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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement filed July 15, 2024 has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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)(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 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Ebeling (US 8,668,347).
Regarding claim 12, Ebeling discloses an active cover plate (422; see figure 22) extending in longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions that are orthogonal to one another, the active cover plate (422) comprising: a front plate (see figure 22) comprising a front surface, a back surface, and an electrical receptacle aperture (see figure 22), wherein the electrical receptacle aperture (see figure 22) extends through the front plate in the transverse direction (see figure 22); a prong (column 6 lines 64-67; protrusion hooks, teeth and the like; see figure 22) connecting to the front plate at a location outboard of the electrical receptacle aperture (see figure 22), the prong (see figure 23) extending rearward away from the front plate in the transverse direction (see figure 2); and a back plate (400) comprising a protrusion (126, 128) extending from a back surface of the back plate in the transverse direction (see figure 22), wherein the protrusion (126, 128) comprises an outboard wall and a pair of lateral walls, each lateral wall of the pair of lateral walls joined to a respective opposing edge of the outboard wall (see figure 23; column 6 lines 45-54).
Regarding claim 13, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein the protrusion (126,128; see figure 23) is an integrally molded feature of the back plate (400) and the outboard wall and lateral wall define a partially enclosed volume (see figure 23).
Regarding claim 14, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein the protrusion (126, 128) comprises insulation (part of the plate 400) that covers at least a portion of an outboard side of the prong (see figure 23).
Regarding claim 15, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein the outboard wall and the lateral wall of the protrusion comprise a U channel with the prong (column 6 lines 45-54) at least partially disposed within an interior volume enclosed by the U channel (see figure 23).
Regarding claim 16, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein lateral compression of the prong (see figure 23; column 6 lines 64-67; protrusion hooks, teeth and the like) brings the prong into contact with the protrusion (126,128).
Regarding claim 17, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein lateral compression of the prong (column 6 lines 64-67; “protrusion hooks, teeth and the like”) brings the prong into direct contact with an inner side of the outboard wall of the protrusion (126,128).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-11 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ebeling (US 8,668,347) in view of Gokcebay et al (US 6,297,670; hereinafter Gokcebay).
Regarding claim 1, Ebeling discloses an active cover plate (100) comprising: a face plate (122); and a prong (126, 128) extending from the face plate (122), wherein the prong (126) comprises: an upright (see figure 2); but Ebeling lacks the prong comprising at least one aperture; and a resilient contact having a fixed end and a free end; wherein the resilient contact is secured to the upright at the fixed end and extends along the upright to the free end; wherein the upright is wider than the resilient contact; wherein the resilient contact is disposed on an inboard side of the upright; and wherein at least a portion of the resilient contact extends over the at least one aperture in the upright. Gokcebay teaches a prong (89) comprising at least one aperture (see figure 8F); and a resilient contact (see figure 8F) having a fixed end and a free end ; wherein the resilient contact (see figure 8F) is secured to the upright at the fixed end and extends along the upright to the free end (see figure 8F); wherein the upright is wider than the resilient contact (see figure 8F); wherein the resilient contact is disposed on an inboard side of the upright; and wherein at least a portion of the resilient contact extends over the at least one aperture in the upright (see figure 8F). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide to Ebeling’s cover plate with a prong comprising at least one aperture and a resilient contact as taught by Gokcebay to provide means for improving the electrical connection between the faceplate and the electrical receptacle.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein the resilient contact (as taught by Gokcebay) further comprises a middle portion between the fixed end and the free end (as taught by Gokcebay ; see figure 8F), wherein at least part of the middle portion extends over the at least one aperture in the upright (as taught by Gokcebay; see figure 8F).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), in which lateral compression of the resilient contact (as taught by Gokcebay) brings the middle portion closer to the at least one aperture and moves the free end with respect to the upright (as taught by Gokcebay).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein: the prong (as taught by Gokcebay) further comprises a base extending at an angle from the upright, the base (as taught by Gokcebay; see figure 8F) comprising a wire connection feature; the upright, the resilient contact, and the base are formed from a single piece of sheet metal (as taught by Gokcebay; column 7 line 32) ; and the active cover plate (100) further comprises a circuit (134), and a wire (133) connected to the base to make an electrical connection between the circuit and the prong (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein: the at least one aperture (see figure 8F; as taught by Gokcebay) as comprises a rectangular aperture through the upright, the rectangular aperture comprising a first short side, a second short side, a first long side and a second long side (see figure 8F; as taught by Gokcebay); and the fixed end of the resilient contact is connected to the upright at a location proximate the first short side of the rectangular aperture and the resilient contact extends over the rectangular aperture with the free end of the resilient contact being more proximate the second short side than the first short side of the rectangular aperture (see figure 8F; as taught by Gokcebay).
Regarding claim 6, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), further comprising electrical insulation (tabs 126, 128), wherein the upright comprises at least one additional aperture (column 6 line 45-column 7 line 14), wherein the upright is at least partially secured to the electrical insulation using the at least one additional aperture (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein a portion of the electrical insulation extends through the at least one additional aperture in the upright (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), further comprising electrical insulation (tabs 126, 128), wherein the upright comprises edges, wherein the edges engage with the electrical insulation to at least partially secure the upright to the electrical insulation (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 9, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein the upright (see figure 2) comprises shoulders proximal to the face plate that are wider than portions of the upright that are more distal from the face plate (column 7 lines 45-54) .
Regarding claim 10, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), wherein the resilient contact (see figure 8F; as taught by Gokcebay) comprises a first resilient contact; and wherein the prong (see figure 8F; as taught by Gokcebay); but the modified Ebeling lacks a second aperture and a second resilient contact extending over the second aperture, wherein the second resilient contact is longitudinally spaced from the first resilient contact. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to add a second aperture and a second resilient contact extending over the second aperture, wherein the second resilient contact is longitudinally spaced from the first resilient contact to improve the electrical connectivity between the faceplate and the electrical receptacle. Furthermore, it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8 (1977).
Regarding claim 11, Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (100), further comprising a rear insulator (see figure 2; 126,128; column 6 lines 45-54), wherein the rear insulator comprises an outboard wall from the upright (see figure 2; column 6 lines 45-54), wherein an outboard surface of the upright and an inboard surface of the outboard wall are substantially flat, parallel, contiguous and fixed relative to each other (see figure 2).
Regarding claim 18, Ebeling discloses the claimed invention except for the prong comprises a cantilever comprising a fixed end connected to a support and a free end, wherein the free end of the prong is configured to contact an inner side of the outboard wall of the protrusion when the cantilever is deformed. Gokcebay teaches a prong (89) comprising a cantilever (see figure 8f) comprising a fixed end connected to a support and a free end, wherein the free end of the prong is configured to contact an inner side of the outboard wall of a protrusion when the cantilever is deformed (see figure 8f). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide to Ebeling’s cover plate with a prong comprising a cantilever comprising a fixed end connected to a support and a free end, wherein the free end of the prong is configured to contact an inner side of the outboard wall of the protrusion when the cantilever is deformed as taught by Gokcebay to provide means for improving the electrical connection between the faceplate and the electrical receptacle.
Regarding claim 19, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein contact between the free end of the cantilever and the outboard wall of the protrusion increases bending stiffness of the prong (as taught by Gokcebay).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Ebeling discloses the active cover plate (see figure 23), wherein contact between the free end of the cantilever and inner wall of the protrusion changes bending behavior of the cantilever (as taught by Gokcebay).
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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July 24, 2026
/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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