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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Benson (US Patent No. 3589345).
Regarding claim 1, Benson teaches a protection device (i.e., protection device)(fig. 1) to be used in an interruption system (i.e., interruption system 20, 24, 32, 34; fig. 1) comprising: a first circuit (i.e., first circuit 22/26; fig. 1) including a power path (i.e., power path 14a) that is a path (i.e., path line 13) through which electric power (i.e., electric power supply 14; fig. 1) is transmitted; an interrupter (i.e., interrupter 20, 24) including an interruption unit (i.e., interruption unit 28) provided so as to be able to interrupt the power path (implicit, as seen in fig. 1), and a metal housing (i.e., metal housing 48; fig. 1A) accommodating at least a portion (i.e., portion 13, 40, 42; fig. 1A) of the interruption unit; and a second circuit (i.e., second circuit 30a, 30b; fig. 1) that provides an interruption signal (i.e., interruption signal leads. Trigger control circuit 28 is a conventional circuit which includes input leads 30a and 30b, and suitable bias supplies that convert input signals on the input terminals to voltage and/or current pulses of appropriate magnitude and polarity to effect operation of switches 20 and 24; Col. 1 lines 71+) to the interruption unit, wherein the protection device includes a protection path section (i.e., protection path section 32, 34; fig. 1) including a conductive portion (i.e., conductive portion emitter portions of transistors 32 and 34; fig. 1) serving as a conductive path (i.e., conductive path upon switching ON transistors 32, 34 via gates 32a, 34a, respectively; fig. 1) between a target section (i.e., GND/fig. 1) (GND-48a/fig. 1A), including either the first circuit or the ground portion and the metal housing (implicit, as seen in fig. 1A), or a parasitic capacitance section generating a parasitic capacitance larger than a parasitic capacitance between the metal housing and the second circuit.
Regarding claim 2, Benson teaches the protection device of claim 1; wherein the protection path section includes the conductive portion, and the conductive portion short-circuits (i.e., short-circuits via switching ON transistors 32, 34 via gates 32a, 34a, respectively; fig. 1) the metal housing and the target section (implicit, as seen in fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 3, Benson teaches the protection device of claim 2; wherein the target section includes the ground portion (i.e., GND/fig. 1) (GND-48a/fig. 1A), and the protection path section constitutes the conductive path between the metal housing and the ground portion (implicit, as seen in fig. 1A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 12-13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, Benson teaches the invention set forth above. However, Benson does not particularly teach wherein the interruption unit includes an igniter that performs an explosion operation in response to the interruption signal, a cutting target section that is provided on the power path and interrupts the power path when the cutting target section itself is cut, and a displacement section that is displaced by a force generated by the explosion operation, and is a fuse device that cuts the cutting target section by displacement of the displacement section that occurs in response to the explosion operation.
Hence claim 7 will be deemed allowable if rewritten in an independent form.
Regarding claim 12, Benson teaches the invention set forth above. However, Benson does not particularly teach wherein the interruption unit includes an igniter that performs an explosion operation in response to the interruption signal, a cutting target section that is provided on the power path and interrupts the power path when the cutting target section itself is cut, and a displacement section that is displaced by a force generated by the explosion operation, and is a fuse device that cuts the cutting target section by displacement of the displacement section that occurs in response to the explosion operation.
Hence claim 12 will be deemed allowable if rewritten in an independent form.
Regarding claim 13, Benson teaches the invention set forth above. However, Benson does not particularly teach wherein the interruption unit includes an igniter that performs an explosion operation in response to the interruption signal, a cutting target section that is provided on the power path and interrupts the power path when the cutting target section itself is cut, and a displacement section that is displaced by a force generated by the explosion operation, and is a fuse device that cuts the cutting target section by displacement of the displacement section that occurs in response to the explosion operation.
Hence claim 13 will be deemed allowable if rewritten in an independent form.
Claims 4-6, 8-11 and 14 are not elected.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUAAMAR Q AL-TAWEEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0339. The examiner can normally be reached 0730-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thienvu V Tran can be reached at (571) 270- 1276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MUAAMAR QAHTAN AL-TAWEEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/THIENVU V TRAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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