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 1-4, 8 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Johnson (US 20030146016 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a handheld tool (40) for a fuse assembly (42), the handheld tool comprising: a body extending along each of a longitudinal axis (L1), a lateral axis (L2), and a transverse axis (T), wherein the body includes: a central portion defining a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a first portion integral with the central portion and extending from the first end of the central portion along the longitudinal axis (L1) of the body, wherein the first portion defines a first through-opening (59), wherein the first portion includes a first bottom surface and a pair of first projections (56) extending from the first bottom surface of the first portion along the transverse axis (T) of the body, wherein the pair of first projections are spaced apart from each other along the lateral axis of the body, and wherein the pair of first projections define a first space that is in alignment with the first through-opening (a line passing though the opening 59 also passes through the first space); and a second portion integral with the central portion and extending from the second end of the central portion along the longitudinal axis (L1) of the body, wherein the second portion defines a second through-opening (59), wherein the second portion includes a second bottom surface and a pair of second projections (56) extending from the second bottom surface of the second portion along the transverse axis of the body, wherein the pair of second projections are spaced apart from each other along the lateral axis of the body, wherein the pair of second projections define a second space that is in alignment with the second through-opening (a line passing though the opening 59 also passes through the second space), and wherein each of the central portion, the first portion, and the second portion together define a top surface of the body and a cavity of the body that is adapted to receive a portion of the fuse assembly therein to at least one of remove and install the fuse assembly from a power module; and a handle (60) coupled with the body at the top surface thereof.
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Regarding claim 2, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the fuse assembly (42) is removably coupled with the body of the handheld tool via an interference fit (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the first portion defines a first inner surface facing the cavity of the body, wherein the second portion defines a second inner surface facing the cavity of the body, and wherein a housing of the fuse assembly is adapted to engage with each of the first inner surface of the first portion and the second inner surface of the second portion to removably couple the fuse assembly with the body of the handheld tool (see a and b in annotated Fig. 7 above).
Regarding claim 4, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) when the fuse assembly is received within the cavity of the body, the first space defined by the pair of first projections is adapted to receive a first busbar of the fuse assembly to removably couple the first busbar with the first portion (see Figs. 6 and 7).
Regarding claim 8, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) when the fuse assembly is received within the cavity of the body, the second space defined by the pair of second projections is adapted to receive a second busbar of the fuse assembly to removably couple the second busbar with the second portion (see Figs. 6 and 7).
Regarding claim 12, Johnson teaches each of the body and the handle is made of a polymer (par. 0019: “ The barrier is constructed of a flexible non-conducting material, wherein in one embodiment a material may be Valox”.
Regarding claim 13, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the body further includes one or more features to allow positioning of the handheld tool within the power module or removal of the handheld tool from the power module, and wherein the one or more features include at least one of a chamfer and a notch.
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson in view of Henricks (US 10692679 B2).
Regarding claim 14, Johnson teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a method of at least one of removing and installing a fuse assembly in a power module, the method comprising: coupling, removably, the fuse assembly with a handheld tool (see Fig. 7), wherein the handheld tool includes: a handheld tool (40) for a fuse assembly (42), the handheld tool comprising: a body extending along each of a longitudinal axis (L1), a lateral axis (L2), and a transverse axis (T), wherein the body includes: a central portion defining a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a first portion integral with the central portion and extending from the first end of the central portion along the longitudinal axis (L1) of the body, wherein the first portion defines a first through-opening (59), wherein the first portion includes a first bottom surface and a pair of first projections (56) extending from the first bottom surface of the first portion along the transverse axis (T) of the body, wherein the pair of first projections are spaced apart from each other along the lateral axis of the body, and wherein the pair of first projections define a first space that is in alignment with the first through-opening (a line passing though the opening 59 also passes through the first space); and a second portion integral with the central portion and extending from the second end of the central portion along the longitudinal axis (L1) of the body, wherein the second portion defines a second through-opening (59), wherein the second portion includes a second bottom surface and a pair of second projections (56) extending from the second bottom surface of the second portion along the transverse axis of the body, wherein the pair of second projections are spaced apart from each other along the lateral axis of the body, wherein the pair of second projections define a second space that is in alignment with the second through-opening (a line passing though the opening 59 also passes through the second space), and wherein each of the central portion, the first portion, and the second portion together define a top surface of the body and a cavity of the body that is adapted to receive a portion of the fuse assembly therein to at least one of remove and install the fuse assembly from a power module; and a handle (60) coupled with the body at the top surface thereof; receiving a portion of the fuse assembly within the cavity of the body based on the coupling of the fuse assembly with the handheld tool (see Figs. 6 and 7). Johnson does not show assembling or disassembling steps of the fuse assembly form a power module.
Henricks teaches fuse removal and installation on power module 100.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the fuse tool of Johnson for lifting the fuse and installing it on the power module as taught by Henricks.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 19 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.
Claims 7, 11, 18 and 20 would be allowable due to dependency on allowable claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHDI H NEJAD whose telephone number is (571)270-0464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm EST.
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MAHDI H. NEJAD
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/MAHDI H NEJAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
