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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is too lengthy. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
Claims 7 – 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 10,381,752 (“Kaehny”) in view of U.S. Pub. No. 2022/0181747 (“Yanagida”).
Regarding claim 7, Kaehny discloses a contact-protected screw connection, comprising:
a male screw connector (31);
a female screw connector (32),
wherein the male screw connector (31) has a connecting screw (6) which extends along a longitudinal axis in a screwing direction toward the female screw connector, and is screwed into a nut portion (6) of the female screw connector (32), the connecting screw having a connecting screw head (47, see Fig. 3);
a first electrical conductor (5) through which the connecting screw extends along the longitudinal axis, the connecting screw head being arranged on a screw head side (upper side of 5), facing away from the nut portion (6 of member 32), of the first electric conductor;
a first protective cover (34) for the male screw connector, which cover, in relation to the longitudinal axis, surrounds the connecting screw head spaced apart radially at least in portions (see 34 spaced radially from portion 46, Fig. 5);
a second protective cover (34) for the female screw connector;
a second electrical conductor (5) from which the nut portion extends at least in regions in a nut direction counter to the screwing direction toward the first electrical conductor (see Fig. 3),
wherein the second protective cover surrounds this region of the nut portion at least in portions and spaced apart radially from the latter,
wherein the nut portion extends in the nut direction from the second electrical conductor as far as a nut end surface (see Fig. 5),
wherein the nut portion has a nut cap (15), the nut cap surrounding the nut portion radially at least in portions (see Fig. 3), and protruding at least in portions beyond the nut portion in the nut direction (see Fig. 3), and the nut cap further having a nut cap recess (hole through 15), through which the connecting screw is screwed into the nut portion (see Figs. 3 and 5); and
a connecting sleeve (11) of the male screw connector, which connecting sleeve connects the first and the second electrical conductors in an electrically conducting manner and surrounds the connecting screw spaced apart radially and within the first protective cover (see Fig. 3).
Kaehny does not disclose wherein the connecting sleeve protrudes at least in portions beyond the first protective cover in the screwing direction.
However, Yanagida teaches a screw connection assembly, including a screw member with a connecting sleeve which protrudes at least in portions beyond a protective cover in a screwing direction (see sleeve members 116/66A in Figures 15 and 19). It would have been obvious to form the cover and sleeve so that the sleeve protruded beyond the cover as taught by Yanagida, because this decreases the material used in forming the cover on the first connector, decreasing manufacturing costs.
Regarding claim 8, Kaehny discloses wherein
the connecting screw head is covered at least in portions by a screw head cover (34).
Regarding claim 8, Kaehny discloses wherein
the screw head cover (34) has a screw head profile for applying a torque to the screw head of the connecting screw (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Kaehny discloses wherein
the connecting sleeve is configured as a separate component with respect to the first electrical conductor (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Kaehny discloses wherein
the nut portion is configured in a nut sleeve (18 is a sleeve portion of the nut), and
the nut sleeve is connected in a positively locking or integrally joined manner to the second electrical conductor (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Kaehny discloses wherein
the connecting sleeve (11) has a first axial end surface which is oriented orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second axial end surface which is spaced apart axially from and is parallel to the first axial end surface (11 has upper and lower ends),
the first axial end surface makes contact with the first electrical conductor (see Fig. 3), and
the second axial end surface makes contact with the second electrical conductor (electrical connection with 5, and physical/electrical connection with lower 11/5, see Fig. 3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Buechling, Ellensohn, and Linse disclose contact-protected screw connectors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2833
/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831