13].
Claim 3, Yoo discloses the electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein a first outside communication space communicating with the first arc extinguishing space via the first opening [paragraph 0420], and a second outside communication space communicating with the second arc extinguishing space via the second opening are formed outside the arc extinguishing wall [paragraph 0420].
Claim 9, Yoo discloses the electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein arc extinguishing gas is encapsulated inside the housing [paragraph 0127].
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2, 4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo [US 2022/0277912].
Claim 2, Yoo discloses the electromagnetic contactor according to claim 1, wherein the arc extinguishing wall [600] has a rectangular box shape [figures 10-13], and the first opening and the second opening [615] at the longitudinal ends [figures 10-13], but fails to teach that the first opening and the second opening are formed at corner portions of the arc extinguishing wall. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to move the location of the opening (as suggested in the various embodiments disclosed by Yoo) so that the first and second openings are formed at corner portions of the arc extinguishing wall in order to change has the arc gas is vented, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 4, Yoo discloses the electromagnetic contactor according to claim 2, wherein a first outside communication space communicating with the first arc extinguishing space via the first opening [paragraph 0420], and a second outside communication space communicating with the second arc extinguishing space via the second opening are formed outside the arc extinguishing wall [paragraph 0420].
Claim 10, Yoo discloses the electromagnetic contactor according to claim 2, wherein arc extinguishing gas is encapsulated inside the housing [paragraph 0127].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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