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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/07/2024 & 2/16/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner has considered the information disclosure statements.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka (Japanese Patent Application Publication # JPH11-176295A).
Regarding Claim 1, Tanaka discloses an apparatus for use in an electrical switching device including an operating mechanism having an energy storage device (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18), a cam assembly (i.e. cam 9), a pole shaft (i.e. first contact lever 27) coupled to the cam assembly, and separable contacts (i.e. contact levers 27 & 28) coupled to the pole shaft, the apparatus comprising:
a holding device structured to be attached to the operating mechanism of the electrical switching device;
a discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) affixed to the holding device and structured to be disposed adjacent to the cam assembly and detect discharging status of the energy storage device based on the position of the cam assembly;
a pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) affixed to the holding device and structured to be coupled to the pole shaft and detect open and close state of the separable contacts based on the position of the pole shaft; and
a switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) coupled to the discharge detector and the pole shaft position detector, the switching device monitor structured to receive data from the detectors, analyze the data and perform control and/or diagnostics on the electrical switching device based on the analysis, the data including the detected discharging status of the energy storage device and the detected open and close state of the separable contacts (Fig. 1-11; Paragraphs 0003, 0007-0009, 0016, 0022-0038).
Regarding Claim 2, Tanaka discloses that the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) is further structured to measure timing of contact closing and the data includes the measured timing (Paragraphs 0001, 0007-0008, 0015, 0034).
Regarding Claim 3, Tanaka discloses that the switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) is further structured to identify a full close state of the separable contacts and measure precise timing of reaching the full close state based on the data (Paragraph 0021, 0025, 0027, 0030, 0034, 0037, 0039, 0041).
Regarding Claim 4, Tanaka discloses that the cam assembly (i.e. cam 9) includes a charging cam (i.e. power storage detection cam 23c) and a drive cam (i.e. position detection cam 22c), and wherein the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) is actuated by rotation of the charging cam and the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) is actuated by the pole shaft (Fig. 3; Paragraphs 0022-0023).
Regarding Claim 5, Tanaka discloses that the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) and the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) are switches (i.e. microswitch 23b & microswitch 22b, respectively) connected in parallel, and wherein the discharge detector is closed when the energy storage device (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18) is being discharged by rotation of the charging cam and open when the energy storage device is fully discharged and the charging cam has completed the rotation, and wherein the pole shaft position detector is closed when the separable contacts are open via the pole shaft and open when the separable contacts are touching and/or fully closed via the pole shaft (Fig. 3, 9; Paragraphs 0013-0017, 0022-0023, 0028-0039).
Regarding Claim 6, Tanaka discloses that in an open and charged state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) is closed and the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) is open; in an early closing state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is closed and the discharge detector is closed; in the last closing state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is open and the discharge detector is closed; or in a full close state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is open and the discharge detector is open (Fig. 3, 9; Paragraphs 0013-0017, 0022-0023, 0028-0039).
Regarding Claim 7, Tanaka discloses that the apparatus is further structured to perform MCR (making current release) function (Paragraphs 0005, 0008, 0011, 0015).
Regarding Claim 8, Tanaka discloses that the switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) is further structured to alert a user based on the analysis of the data and recommend a preventive measure (Paragraph 0011, 0021, 0025, 0027, 0030, 0034, 0037, 0039, 0041).
Regarding Claim 9, Tanaka discloses that the switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) is further structured to determine a failure mode (i.e. with trip switch control circuit 34) based on the data and alert a user about the failure mode (Paragraphs 0026-0030, 0037).
Regarding Claim 10, Tanaka discloses that the switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) is disposed within an electronic trip unit (i.e. tripping/trip switch determination circuit 33) of the electrical switching device (Paragraphs 0026-0030, 0037).
Regarding Claim 11, Tanaka discloses that the energy storage device comprises a spring (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18) (Paragraphs 0005, 0007-0008, 0013-0021, 0023, 0028, 0032, 0034-0039).
