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 .
Response to Amendment
Pursuant to the applicant’s response filed 10 March 2026, the amendments to the claims have been entered into the application. By this amendment, claim 8 is cancelled, no claims have been added, and claims 1-7 & 9-20 are currently pending in the application. The previous rejections have been overcome by the amendments and are hereby withdrawn by the examiner. After additional search and/or consideration, the following rejections are presented to address the new limitations.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 05 March 2026 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-10, and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by German Patent Document DE 10 2007 025 876 A1 by Coenen (Coenen).
Regarding claim 1, Coenen discloses an initiator (See Figures, clearly illustrated) comprising: a pair of electrodes (2 & 3, See Figures, clearly illustrated); an insulator interposed between the pair of electrodes (1, See Figures, clearly illustrated); a cover body covering one end side of the pair of electrodes together with a space around the pair of electrodes (15, See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated); and an explosive with which the space inside the cover body is filled (See at least Paragraph 0025), wherein the pair of electrodes include, in distal end portions thereof facing the space, a discharge gap where a dielectric strength is lower than a dielectric strength of a portion where the insulator is interposed (See at least Paragraph 0023), and a surface on a spatial side of at least one electrode of the pair of electrodes and a surface on a spatial side of the insulator are formed flush such that a spark is generated between the distal end portions in the discharge gap (See Figures, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 2, Coenen further discloses wherein a void is formed between the explosive with which the space is filled and the discharge gap, and the explosive and the discharge gap are disposed within a predetermined distance from each other (See at least Figures 2-3, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 3, Coenen further discloses wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a first electrode having a linear shape (3) and the other is a second electrode including a ring portion having a ring shape (2), and at least part of the first electrode is inserted into a through hole of the ring portion (See Figures, clearly illustrated), and the insulator (1) is provided between an inner circumferential surface of the ring portion defining the through hole and the first electrode (See Figures, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 4, Coenen further discloses an inner tubular portion having a tubular shape extending in one direction and including an internal space open at an end portion of the inner tubular portion, wherein the inner tubular portion is disposed with the opening facing the first electrode in the space of the cover body, and the internal space of the inner tubular portion is filled with the explosive (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated, and Paragraph 0025).
Regarding claim 5, Coenen further discloses wherein the second electrode further includes an inner tubular portion extending in one direction and including an internal space open at an end portion of the inner tubular portion, the inner tubular portion is disposed in the space of the cover body while abutting against the ring portion at the end portion with the opening facing the first electrode, includes an extending portion extending from a circumferential wall of the inner tubular portion toward the first electrode, and forms the discharge gap between the first electrode and the extending portion, and the internal space of the inner tubular portion is filled with the explosive (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 6, Coenen further discloses wherein the extending portion is an annular member protruding toward the internal space from an end portion of the circumferential wall of the inner tubular portion on the ring portion side (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 7, Coenen further discloses wherein the extending portion extends from part of the circumferential wall of the inner tubular portion in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the internal space, overlaps the first electrode when viewed from the extending direction, and is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first electrode in the extending direction, the interval being the discharge gap (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 9, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 1; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 10, Coenen discloses a method for manufacturing an initiator, the method comprising: integrating distal end portions of a first electrode and a second electrode with an insulator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode so that an end surface of the first electrode and an end surface of the insulator are flush to form an electrode structure with a discharge gap between the first electrode and the second electrode; filling an explosive accommodation portion in a cover body having a bottomed tubular shape with an explosive from an opening of the cover body; fitting the electrode structure into the opening of the cover body such that the discharge gap of the electrode structure is brought into contact with or close to the explosive with which the cover body is filled; and integrally joining the cover body and the electrode structure such that a spark is generated between the distal end portions in the discharge gap (See at least Figures 1-3, all aspects clearly illustrated and understood).
Regarding claim 12, Coenen further discloses wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a first electrode having a linear shape (3) and the other is a second electrode including a ring portion having a ring shape (2), and at least part of the first electrode is inserted into a through hole of the ring portion (See Figures, clearly illustrated), and the insulator (1) is provided between an inner circumferential surface of the ring portion defining the through hole and the first electrode (See Figures, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 13, Coenen further discloses an inner tubular portion having a tubular shape extending in one direction and including an internal space open at an end portion of the inner tubular portion, wherein the inner tubular portion is disposed with the opening facing the first electrode in the space of the cover body, and the internal space of the inner tubular portion is filled with the explosive (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated, and Paragraph 0025).
Regarding claim 14, Coenen further discloses an inner tubular portion having a tubular shape extending in one direction and including an internal space open at an end portion of the inner tubular portion, wherein the inner tubular portion is disposed with the opening facing the first electrode in the space of the cover body, and the internal space of the inner tubular portion is filled with the explosive (See at least Figure 3, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 15, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 2; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 16, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 3; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 17, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 4; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 18, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 5; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 19, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 6; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Regarding claim 20, Coenen further discloses an initiator device comprising: the initiator according to claim 7; and a power supplier to supply power to the pair of electrodes, causing a discharge in the discharge gap (Through elements 6 & 7, pins for electrical contact, understood that the pins would be connected to a power supplier to work).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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: The closest prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose the collective limitations of claims 10 and 11, including pressing and compacting the explosive accommodated in the explosive accommodation portion, and forming a recessed portion on a surface of the explosive that comes into contact with the electrode structure, wherein in the fitting of the electrode structure, the electrode structure is fitted into the opening of the cover body such that the discharge gap and the recessed portion are adjacent to each other with the combined limitations of claim 10.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 Form for a listing of applicable prior art references.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN C WEBER whose telephone number is (571)270-5377. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached at 571-272-6874. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jonathan C Weber/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3641
JONATHAN C. WEBER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3641
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