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 .
Priority
This application has Provisional 63/619,208 filed on 01/09/2024
This application has Provisional 63/616,384 filed on 12/29/2023
This application has Provisional 63/603,474 filed on 11/28/2023
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on March 21, 2025, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ranganathan et al. (US 20150228376).
In regard to claim 1, Ranganathan et al. teaches a high-voltage assembly (figure 1)comprising: a component capable of operating in a high-voltage environment (high voltage applications, paragraph [0003]; 1-150kv, paragraph [0048]); and a housing at least partially enclosing the component (A cable including a conductor surrounded by a covering layer, the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, abstract), the housing comprising a thermoplastic vulcanizate (A cable including a conductor surrounded by a covering layer, the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, abstract).
In regard to claim 2, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 1, wherein the high-voltage environment is about 1 kV to about 765 kV (1-150kv, paragraph [0048]).
In regard to claim 3, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 2, wherein the high-voltage environment is about 100 kV to about 765 kV (1-150kv, paragraph [0048]).
In regard to claim 4, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises a thermoplastic (thermoplastic vulcanizate) and an elastomer (the dispersed phase is formed of a cross-linked elastomeric polyolefin., abstract).
In regard to claim 5, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene, and ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (paragraph [0011]: polypropylene, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polybutene-1 or polar monomer-containing olefin copolymers such as ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene/acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate terpolymers, or ethylene/acrylic acid/vinyl acetate terpolymers).
In regard to claim 6, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic is ethylene-co-vinyl acetate or polyethylene (paragraph [0011]: polypropylene, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polybutene-1 or polar monomer-containing olefin copolymers such as ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene/acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate terpolymers, or ethylene/acrylic acid/vinyl acetate terpolymers).
In regard to claim 7, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises the thermoplastic at about 10 weight percent (wt%) to about 90 wt% based on the total weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate (claim 1: the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprising: about 20% to about 90% of a continuous phase, the continuous phase comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin; and about 10% to about 80% of a dispersed phase).
In regard to claim 8, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of silicone, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), ethylene propylene rubber (EPM), fluorosilicone, polyvinylidene difluoride, natural rubber, and nitrile butadiene rubber (claim 6: the at least partially cross-linked elastomeric polymer comprises one or more of a polyolefin elastomer, an ethylene propylene rubber, an ethylene acrylic rubber, an ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, a silane grafted polyolefin, an ethylene copolymer, and a silicone copolymer).
In regard to claim 9, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 8, wherein the elastomer is silicone (claim 6: a silicone copolymer).
In regard to claim 10, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises the elastomer at less than 50 wt% based on the total weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate (claim 1).
In regard to claim 11, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises the elastomer at about 10 wt% to about 90 wt% based on the total weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate (claim 1: about 20% to about 90% of a continuous phase).
In regard to claim 12, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the elastomer is at least partially cured (paragraph [0004], at least partially cross-linked elastomeric polymer. The thermoplastic vulcanizate composition passes a Hot Creep Test at 150.degree. C, claim 19).
In regard to claim 13, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises silicone and ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (paragraph [0004, [0017]).
In regard to claim 14, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises a functional filler selected from the group consisting of a flame retardant, a chemical stabilizer, a UV protectant, a heat stabilizer, a compatibilizer, a plasticizer, and a combination thereof (claim 13, 15, filers, UV stabilizer).
In regard to claim 15, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is capable of being recyclable, paragraph [0007]).
In regard to claim 18, Ranganathan et al. teaches a high-voltage assembly (figure 1)comprising: a component capable of operating in a high-voltage environment (high voltage applications, paragraph [0003]; 1-150kv, paragraph [0048]); and a housing at least partially enclosing the component (A cable including a conductor surrounded by a covering layer, the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, abstract), the housing comprising a thermoplastic vulcanizate (A cable including a conductor surrounded by a covering layer, the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, abstract) and an optional functional filler (fillers, paragraph [0025]) .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ranganathan et al. ( US 20150228376) in view of Khatri et al. (US 2018/0301252).
In regard to claim 16, Ranganathan et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 1.
Ranganathan et al. does not explicitly teach the component is an arrester, a transmission and distributor insulator, a polymer cut-out, a fusing, a bushing, or an interrupter.
Khatri et al. teaches the component is an arrester, a transmission and distributor insulator, a polymer cut-out, a fusing, a bushing, or an interrupter (abstract) and the thermoplastic vulcanizate (Santoprene) material in the body, paragraph [0032]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have used the thermoplastic vulcanizate material in an arrester, a transmission and distributor insulator, a polymer cut-out, a fusing, a bushing, or an interrupter, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
In regard to claim 17, Ranganathan et al. in combination with Khatri et al. teaches the high-voltage assembly of claim 16, wherein the component is a transmission and distributor insulator (abstract, Khatri et al.).
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ranganathan et al. ( US 20150228376) Ranganathan et al. (US 20150228376).
In regard to claim 19, Ranganathan et al. teaches a method of making a high-voltage assembly, the method comprising: providing a thermoplastic vulcanizate (A cable including a conductor surrounded by a covering layer, the covering layer formed from a thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, abstract).
Ranganathan et al. does not explicitly teach overmolding the thermoplastic vulcanizate onto a component capable of operating in a high-voltage environment.
Ranganathan et al. does teach extruding the thermoplastic vulcanizate onto a component capable of operating in a high-voltage environment (paragraph [0005]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the invention to have used the method of overmolding instead of extrusion since overmolding is generally superior to extruding directly onto a conductor cable because it creates a single, sealed, strain‑relieved part that protects the connector–cable junction from mechanical, environmental, and electrical stresses, whereas extrusion only coats the conductor and leaves the connector exposed.
In regard to claim 20, Ranganathan et al. teaches the method of claim 19, wherein providing the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises mixing a thermoplastic and an elastomer to provide a mixture and dynamically vulcanizing the mixture to provide the thermoplastic vulcanizate (paragraph [0004]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Smith (US 2010/0118463) teaches a surge arrester assembly; Wan (US 2015/0041018) teaches partially crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers, also known as thermoplastic vulcanizates; Pernell (US 2015/0079316) teaches an insulation with as thermoplastic vulcanizates.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTAL ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9258. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5 M-F.
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/KRYSTAL ROBINSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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