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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 12-13, 15 and 21-22 are objected to because:
Claim 12, line 1, “particularly” renders the claim indefinite, leaving the scope of the claim unascertainable.
Claim 12, line 5, “it” is unclear and leave doubts has to what technical feature is being referred to.
Claim 12, line 11, “said stems” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 12, line 12, “said abutments” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 13, line 4, “the respective abutment” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 15, line 3, “the respective end turns” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 21, line 2, “the position” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 22, line 1, “particularly” renders the claim indefinite, leaving the scope of the claim unascertainable.
Claim 22, line 2, “a snap-action switch box” should be -the snap-action switch box-.
Claim 22, line 6, “the outside” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 22, line 8, “the fixed contacts” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 12-14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Weber et al, US 9653232 [Weber].
Regarding claim 12, Weber discloses (figs.1-8) a snap-action switch box (3), particularly for disconnectors, comprising a base (14), a loading spindle (34) and an indexing element (36) which is associated rotatably with said base (14) and with said loading spindle (34) so that the indexing element (36) can rotate with respect to the base (14) and the loading spindle (34) about a central rotation axis (A), said switch box (3) comprising a helical torsion spring (35) which is mounted on said indexing element (36) so that it can be loaded by a rotation of said loading spindle (34) about said central rotation axis (A), where said spring (35) comprises a first stem (35A) which protrudes from one end turn of the helical torsion spring (35) and a second stem (35B) which protrudes from a turn of an axially opposite end of the helical torsion spring (35), and where said indexing element (36) comprises at least two abutments (41A, 41B) which protrude in an eccentric position and in opposite directions which are substantially parallel to the central rotation axis (A), said stems (35A, 35B) being configured to abut respectively against said abutments (41A, 41B) [col.10, lines 29-30].
Regarding claim 13, Weber further discloses where said loading spindle (34) comprises a loading tab (34A) which is in an eccentric position with respect to said central rotation axis (A)and is extended toward said indexing element (36) so as to move at least one of said stems (35A, 35B) away from the respective abutment (41A, 41B) following a relative rotation between the loading spindle (34) and the indexing element (36) about the central rotation axis (A).
Regarding claim 14, Weber further disclose where said loading tab (34A) is interposed between the stems (35A, 35B) of the helical torsion spring (35) and has such a length as to affect one or another of said stems (35A, 35B) depending on a direction of said relative rotation.
Regarding claim 17, Weber further discloses where said indexing element (36) comprises at least two elastically flexible pawl arms (38A, 38B) which are configured to affect indexing teeth (37) provided in fixed positions in the switch box (3), and where said pawl arms (38A, 38B) extend toward each other and away from the indexing element (36), so as to be elastically flexible in a direction that is parallel to said central rotation axis (A) in order to release a snap-action coupling between the pawl arms (38A, 38B) and an indexing tooth (37).
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.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weber in view of Mattarelli, US 20200321172.
Regarding claim 22, Weber further discloses comprising one or more modular contact boxes (2) which are surmounted by a snap-action switch box (3), each modular contact box (2) comprising an accommodation body (31) which has a central seat which accommodates a rotatable contact (7) and two peripheral seats (17), each of which accommodates a connecting portion (18) of a respective fixed contact (8) which can be accessed from the outside of said modular contact box (2), said rotatable contact (7) being rotatable with respect to said accommodation body (31) about said central rotation axis (A) in order to engage/disengage with respect to the fixed contacts (8), each rotatable contact (7) being rigidly coupled in rotation to said indexing element (36) [see fig.2].
Weber fails to explicitly disclose a disconnector particularly for photovoltaic applications.
Mattarelli discloses (figs.1-5) a disconnector particularly for photovoltaic applications [para.0026].
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 disconnector of Weber with the teaching of the disconnector of Mattarelli, thereby providing a disconnector, particularly for photovoltaic application.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-16 and 18-21 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 15, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed switch box, where said indexing element comprises an arc slot which is extended in a radially equidistant manner about said central rotation axis, said stems protruding from the respective end turns of the spring so as to be arranged in a bridge arrangement on said arc slot.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed switch box, where said loading spindle comprises an arc window which is concentric to said central rotation axis, is crossed by said indexing teeth and is configured to leave free ends of said pawl arms exposed SO as to make said free ends abut laterally against said indexing teeth, at least one pair of mutually opposite cams being provided along said arc window in order to push a respective pawl arm away from said arc window during a rotation of said loading spindle with respect to said indexing element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hoogvliet et al, Wu et al, Pora et al, Civettini and Panuce are examples of rotary switches 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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM A BOLTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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