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 . The instant application with Application Number 17/912,047 filed on 09/16/2022 is presented for examination.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species I is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse in the reply filed on 11/24/2025.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species II and Species III there being no allowable generic or linking claim. As per the remarks of 11/24/2025, previously added claims 21-22 are cancelled. Claims 1-14 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statment
The Information Disclosure Statements dated 08/23/2023 and 09/16/2022 are acknowledged and the cited references have been considered in this examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 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 present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiling et al. (CN202142749) (Hereinafter, Xiling) in view of Lawson et al. (US 2002/0112945)(Hereinafter, Lawson).
With respect to claim 1, Xiling discloses a power switching device (Fig. 2; para. # 0001), comprising: a plug, connected to a power supply device and comprising an output terminal (Para. # 0005: contact blade in one row of series moving contact blades and its corresponding stationary contact blade seat serve as a load output terminal); and a power switching assembly (See Fig. 2, Para. # 0001: switching device and its parts), connected to end and comprising a switching member(Fig. 2, Para. #0001),
PNG
media_image1.png
366
740
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein the switching member is configured for switching a coupling (Para. #0002, 0014: means to change a positioning mechanism is provided between the rotating shaft and the end cover of this utility).
Xiling, does not expressly disclose a couple form of the plug.
Lawson, on the other hand, discloses prongs of the mating connector plug activate contacts within the socket that provide power to the various legs of the plug prongs inserted into the power socket (Para. # 0004-0006).
XILING and Lawson are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor namely Switching device for series and parallel connection and power socket with enabling switch.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added connector as plug connector to the switching device of Xiling in view of Lawson for the benefit of plug providing a connection for socket power, and that supply an electrical connection for a socket switch capable of enabling/disabling socket power as needed to prevent power wastage (Para. # 0026).
With respect to claim 2, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Xiling discloses the power switching assembly further comprises a control member, and the control member is configured for controlling the power switching assembly to move between different switching positions (Para. # 0024: contact blade seats consists of at least two stationary contact blade seats 3 (five are shown in the figure, but different numbers can be selected as needed, not detailed here).
With respect to claim 3, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Xiling discloses wherein the control member comprises a switching button, and the switching positions of the power switching assembly are switched by pressing the switching button (Para. # 0047: a magnetic or push-button switch may be used to activate socket 10).
With respect to claim 4, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses wherein the control member comprises a switching button, and the switching positions of the power switching assembly are switched by rotating the switching button (Fig. 3; Para. # 0028: Switch 18 includes a switch hinge 20 that can pivot to provide internal contact connection/disconnection).
With respect to claims 5 and 6, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses wherein the control member comprises a switching button, and the switching positions of the power switching assembly are switched by reciprocating the switching button o r sliding the switch (Para. # 0010/0011: the switch can be actuated by user action, including, e.g., inserting a connector plug, pivoting open a socket cover, sliding a slide cover into an operational position, or a combination).
With respect to claim 7, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses wherein the control member comprises a switching button, and the switching positions of the power switching assembly are switched by resetting the switching button (Para. # 0047: he slide cover being slid or a mating plug being inserted. In addition, a user may activate socket 10 with other switching methods accessible to the user).
With respect to claim 8, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses the control member further comprises a trigger unit, and the trigger unit is arranged corresponding to a switching button (Para. # 0004: provide activation/de-activation switching of the power supplied).
With respect to claims 9 and 10, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Xiling discloses wherein the plug comprises a first plug member and a second plug member, and terminals with a same polarity of the first plug member and the second plug member respectively are connected through the switching member when the switching member is in a first position (Para. # 0024-0026: the positive and negative terminals of each battery are connected to one of the two rows of stationary contact holders to be connected in series, the rotor 2 is positioned as shown in Figure 2).
With respect to claim 11, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Xiling discloses wherein a positive output terminal of the output terminal is electrically connected to a positive terminal of one of the first plug member and the second plug member (Para. # 0026).
With respect to claim 12, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses wherein a negative output terminal of the output terminal is electrically connected to a negative terminal of one of the first plug member and the second plug member (Para. # 0026/0029).
With respect to claim 13, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Xiling discloses further comprising a housing, wherein the power switching assembly is disposed in the housing(See reproduced Fig. 2, housing 7 covers the switching parts/members).
With respect to claim 14, the combined references of Xiling and Lawson discloses the power switching device wherein Lawson discloses wherein the switching member comprises a conductive switching member or an insulating switching member (Para. # 0028: Hinge 20 is connected to a preferably insulated switch lever 26, which rotates about hinge 20 and can actuate internal contacts within switch 18. Lever 26 is urged toward hot terminal 44, which permits the internal contacts within switch 18 to be in an open state in the absence of a connector plug prong inserted into hot terminal 44).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YALKEW FANTU whose telephone number is (571)272-8928. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00AM-4:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached at 571-270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/YALKEW FANTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859