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 .
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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2013176294 issued to Kojo .
With respect to claim 1, Kojo discloses a train set 100, comprising: cars 30, 40, 50, 60 coupled together; an electric power bus line 20, 22 extending through the cars (Fig. 2); circuit breaking equipment 13 that is located in an attic space between a roof and ceiling of a car (translation, paragraph [0021], ll. 321-323] end portion of at least one middle car included in the cars interrupts a current flowing through the electric power bus line, wherein the circuit breaking equipment includes a first connector that is electrically connected to the electric power bus line located at the middle car and includes a first electric power terminal, a second connector that is electrically connected to the electric power bus line located at a car adjacent to the middle car among the cars and includes a second electric power terminal, and a circuit breaker located between the first electric power terminal and the second electric power terminal (See, applicant’s translation, [00017], ll. 239-248 and Figs. 1 and 2).
With respect to claim 2, Kojo discloses the circuit breaker includes a breaker main body (located inside work box 10) that opens and closes a circuit between the first electric power terminal and the second electric power terminal and a drive circuit that drives the breaker main body; when the drive circuit is supplied with electric power, the drive circuit sets the breaker main body to a closed state; and when the supply of the electric power to the drive circuit stops, the drive circuit sets the breaker main body to an open state. (See, applicant’s translation, [0020] and Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 3, Kojo discloses an operation switch is located in an inside of at least one of the cars; and the circuit breaker operates by a command signal from the operation switch. (See, translation [0021], ll. 313-315 discussing a vacuum circuit breaker which is a switching device capable for operational switching (on-off operations) of individual circuits or electrical equipment in normal or emergency modes with manual or automatic control).
With respect to claim 4, Kojo discloses the operation switch includes a first operation switch; the train set further includes a second operation switch (element 13 in box 8 of car 30, Fig. 1) located in an inside of an end car included in the cars; the middle car (car sets 40 or 50) further includes control circuitry to which a control line is connected and which is connected to the circuit breaker through an output control line (refer to Fig. 1 showing lead lines 21, 23); the input control line extends from the end car to the middle car; the first operation switch and the second operation switch are located on the input control line in series; and when the control circuitry receives from the input control line an interruption command generated by operating the first operation switch or the second operation switch, the control circuitry outputs an interruption signal that sets the circuit breaker to an open state (Kojo describes operation of circuit breaker).
With respect to claim 5, Kojo discloses an electric power supply circuit (35, 45, 55, 65) that supplies electric power from the electric power bus line to underfloor equipment, wherein the circuit breaking equipment further includes a third connector (multiple connectors 3) which is electrically connected to the electric power supply circuit and is integrally connected to a third electric power terminal.
With respect to claim 6, Kojo discloses a main transformer 26 located under a floor of a driving car included in the cars; an electric power supply circuit that supplies electric power from the electric power bus line to the main transformer; and second circuit breaking equipment that is located in an attic space between a roof and ceiling of the driving car and interrupts a current flowing through the electric power supply circuit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TROY CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6874. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 0530-1400.
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/Troy Chambers/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3641
TROY CHAMBERS
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3641
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