WHIPgroup Successfully Obtains PTAB Reversal

January, 25th, 2022

Categories: Blog, News Tags: patent, PTAB, whipgroup

WHIPgroup was successful in reversing novelty rejections before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The claimed invention relates to the protection of electrical machines and load against harmful shaft voltages that can cause bearing currents and consequently damage bearings. The Examiner had rejected the independent claims as being anticipated by a single prior art reference. On Appeal, WHIPgroup attorneys disputed the Examiner’s analysis that the reference disclosed each and every claimed feature, such as a step of providing the electrical machine with a first grounding comprising a resonant circuit resonating at the first undesired frequency, wherein the resonant circuit provides a low grounding impedance at the first undesired frequency.  WHIPgroup also argued that the Examiner failed to establish inherency of those features missing in the reference. The PTAB agreed and reversed all rejections. Issuance of a patent is expected in due course.