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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lowery et al. (US Patent 6250973 B1).
As per claim 1, Lowery teaches a structure (shown in figure 1), for changing an inner diameter (of 10) of a circular terminal (along 10), comprising spacers 12, wherein the spacers 12 have an outer diameter (along 4, see figure 3 and 4) consistent (along 12) with an outer diameter (along 4, see figure 3 and 4) of a terminal 10 matching with the spacers 12, the spacers 12 are configured to be circumferentially distributed with clamping mechanisms (along 26, see column 3, lines 1-10), a circle (along 12) formed around multi-groups (along 2 shown in figure 2) of the clamping mechanisms (along 26, see column 3, lines 1-10) has a diameter consistent (along 12) with an inner diameter (of 10) of the terminal 10; and the spacers 12 are further configured with connecting holes 17 for matching with a binding post (along 17), and two sets (12 along top and bottom portions, shown in figure 1) of the spacers 12 are connected to the terminal 10 via the clamping mechanisms (along 26, see column 3, lines 1-10) to be as a whole (shown in figure 1) and then connected to the binding post (along 17).
As per claim 2, Lowery teaches a structure (shown in figure 1), for changing the inner diameter (of 10) of the circular terminal (along 10), wherein the clamping mechanisms (along 26, see column 3, lines 1-10) comprise mounting holes 20 and clamping pieces 26, the mounting holes 20 are circumferentially distributed in the spacers 12, and the clamping pieces 26 are configured within the mounting holes 20.
As per claim 3, Lowery teaches a structure (shown in figure 1), for changing the inner diameter (of 10) of the circular terminal (along 10), wherein the mounting holes 20 and the clamping pieces 26 are formed as an integrated structure (shown in figure 1) (shown in figure 1) by means of stamping equipment (along 10, see column 3-4, lines 64-67 and 1-5) stamped onto the spacers 12.
As per claim 5, Lowery teaches a structure (shown in figure 1), for changing the inner diameter (of 10) of the circular terminal (along 10), wherein the connecting holes 17 are eccentrically opened on the spacers 12, and centers of the connecting holes 17 are not concentric with centers of the spacers 12 and the clamping mechanisms (along 26, see column 3, lines 1-10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As per claim 4, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: for changing the inner diameter of the circular terminal, wherein the clamping pieces have Z-shaped sheet structures.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday.
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, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (571)270-3119. 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.
/Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831