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 .
Abstract
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because:
Claim 1, line 9, “an insertion/withdrawal linkage type” should be -the insertion/withdrawal linkage type-.
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 1-11 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.
Claims 1-11, “insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover” renders the claim indefinite, leaving the scope of the claim unascertainable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo, KR 101759603 in view of Jung, KR 20170104878.
Regarding claim 1, Seo discloses (figs.1-5) an air circuit breaker comprising:
a main body (20,200) having a plurality of contacts and a plurality of terminals (22, 220);
a cradle (10, 100) into/from which the main body (20, 200) is inserted/withdrawn, and which comprises a plurality of terminals (11, 110) correspondingly connected to the plurality of terminals (22, 220) of the main body (200);
a control module (13, 130) disposed to be lowered on the cradle (10, 100) and, when, coupled to a coupling module (23, 230) equipped in the main body (20,200) to electrically connect the main body (20, 200) to the cradle (10, 100).
Seo fails to explicitly disclose the circuit breaker having an insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover installed on the cradle to be raised or lowered together with the control module and, when the main body is coupled to the cradle, lowered to come in close contact with an upper portion of an arc extinguishing part of the main body to cover the upper portion of the arc extinguishing part.
Jung discloses (figs.1-7) an air circuit breaker comprising an insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover (30), installed on a cradle (20) to be raised or lowered, when a main body (10) is coupled to the cradle (20), lowered to come in close contact with an upper portion of an arc extinguishing part (3) of the main body (10) to cover the upper portion of the arc extinguishing part (3) [see fig.1].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit breaker of Seo with the inclusion of the arc cover of Jung, thereby controlling the flow of the arc gases extinguished from the arc chamber toward the environment.
Regarding claim 2, Seo and Jung further disclose where the control module (13, 130) is movable in horizontal directions, and the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover (Jung,30) is capable of only being raised or lowered in a vertical direction (front part moves downward and rear part moves upward).
Regarding claim 3 , Seo and Jung further disclose where the cradle (Jung, 20) comprises a side panel positioned on both side surfaces (35) of the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover (30).
Regarding claim 4, Seo and Jung further disclose where the side panel is fixed to the cradle (20), and the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover (30) is assembled to the side panel to be raised or lowered only in a vertical direction (front part moves downward and rear part moves upward).
Regarding claim 5, Seo and Jung further disclose where a guide slot (Jung, 39) is disposed in the side panel in a vertical direction, and a guide protrusion (24) inserted into the guide slot (39) is disposed of on the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover (30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 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 6, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed air circuit breaker having an insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover, where a sliding bar is installed on the control module in a horizontal direction, and a guide hole is disposed in the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover, wherein the sliding bar slides through the guide hole.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed air circuit breaker having an insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover where a silicon member is disposed in a lower end portion of the insertion/withdrawal linkage type arc cover to provide a sealing force.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Rival et al, Boily, Lee et al, Connor et al, Hodges et al, Rakus et al, Manthe et al and Murai et al are examples of air circuit breakers comprising arc covers, configured similar to the present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM A BOLTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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