Regarding Claim 12, Tanaka discloses an electrical switching device structured to connect a power source and loads, comprising:
a housing;
a charging assembly (i.e. energy storage operation mechanism 2);
an electrical trip unit (ETU) (i.e. tripping/trip switch determination circuit 33) of structured to interrupt current from flowing to the loads in an abnormal current condition;
an operating mechanism coupled to the charging handle and the ETU, the operating mechanism including an energy storage device (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18), a cam assembly (i.e. cam 9), a pole shaft (i.e. first contact lever 27) coupled to the cam assembly, and separable contacts (i.e. contact levers 27 & 28) having a movable contact coupled to the loads and a fixed contact coupled to the power source; and
an apparatus structured to monitor state of the electrical switching device, the apparatus including:
a holding device structured to be attached to the operating mechanism of the electrical switching device;
a discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) affixed to the holding device and structured to be disposed adjacent to the cam assembly and detect discharging status of the energy storage device based on position of the cam assembly;
a pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) affixed to the holding device and structured to be coupled to the pole shaft and detect open and close state of the separable contacts based on the position of the pole shaft; and
a switching device monitor (i.e. control unit 4) disposed within the ETU and coupled to the discharge detector and the pole shaft position detector, the switching device monitor structured to receive data from the detectors, analyze the data and perform control and/or health diagnostics of the electrical switching device based on the analysis, the data including the detected discharging status of the energy storage device and the detected open and close state of the separable contacts (Fig. 1-11; Paragraphs 0003, 0007-0009, 0016, 0022-0038).
Regarding Claim 13, Tanaka discloses that the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) and the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) each comprise microswitches (i.e. microswitch 23b & microswitch 22b, respectively), sensors, or semiconductor devices including optocouplers (Fig. 3; Paragraphs 0022-0023, 0034-0036).
Regarding Claim 14, Tanaka discloses a method of protecting an electrical switching device including an operating mechanism having an energy storage device (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18), a cam assembly (i.e. cam 9), a pole shaft (i.e. first contact lever 27) coupled to the cam assembly, and separable contacts (i.e. contact levers 27 & 28) coupled to the pole shaft, the method comprising:
detecting discharging status of the energy storage device based on position of the cam assembly (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23);
detecting open and close state of the separable contacts based on a position of the pole shaft (i.e. cam position detection unit 22); and
analyzing data (i.e. control unit 4) including the detected discharging status of the energy storage device and the detected open and close state of the separable contacts (Fig. 1-11; Paragraphs 0003, 0007-0009, 0016, 0022-0038).
Regarding Claim 15, Tanaka discloses performing diagnostics (i.e. control unit 4) on the electrical switching device based on the analysis (Paragraph 0021, 0025, 0027, 0030, 0034, 0037, 0039, 0041).
Regarding Claim 16, Tanaka discloses measuring timing (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) of contact closing, wherein the data includes the measured timing (Paragraphs 0001, 0007-0008, 0015, 0034).
Regarding Claim 17, Tanaka discloses identifying (i.e. control unit 4) a full close state of the separable contacts; and measuring a precise timing of achieving the full close state based on the data (Paragraph 0021, 0025, 0027, 0030, 0034, 0037, 0039, 0041).
Regarding Claim 18, Tanaka discloses that the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) and the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) are switches (i.e. microswitch 23b & microswitch 22b, respectively) connected in parallel, and wherein the discharge detector is closed when the energy storage device (i.e. closing/input spring 17 & opening/release spring 18) is being discharged by rotation of the charging cam and open when the energy storage device is fully discharged and the charging cam has completed the rotation, and wherein the pole shaft position detector is closed when the separable contacts are open via the pole shaft and open when the separable contacts are touching and/or fully closed via the pole shaft (Fig. 3, 9; Paragraphs 0013-0017, 0022-0023, 0028-0039).
Regarding Claim 19, Tanaka discloses that in an open and charged state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector (i.e. cam position detection unit 22) is closed and the discharge detector (i.e. power storage state monitoring unit 23) is open; in an early closing state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is closed and the discharge detector is closed; in the last closing state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is open and the discharge detector is closed; or in a full close state of the electrical switching device, the pole shaft position detector is open and the discharge detector is open (Fig. 3, 9; Paragraphs 0013-0017, 0022-0023, 0028-0039).
Regarding Claim 20, Tanaka discloses performing MCR (making current release) function based on the analysis (Paragraphs 0005, 0008, 0011, 0015).
Relevant Cited Art
The cited art in PTO-892 was found during the examiner's search, but was not relied upon for this office action. However, it is still considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RHADAMES J ALONZO MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-7829. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RJA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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