DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Per claims 7, 19, and 30, the species of the device claimed in claims 7, 19, and 30, including that “the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace is not shown in the figures.
In the embodiment or species shown in the figures, for example figure 5 annotated below, the movement of the activating member 150 in the first direction and the second direction (labeled FSD below) is not parallel to the clamp brace (132, the direction of the clamp brace 132 being labeled DCB below). In the species shown in the figures, the activating device moves at an acute angle relative to the direction of the clamp brace 132. In contrast, the species of the claimed invention is the species where the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace (claims 7, 19, and 30).
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Correction is required in response to this Office action and corrections may not be held in abeyance. Applicant is required to submit acceptable corrected drawings within the time period set in the Office action. See 37 CFR 1.185(a). Failure to take corrective action within the set (or extended) period will result in ABANDONMENT of the application.
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 anticipatory rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Scanzillo et al. US 10461444 (“Scanzillo”). Regarding claim 1, Scanzillo discloses an electrical wiring device comprising:
a housing 20 having at least one cavity within an interior of the housing,
at least one cam member (the outer wall of cavity 32 along which plunger 150 slides, (labeled CM in annotated figure 5 below),
at least one wire receiving opening 74 and at least one activating member 150 opening (see e.g. 250),
wherein the at least one cam member is positioned within the at least one cavity;
at least one contact assembly 100, wherein the at least one contact assembly is positioned at least partially in the at least one cavity such that the at least one contact assembly is accessible from the at least one wire receiving opening and the at least one activating member opening;
wherein the at least one contact assembly includes:
a wire terminal 130 having a clamp brace 130 and a force applying member 136 secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between
a first position (also referred herein as the closed position, labeled P1 below) where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and
a second position (also referred herein as the open position, labeled P2) where a wire can be inserted through the at least one wire receiving opening and between the force applying member and the clamp brace; and
an activating member 150 at least partially positioned in the at least one cavity such that the activating member is at least partially operatively associated with the at least one cam member and extending at least partially through the at least one activating member opening,
the activating member 150 being interactive with the force applying member such that movement of the activating member in a first direction (labeled D1 below, also referred to herein as the upward direction) causes the activating member to move along the at least one cam member such that the activating member applies a force or mechanical energy to the force applying member to cause the force applying member to move from the first position (closed) to the second position (open) and
movement of the activating member in a second direction (also referred to herein as the downward direction, labeled D2) removes the force or mechanical energy from the force applying member so that the force applying member can move from the second position (open) to the first position (closed).
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Per claim 2, the force applying member is a clamping member.
Per claim 3, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Per 4, in the first position the wire is secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace by clamping the wire between the force applying member and the clamp brace.
Per claim 5, the activating member inherently remains in the first position or the second position until manually moved (col. 20, lines 15-17).
Per claim 6, the movement of the activating member in the second direction is opposite the movement of the activating member in the first direction.
Per claim 7, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace (see figure 5).
Per claim 8, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Per claim 9, movement of the activating member in the first and second directions is relative to the force applying member or the clamp brace.
Per claim 10, movement of the activating member in the first direction (upward) is outward relative to the housing and wherein movement of the activating member in the second direction is inward relative to the housing.
Per claim 11, in the first position the force applying member can clamp the wire with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Per claim 12, the activating member includes a first face (labeled F1 above) configured to contact at least a portion of the force applying member and a second face (labeled F2 above) having a camming surface configured to contact at least a portion of the at least one camming member.
Per claim 13, Scanzillo discloses (see the analysis of claims 1-12 above for identification of the claimed elements in the prior art) an electrical wiring device comprising:
a housing having a plurality of cavities within an interior of the housing, a plurality of cam members, a plurality of wire receiving openings and a plurality of activating member openings, wherein one of the plurality of cam members is positioned within one of the plurality of cavities ;
a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially in one of the plurality of cavities such that the one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from a respective one of the plurality of wire receiving openings, and a respective one of the plurality of activating member openings; and
wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes:
a wire terminal having a clamp brace and a force applying member secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and a second position where a wire can be inserted through the one of the plurality of wire receiving openings and between the force applying member and the clamp brace; and
an activating member at least partially positioned in the one of the plurality of cavities and extending at least partially through the one of the plurality of activating member openings, the activating member having a first face (labeled F1 above) and a second face (labeled F2 above), wherein the first face (labeled F1 above) is interactive with the force applying member and the second face is at least partially operatively associated with the one of the plurality of cam members, such that movement of the activating member in a first direction causes the second face of the activating member to move along the one of the plurality of cam members causing the activating member to apply a force or mechanical energy to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position and movement of the activating member in a second direction removes the force or mechanical energy from the force applying member so that the force applying member can move from the second position to the first position.
Per claim 14, the force applying member is a clamping member.
Per claim 15, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Per claim 16, in the first position the wire is secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace by clamping the wire between the force applying member and the clamp brace.
Per claim 17, the activating member remains in the first position or the second position until manually moved.
Per claim 18, the movement of the activating member in the second direction is opposite the movement of the activating member in the first direction.
Per claim 19, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace.
Per claim 20, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Per claim 21, movement of the activating member in the first and second directions is relative to the force applying member or the clamp brace.
Per claim 22, movement of the activating member in the first direction is outward relative to the housing and wherein movement of the activating member in the second direction is inward relative to the housing.
Per claim 23, in the first position the force applying member can clamp the wire with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Per claim 24 Scanzillo discloses (see the analysis of claims 1-12 above for identification of the claimed elements in the prior art) an electrical wiring device comprising:
a housing having at least one cavity within an interior of the housing, at least one cam member, at least one wire receiving opening, and at least one activating member opening, wherein the at least one cam member is positioned within the at least one cavity;
at least one contact assembly, wherein the at least one contact assembly is positioned at least partially in the at least one cavity such that the at least one contact assembly is accessible from the at least one wire receiving opening, and the at least one activating member opening;
wherein the at least one contact assembly includes:
a wire terminal having a clamp brace and a force applying member secured to the clamp brace, the force applying member being movable between a first position where a wire can be secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace and a second position where a wire can be inserted through the at least one wire receiving opening and between the force applying member and the clamp brace; and
an activating member at least partially positioned in the at least one cavity and extending at least partially through the at least one activating member opening, the activating member having a first face and a second face, wherein the first face is interactive with the force applying member and the second face has a camming surface that is at least partially operatively associated with the at least one cam member such that movement of the activating member in a first direction causes the camming surface of the second face of the activating member to move along the at least one cam member causing the activating member to apply a force or mechanical energy to the force applying member causing the force applying member to move from the first position to the second position and movement of the activating member in a second direction removes the force or mechanical energy from the force applying member so that the force applying member automatically moves from the second position to the first position.
Per claim 25, the force applying member is a clamping member.
Per claim 26, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Per claim 27, in the first position the wire is secured between the force applying member and the clamp brace by clamping the wire between the force applying member and the clamp brace.
Per claim 28, the activating member remains in the first position or the second position until manually moved.
Per claim 29 the movement of the activating member in the second direction is opposite the movement of the activating member in the first direction.
Per claim 30, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace.
Per claim 31, the movement of the activating member in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Per claim 32, movement of the activating member in the first and second directions is relative to the force applying member or the clamp brace.
Per claim 33, movement of the activating member in the first direction is outward relative to the housing and wherein movement of the activating member in the second direction is inward relative to the housing.
Per claim 34, when in the first position the force applying member can clamp the wire with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS GUSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-2005. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30 - 5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached on 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROSS N GUSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834