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 .
Double Patenting
A rejection based on double patenting of the “same invention” type finds its support in the language of 35 U.S.C. 101 which states that “whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process... may obtain a patent therefor...” (Emphasis added). Thus, the term “same invention,” in this context, means an invention drawn to identical subject matter. See Miller v. Eagle Mfg. Co., 151 U.S. 186 (1894); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Ockert, 245 F.2d 467, 114 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1957).
A statutory type (35 U.S.C. 101) double patenting rejection can be overcome by canceling or amending the claims that are directed to the same invention so they are no longer coextensive in scope. The filing of a terminal disclaimer cannot overcome a double patenting rejection based upon 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claims 1-13 provisionally rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as claiming the same invention as that of claims 1-13 of copending Application No. 18/396982 (reference application). This is a provisional statutory double patenting rejection since the claims directed to the same invention have not in fact been patented.
Regarding claim 1: Copending claim 1 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 2: Copending claim 2 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 3: Copending claim 3 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 4: Copending claim 4 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 5: Copending claim 5 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 6: Copending claim 6 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 7: Copending claim 7 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 8: Copending claim 8 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 9: Copending claim 9 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 10: Copending claim 10 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 11: Copending claim 11 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 12: Copending claim 12 teaches the instant claim.
Regarding claim 13: Copending claim 13 teaches the instant claim.
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 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.
(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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a2) as being anticipated by Mills (US 5291376).
Regarding claim 1: Mills teaches an adapter (i.e. 24) to couple a wire to a solder joint, said adapter comprising a solder joint receiving hole (i.e. 62); and a wire attachment terminal (i.e. 40 and 42).
Regarding claim 2: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint receiving hole is operable to receive said solder joint.
Regarding claim 3: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint is a pin or a peg.
Regarding claim 4: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint is cylindrical, cuboid, or a prism shape, and wherein said prism is triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, pentagrammic, or octagonal.
Regarding claim 5: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint is a cone, a truncated cone, a triangular prism, or a pyramid shape, and wherein said pyramid shape is triangular, square, hexagonal, or octagonal.
Regarding claim 6: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint is made of a material with good thermal and electrical conductivity.
Regarding claim 7: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said solder joint is made from copper, brass, bronze, silver, gold, aluminum, nickel, tin, tin alloy, lead or lead alloy.
Regarding claim 8: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said wire attachment terminal is a threaded hole (i.e. 42 threaded) or a threaded cavity located within said adapter.
Regarding claim 9: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said wire attachment terminal is tube-shaped (i.e. 42 is a tube) or pipe-shaped, comprising a round (i.e. 42 is round), rectangular, square, or oval cross-section.
Regarding claim 10: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 9, wherein said wire attachment terminal is made of a material (i.e. tin of col. 3, ln. 30-34) suitable for soldering.
Regarding claim 11: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 10, wherein said wire attachment terminal comprises an air-escape hole (i.e. 40).
Regarding claim 12: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said wire attachment terminal is operable to form a crimp (i.e. under 46) upon crimping.
Regarding claim 13: Mills teaches the adapter of claim 1, wherein said adapter is at least partly made of a material with good electrical conductivity (i.e. aluminum of col. 3, ln. 30-34).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory Mangot whose telephone number is 703-756-5737. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. 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.
/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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