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 .
Drawing Objections
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 hinge point of claim 2, and the seat snap-fitting at the opening of the upper end of the housing (claim 7) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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 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.
Claim Objection
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: it is unclear what the “groove structure” is. Appropriate correction is required.
35 USC 102 Rejections
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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Burmeister 2003/0232533.
Regarding claim 1, Burmeister (front page) discloses a power distribution (PDU) power acquisition apparatus, comprising: at least two power transmission conductors 7 (on opposing sides of 5 in Figure 2) and an electrical connection assembly, wherein the electrical connection assembly comprises at least two power acquisition structures, the at least two power transmission conductors are made of a conductive material and are rigid, the at least two power acquisition structures are deformable structures, a press-contact type power acquisition is achieved between the at least two power acquisition structures and the at least two power transmission conductors by the at least two power acquisition structures squeezing the at least two power transmission conductors, the electrical connection assembly further comprises a casing 10,18, each of the at least two power acquisition structures comprises a power acquisition sheet 28,30 and an elastic structure 34,34, the power acquisition sheet is made of a rigid conductive material, an accommodating groove (unnumbered) is provided in the casing 18, the power acquisition sheet is movably arranged in the accommodating groove, the elastic structure is mounted in the casing, a first end 36 of the elastic structure abuts against the casing and a second end 38 of the elastic structure abuts against the power acquisition sheet, and a terminal of the power acquisition sheet contacts in press-contact type with one of the at least two power transmission conductors under an elastic force of the elastic structure.
Regarding claim 2, Burmeister discloses a hinge point is provided at a middle part of the power acquisition sheet 28,30 at which the power acquisition sheet is hinged with the casing 10,18, and the power acquisition sheet is configured to swing around the hinge point in the accommodating groove, a first end of the elastic structure abuts against the casing, and a second end of the elastic structure abuts against an upper end of the power acquisition sheet, and a lower end of the power acquisition sheet contacts in press-contact type with the one of the at least two power transmission conductors under the elastic force of the elastic structure.
Regarding claim 3, Burmeister discloses the power acquisition sheet 28,30 is arranged outside the one of the at least two power transmission conductors 7.
Regarding claim 4, Burmeister discloses the power acquisition sheet 28,30 is obliquely arranged from inside to outside and from top to bottom.
Regarding claim 5, Burmeister discloses the at least two power transmission conductors 7 are obliquely arranged from inside to outside and from top to bottom.
Regarding claim 6, Burmeister discloses the elastic structure is arranged in the accommodating groove and comprises a fixing portion 36, an elastic portion 34 and an abutting portion 38, the elastic portion is arranged at a middle part of the elastic structure and has elasticity, the fixing portion is integrally connected to a first end of the elastic portion, the abutting portion is integrally connected to a second end of the elastic portion, the fixing portion is fixedly connected to or abuts against an inner side wall of the accommodating groove, and the abutting portion abuts against a lower end of the power acquisition sheet 30,28.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 7 and 8 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the pre-assembled seat snap-fits at the opening of the upper end of the housing, and the electrical connection assembly is inserted into the pre-assembled seat and contacts in press-contact type with the one of the at least two power transmission conductors; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834