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
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 1 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Benzie et al. (US 2021/0102402).
In the preamble, only the “configurable interface” per se as being positively claimed while it is intended to use in “an electronic component”.
The recitation that “for an electronic component” has not been given patentable weight because it has been held that a preamble is denied the effect of a limitation where the claim is drawn to a structure and the portion of the claim following the preamble is a self-contained description of the structure not depending for completeness upon the introductory clause. Kropa v. Robie, 88 USPQ 478 (CCPA 1951).
Regarding claim 1, Benzie et al. disclose a configurable interface, comprising:
a keying insert (562) configured to provide a plurality of distinct keying options (can accept multiple different keys, such as, a tenant key and a master key), the keying insert including a keyway (564) offset from an axis passing through a center of the keying insert; and
an interface plate having an opening (154) for receiving the keying insert.
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Benzie et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the configurable interface being used with an electronic component.
It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitation. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
Regarding claim 10, Benzie et al. disclose a lip that is substantially flush with the interface plate while the keying insert is received in the opening.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 and 11 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.
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Claims 12-14, the prior art of record failed to teach the method comprising attaching a bushing having a recess to the interface plate and inserting a tab of a retention cover into the recess of the bushing.
Claims 15-20, the prior art of record failed to teach the interface having a first opening for receiving the basket and a second opening for receiving the keying insert. The prior art also failed to teach a retention cover having a tab configured to extend into the recess of the bushing.
Conclusion
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834