DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 19, 3, 4, 5, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stull US 1096070.
Regarding claim 19, Stull discloses 19 a connection arrangement for connecting a first electrical conductor (10) to a second electrical conductor (11), the connection arrangement
comprising:
a first fastening element (18, labeled FE1 below) that can be inserted into an aperture (12, labeled AP1 below) defined in the first electrical conductor and the first fastening element has a support surface (labeled SS1) with which the first fastening element is supported on a side of the first electrical conductor facing away from the second electrical conductor; and wherein
the first fastening element is sleeve-shaped and has a primary internal thread (labeled TH1) for a common primary threaded connection to a second fastening element (20, labeled FE2);
the second fastening element which has a support surface (labeled SS2) with which the second fastening element is supported on a side of the second electrical conductor facing away from the first electrical conductor; and wherein
the second fastening element is a screw which can be guided through an aperture (labeled AP2) defined in the second electrical conductor and the second fastening element can be screwed into the first fastening element when the first fastening element is received in the aperture defined in the first electrical conductor; and wherein
the first fastening element and the second fastening element, when in a screwed together state, form a common primary threaded connection that connects the first electrical conductor frictionally and inherently electrically to the second electrical conductor; and wherein
the first fastening element has a mechanical connection interface (labeled ET2) for a captive connection to the first electrical conductor; and
the mechanical connection interface of the first fastening element forms a secondary threaded connection to the first electrical conductor for captive connection of the first fastening element within the aperture defined in the first electrical conductor.
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Per claim 3 the first fastening element has a shank portion 13 which extends
from the support surface of the first fastening element into the aperture defined in the first electrical conductor, and the shank portion has the mechanical connection interface (threads) for making the captive connection of the first fastening element to the first electrical conductor within the aperture defined in the first electrical conductor.
Per claim 4, the mechanical connection interface of the first fastening element does not emerge from the aperture defined in the first electrical conductor on the side of the first electrical conductor facing the second electrical conductor when the support surface of the first fastening element is supported on the first electrical conductor.
Per claim 5, the directions of rotation of the secondary threaded connection and the primary threaded connection are opposite to each other (col 1, lines 35-45).
Per claim 8, Stull discloses an arrangement for connecting (i.e., capable of connecting) a first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor, wherein the first fastening element, and the second fastening element are each formed from a material that has a higher mechanical strength than the first electrical conductor or a higher mechanical strength than the second electrical conductor (neither of which are positively claimed elements).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 6, 7, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stull.
Regarding claim 6, Stull does not explicitly disclose that the first fastening element has a “self-tapping” thread at the threads labeled ET2 above. Inherently, the threads can be considered to be “self-tapping” to some extent given that whether or not the threads will function as “self-tapping” would depend on the relative hardnesses of the fastening element and first conductor and the insertion force used on the fastening element. Regardless, the examiner takes Official notice that “self-tapping” threads are well known in the art. It would have been obvious to form the external threads at 13 as “self-tapping” threads as was known in the art. The reason would have been to allow the fastener to be threaded into a non-threaded bore of the first conductor as was well known in the art.
Regarding claim 7, Stull discloses that the second fastening element defines a mechanical interface 23 for connection to a screwing tool to transmit a torque from the screwing tool to the respective fastening element. It would have been obvious to likewise shape the circumference of the first fastening element to have a faceted circumference, such a square or hexagonal circumference, to define a mechanical interface, as taught with regards to the interface 23 and as was well known in the art. The reason would have been to simplify the threading or unthreading of the fastening element as was known in the art.
Regarding claim 16, as noted regarding claim 7 it would have been obvious to provide the same type of mechanical interface (i.e., a faceted circumference) on both the first fastening element and in the second fastening element.
Regarding claim 17, Stull does not state that the first fastening element or the second fastening element is formed of steel. The examiner takes Official notice that steel was a well known material commonly used for fasteners such as taught in Stull. It would have been obvious to do make the Stull fasteners out of steel because of the known mechanical properties of steel, e.g., high strength and durability.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-15 and 18 are allowable.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS N GUSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-2005. The examiner can normally be reached Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 5PM EST.
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.
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/ROSS N GUSHI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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