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, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang et al. (KR 101965800 B1).
In Re claim 1, Hwang et al. disclose a vibration reduction device (10) installed in a nuclear power plant cabinet (1), comprising: a casing body (100) having an accommodation space (200); a plurality of springs (220, 230); and a mass body (210) coupled to the springs.
In Re claim 11, Hwang et al. disclose a nuclear power plant cabinet (1), comprising: a cabinet body (1); and a vibration reduction device (200) mounted thereon.
In Re claim 12, see casing body (200) having an accommodation space (see space immediately above and adjacent 110); plurality of springs (220, 230); and mass body (210) coupled to the springs.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Provost et al. (US 2010/0320046).
In Re claim 1, Hwang et al. disclose a vibration reduction device (300), comprising: a casing body (370) having an accommodation space (382); a plurality of springs (360, 362, 364); and a mass body (350) coupled to the springs. The examiner notes that the nuclear power plant cabinet is interpreted to be a recitation of the intended use of the vibration reduction device, and is therefore not given patentable weight.
In Re claim 2, see interface plate (250) and connection means (par. 0021)
In Re claim 3, see interface plate (250), and associated holes therein, in fig. 2A.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Provost et al. (US 2010/0320046) as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Kweon et al. (KR 2021145531 A).
In Re claim 4, Provost et al. fail to teach a nut and bolt mounting means for the springs.
Kweon et al. is related to the art of vibration reduction devices, and teaches attaching a spring member (410) between relatively movable elements with nut and bolt mounting means (420, 430, 440; fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vibration reduction device of Provost et al. to employ the use of nut and bolt fastening means for the springs, as taught by Kweon et al., as it provides a secure and serviceable attachment.
In Re claim 5, see nut and protrusion body fastening means (420, 430) in fig. 5 of Kweon et al..
In Re claims 6-8, see attachment threads on the exterior of the protrusion rod (see exterior of 420 and 430) which prevents the spring from disengaging.
Claim 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (KR 101965800 B1) in view of Provost et al. (US 2010/0320046).
In Re claim 13, further see interface plate (see frame 100 and attenuator 200). Hwang et al. fail to specifically mention connecting means to the nuclear power plant cabinet.
Provost et al. is related to the art of vibration reduction devices, and teaches attaching a vibration reduction device (370) with an interface plate (250) and attachment means (see fig. 2A) to a body element (230) to be damped. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the nuclear power plant vibration reduction device with an interface plate and connecting means, as taught by Provost et al., simply to attach the device to the nuclear power plant cabinet so that the vibration reduction device can function properly.
In Re claim 14, see holes and cutout portions in fig. 2A of Provost et al..
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (KR 101965800 B1) in view of Provost et al. (US 2010/0320046), as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Kweon et al. (KR 2021145531 A).
In Re claim 15, Hwang et al. fail to teach a nut and bolt mounting means for the springs.
Kweon et al. is related to the art of vibration reduction devices, and teaches attaching a spring member (410) between relatively movable elements with nut and bolt mounting means (420, 430, 440; fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vibration reduction device of Hwang et al. to employ the use of nut and bolt fastening means for the springs, as taught by Kweon et al., as it provides a secure and serviceable attachment.
In Re claim 16-18, see nut and protrusion body fastening means (420, 430) in fig. 5 of Kweon et al.. Further see attachment threads on the exterior of the protrusion rod (see exterior of 420 and 430) which prevents the spring from disengaging.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 19-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS W IRVIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3095. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.
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/THOMAS W IRVIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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