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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Species 2, Figures 4-10 and 18, claims 1-19, 23 and 24 in the reply filed on 7/2/26 is acknowledged.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that:
Page 3, Applicant argued that:
“Applicant respectfully traverses the restriction between Species 1 and Species 2. In particular, Species 1 (Figs. 1-3) and Species 2 (Figs. 4-10) both relate to the same embodiment. Figs. 1-3 show an overall structure of the relay; Figs. 4-10 mainly show structures of a movable assembly 3000, a contact container 1000, a third anti-rotation structure 700, a first anti-rotation structure 200, and a second anti-rotation structure 400 included in the relay”.
Examiner agreed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “can be” in claim 2 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “can be” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
Figure 2, there are no lines that point to the elements 1100, 1110, 1120, 3200, 3210, 3220, 3211, 3212.
Figure 4: the element numbers “300, 300a”, “100, 3230” show the same part.
Figure 5: the element numbers 112, 410 show the same part.
Figure 8, there are no lines that point to the elements 700, 710, 720.
Figure 10, there are no lines that point to the elements 200, 111, 3214, 400, 410, 112, 311.
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.
This is an exemplary of the errors. Applicant should carefully review the entire specification/drawings to fix this issue.
Use consistent phraseology to describe a component, part or element in the specification/drawings.
Please ensure that the remainder of elements referenced in the specification are accurately accounted for in the Drawings.
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 1-3, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Song et al. (US 2018/0025874).
Regarding claim 1, Song discloses a device comprising:
a movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) comprising a movable contact piece (1),
a push rod assembly (see the drawing below) configured to push the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) to move, to make the movable contact piece (see the drawing below) contact with or separate from a static contact leading- out terminal (10),
a limiting component (13, 14) connected to the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) and the push rod assembly (see the drawing below), and configured to restrict the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) from rotating around an axis of the push rod assembly (see the drawing below) relative to the push rod assembly (see the drawing below); and
an elastic assembly (5) configured to provide a contact pressure.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Push rod assembly)][AltContent: textbox (Accommodation chamber)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: textbox (Movable contact assembly)]
Regarding claim 2, Song discloses:
the limiting component (13, 14) can be deformed to adapt to over-travel.
Regarding claim 3, Song discloses:
the elastic assembly (5) is a first elastic piece;
the first elastic piece (5) connected to one of the push rod assembly (see the drawing above) and
the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) and abuts against another one of the push rod assembly (see the drawing above) and the movable contact assembly (see the drawing above).
Regarding claim 4, Song discloses:
the first elastic piece (5) and the movable contact assembly (see the drawing above) together form an accommodation chamber (see the drawing below/above),
the limiting component (13, 14) is disposed in the accommodation chamber (see the drawing below/above).
Regarding claim 16, Song discloses:
a first magnetizer (7, on the right);
the first magnetizer (7, on the right) is disposed at a side of the movable contact assembly (see the drawing above) facing the static contact leading-out terminal (10), and configured to resist an electric repulsion force.
Regarding claim 17, Song discloses:
the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below/above) further comprises a second magnetizer (7, on the left side),
the second magnetizer (7, on the left side) is fixedly connected to a side of the movable contact piece (1) facing away from the static contact leading-out terminal (10);
the second magnetizer (7, on the left side) is configured to form a magnetic circuit with the first magnetizer (7, on the right).
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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 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (US 2018/0025874).
Regarding claim 19, Song discloses:
the elastic assembly (5) is a first elastic piece, the limiting component (14) is a second elastic piece
However, Song fails to explicitly disclose the thickness of the second elastic piece is smaller than a thickness of the first elastic piece.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the thickness of the second elastic piece is smaller than a thickness of the first elastic piece for the purpose of design choice, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (US 2018/0025874) in view of Zhong et al. (US 2022/0013316).
Regarding claim 24, Song teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose the push rod assembly comprises a contact bracket, the movable contact assembly comprises one or more movable contact pieces, the movable contact assembly is installed in the contact bracket through the elastic assembly.
Zhong discloses a device comprising the push rod assembly (see the drawing below) comprises a contact bracket (32),
the movable contact assembly (see the drawing above) comprises one movable contact pieces (2), the movable contact assembly (see the drawing below) is installed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the push rod assembly comprises a contact bracket, the movable contact assembly comprises one movable contact pieces, the movable contact assembly is installed in the contact bracket through the elastic assembly for the purpose of holding and guiding the moving electrical parts.
[AltContent: textbox (Movable contact assembly)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Push rod assembly)][AltContent: arrow]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-15, 18, 23 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:
The prior art does not teach or suggest the relay comprising:
Claim 5: the pair of static contact leading-out terminals, both ends of the movable contact piece along a first direction are configured to contact with or separate from the pair of static contact leading-out terminals respectively; wherein the first direction is an arrangement direction of the pair of static contact leading-out terminals; the first elastic piece comprises a first base portion and elastic arms, the first base portion is connected to the push rod assembly through a first anti-rotation structure, both ends of the first base portion along the first direction are provided at least one of the elastic arms; the elastic arms at both ends of the first base portion along the first direction are respectively abuts against both ends of the movable contact piece along the first direction.
Claim 9: the limiting component is a second elastic piece, the second elastic piece is connected to one of the elastic assembly and the movable contact assembly through a second anti-rotation structure, and connected to another one of the elastic assembly and the movable contact assembly through a third anti-rotation structure.
Claim 18: the pair of static contact leading-out terminals, both ends of the movable contact piece along a first direction are configured to contact with or separate from the pair of static contact leading-out terminals; wherein the first direction is an arrangement direction of the pair of static contact leading-out terminals; the limiting component is a second elastic piece, the second elastic piece comprises a second base portion, a deformation portion and a connection portion; both sides of the second base portion along the first direction are provided with the deformation portion and the connection portion, the second base portion is connected to the connection portion through the deformation portion; the second base portion is connected to the elastic assembly; the connection portions at both sides of the second base portion are respectively inserted between the second magnetizer and the movable contact piece from two sides of the second magnetizer along the first direction, and fixedly connected to the movable contact piece and the second magnetizer.
Claim 23: a pair of static contact leading-out terminals, both ends of the movable contact piece along a first direction are configured to contact with or separate from the pair of static contact leading-out terminals; wherein the first direction is an arrangement direction of the pair of static contact leading-out terminals; the elastic assembly and the push rod assembly are connected in a limited way along the first direction; and/or, the limiting component and the movable contact assembly are connected in a limited way along the first direction; and/or, the limiting component and the elastic assembly are connected in a limited way along the first direction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Lisa Homza whose telephone number is (571) 272-3592.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Lisa Nhung Homza/
Patent Examiner - Art Unit 2837
September 2, 2026
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights