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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “the actuation unit, including the drive element, the fork-shaped tie rod, as required by claim 11,12, 15; the spring device, first and second compression springs of different lengths, as required by claim 13,14; the different materials on the surfaces of the first and second contact elements, as required by claim 16” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 11-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mahmoud (DE102015200830A1).
Regarding claim 11, Mahmoud teaches a contactor for an on-board electrical network of a motor vehicle for electrically wiring on-board electrical network components of the on-board electrical network, comprising: a stationary contact unit (105, 106) for electrically connecting to the on-board electrical network components 103; a moveable contact unit (109,309) which, in a closed state of the contactor, is contact-connected to the stationary contact unit and, in an open state of the contactor, is at least partially separated from the stationary contact unit; and an actuation unit (202, 201) for switching the contactor by switching over the moveable contact unit between the closed state and the open state, wherein (i) the moveable contact unit comprises: at least one first contact element 109 for conducting a current which flows via the moveable contact unit in the closed state of the contactor (contact 109 provides a relative low-resistance current path in the fully closed state, see paragraphs 35-36 of the enclosed translation), and at least one second contact element 309 for conducting and limiting the current during the switching of the contactor (see paragraphs 35-36 of the enclosed translation), wherein a first electric contact formed between the stationary contact unit and the at least one first contact element assumes a first transmission resistance R2, and a second electric contact formed between the stationary contact unit and the at least one second contact element assumes a second, higher, transmission resistance R1 (see paragraphs 35-36 of the enclosed translation), and (ii) the actuation unit is configured to execute the switchover of the at least one first contact element and the at least one second contact element between the closed state and the open state in a staggered manner in relation to one another such that, for limiting the current during switching, temporarily, only the at least one second contact element is contact- connected to the stationary contact unit (at the intermediate state of Fig.3b ,only the contact 309 is connected with the terminals 105, 106, while the contact 109 has not yet connected).
Regarding claim 12, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein the actuation unit, for executing the staggered switchover, is configured to: upon closing of the contactor, for reducing a tendency towards fusion, firstly, contact- connect the at least one second contact element 309 to the stationary contact unit (105, 106, see Fig. 3b), and upon opening of the contactor, for reducing arcing, firstly, release the at least one first contact element from the stationary contact unit (the first contact or the low resistance 109 is opens first, which leaves the second contact or the higher resistance 309 to interrupt remaining current, which reduces arching, see Figs.3a-3c).
Regarding claim 13, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein the actuation unit comprises a spring device 203/303, by which the at least one second contact element 309, in an open state of the contactor, is mounted closer to the stationary contact unit than the at least one first contact element 109 and, upon opening of the contactor, is compressed against the stationary contact unit for a longer duration than the least one first contact element (Figs.3a-3b).
Regarding claim 14, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein the spring device comprises at least one first compression spring 203 for compressing the at least one first contact element 109 against the stationary contact unit, and at least one second compression spring 303 for compressing the at least one second contact element 309 against the stationary contact unit, wherein in an open state of the contactor, the at least one first compression spring assumes a first length, and the at least one second compression spring assumes a longer second length, in comparison with the first length (In Fig.3b, the second spring 303 has a longer length than the first spring).
Regarding claim 15, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein the actuation unit comprises a drive element 201 and a force transmission element 202 in the form of a fork-shaped tie rod wherein, in each case, one tine of the fork-shaped tie rod is respectively connected to one of the moveable contact elements (109, 309), and wherein the drive element is designed to operate the force transmission element for switching the contactor (the electromagnetic 201 moves the fork shaped drive element, see paragraph 32 of the enclosed translation).
Regarding claim 16, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein in order to deliver different transmission resistances, one surface of the at least one first contact element comprises a first material, and one surface of the at least one second contact element comprises a second material (paragraph 7,9 of the enclosed translation).
Regarding claim 17, Mahmoud teaches the contactor wherein the stationary contact unit comprises two stationary contact rails (105,106) wherein, in each case, one contact rail is connectable to an on-board electrical network component, and the at least one first contact element 109 is configured as a first contact bridge which is displaceable in relation to the two stationary contact rails, and the at least one second contact element 309 is configured as a second contact bridge which is displaceable in relation to the two stationary contact rails (Figs. 3a-3c).
Regarding claim 20, Mahmoud teaches an on-board electrical network 100 for a motor vehicle 103, comprising: at least two on-board electrical network components (101, 103); and at least one contactor 304 according to at least one contactor according to wherein the contactor is electrically connected to the at least two on-board electrical network components (paragraph 42 of the enclosed translation).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 19 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 18, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed device wherein the moveable contact unit comprises two first contact bridges and a second contact bridge which is arranged between the two first contact bridges.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed device wherein the stationary contact unit comprises two contact studs wherein, in each case, one contact stud is electrically and mechanically connected to a contact rail, and projects from the respective contact rail in a direction of the moveable contact unit, and in the closed state, the two contact studs are contact-connected to the second contact bridge and the contact rails are contact-connected to the two first contact bridges.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Belisle teaches a similar ELECTRICAL CONTACTS/RELAYS.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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, Renee 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights