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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/03/2024 was filed after the mailing date of the application. 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.
Claim(s) 1, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by over Hobelsberger US 8054190.
Regarding claim 1, Hobelsberger discloses a carbon brush for use in a sliding contact in a dynamoelectric machine, comprising: a brush body (fig. 1; 1), formed of an electrically conducting low friction material (1 is a carbon brush), the brush body (1) having a contact surface (fig. 1; surface of 1 that contacts 4) for providing said sliding contact (fig. 1; 4 is a slip ring which rotates), a brush sensor (fig. 1; 3), for detecting at least one parameter (Col 4 Ln 54-57) relating to the carbon brush (1), first and second electrical connections (fig. 1; surface of 4 and 8), which are spaced apart along a current path through said carbon brush (1), such that a voltage drop (Col 3 Ln 29-33; voltage drop) is present between said first (surface of 4) and second electrical connections (8) when a current is conducted through said carbon brush (1), and an energy harvesting device (Col 3 Ln 29-33; voltage converter) configured to act as a power source, by utilizing the current and the voltage drop, for providing electrical energy for driving said brush sensor (3), said energy harvesting device (voltage converter) electrically connected to said first and second electrical connections (the converter measures voltage drop across the surface of 4 and 8).
Regarding claim 13, Hobelsberger discloses wherein the second electrical connection (8) is a connection provided further away from the contact surface (surface of 1 that contacts 4) as seen along the current path.
Regarding claim 16, Hobelsberger discloses wherein the first electrical connection (surface of 4) is spaced from a power lead connection (fig. 1; 2) to the brush body (1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24-27 are allowed.
Claims 2-12, 14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 2, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest a first power converter, electrically connected to said first and second electrical connections and configured for converting said input voltage to an intermediate voltage that is greater than said input voltage, and an energy buffer configured to store electrical energy provided by the intermediate voltage combined with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 12, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest wherein the first electrical connection is a connection to the brush body, said first electrical connection being spaced from the contact surface combined with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 14, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest wherein the brush body presents a wear section that is to be worn away as the brush is used and a non-wear section, that is unaffected brush wear, and wherein the first electrical connection is provided in the non-wear section combined with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 15, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest wherein a resistance between said first and second electrical connections is greater through the energy harvesting device than through the current path through said carbon brush combined with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 24, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest converting the input voltage in the first power converter to an intermediate voltage, initiating operation of the second power converter when a sufficient amount of energy has been generated by the first power converter, the second power converter storing energy by diverting a part of the current conducted through said carbon brush to pass through the second power converter- and outputting an output voltage from the second power converter for driving the brush sensor by discharging the stored energy combined with the remaining limitations of the base claim.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 27, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest converting the input voltage in the first power converter to a storage voltage that is greater than said input voltage, storing electrical energy provided by the storage voltage in an energy buffer, and outputting an output voltage from the energy buffer for driving the brush sensor by discharging the stored energy combined with the remaining limitations of the base claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PYO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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