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 .
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) 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Weeks et al 7642457.
Regarding claim 1, Weeks et al (primarily Figure 9) discloses an electrical socket device with a shutter, comprising a cover plate 10 and a socket assembly 50, the socket assembly comprising at least one socket, the cover plate being provided with at least one set of slots 52,54 corresponding to the at least one socket, each set of slots comprising a left slot and a right slot, each socket comprising a left plug bush 2134 and a right plug bush 2132, wherein a shutter assembly is provided between each socket and one corresponding set of slots, the shutter assembly being arranged at an inner side of the cover plate, and comprising a first shutter 40 and a second shutter 20 arranged along a distribution direction of the left and right slots, the first shutter being inserted into the second shutter, and a shutter spring 30 being provided between the first shutter and the second shutter; when there are no pins inserted into the left and right slots, the first shutter and the second shutter form a dual protection to the left and right plug bushes under the action of the shutter spring; when both the left and right slots have pins inserted therein, the first shutter and the second shutter move rightward and leftward, respectively, under the push of the pins, releasing the dual protection to the left and right plug bushes; and when a foreign object is inserted into one of the left and right slots, one of the first shutter and the second shutter corresponding to the one of the left or right slots in which the foreign object foreign object is inserted moves, maintaining one of the dual protection to the left and right plug bushes.
Regarding claim 2, Weeks et al discloses the first shutter comprises a first splitter plate 40, a left end face of the first splitter plate acts as a left limit end face 466, a left inclined block 462 is set above a left side of the first splitter plate, a left end face of the left inclined block is an inclined face, a right end face of the left inclined block is provided with a left spring seat 460, and a first window 44 is provided on the first splitter plate; the second shutter comprises a second splitter plate 23, a right inclined block 284 is provided on the second splitter plate, a right end face of the right inclined block is an inclined face, a left end face of the right inclined block is provided with a right spring seat 280, two lateral sides of the
second splitter plate along a width direction thereof are provided with inner guide plates 22 for facilitating an insertion of the first shutter, a second window 25 and an auxiliary window 24 are provided on and arranged along a length direction of the second splitter plate, a groove (adjacent 26) is provided between the right inclined block and the second splitter plate for facilitating extension of a right end of the first splitter plate therethrough, and the second shutter is provided with a right limit end face (unnumbered); when both the left and right slots have pins inserted therein, the first window and the auxiliary window serve as a channel for inserting of the pin into the right plug bush, and the second window serves as a channel for inserting of the pin into the left plug bush.
Regarding claim 3, Weeks et al (column 5, lines 27-32) discloses the first splitter plate is provided with a first self-locking protrusion, and the right inclined block is provided with a second self-locking protrusion.
Regarding claim 4, Weeks et al discloses the inclined face of the left inclined block 462 and the inclined face of the right inclined block 284 are inclined towards each other.
Regarding claim 6, Weeks et al discloses a support frame (unnumbered) is provided above the socket to support the shutter assembly, and windows corresponding to left and right plug bushes are provided on the support frame.
35 USC 103 Rejection
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.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weeks et al.
Regarding claim 5, Weeks et al (column 10, lines 57-59) discloses guide (registration) means between the cover plate and shutter assembly. To form the guide means as a left baffle plate, a right baffle plate, a front guide plate, a rear guide plate and an upper baffle plate provided at an inner side of the cover plate corresponding to each socket assembly; wherein, during installation, the left limit end face of the shutter assembly is positioned by the left baffle plate, and the right limit end face of the shutter assembly is positioned by the right baffle plate; would have been an obvious way of forming the guide means.
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