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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 12, 14, 16-18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Filippi (US 4,008,937).
Regarding claim 1, Filippi discloses a grounding ring, comprising:
a first clamping member (36) having a radially inward side and a radially outward side, the radially outward side at least in part defining a channel (58); and
a second clamping member (50) disposable within the channel so as to prohibit the second clamping member from moving in an axial direction with respect to the first clamping member, the second clamping member being rotatable with respect to the first clamping member within the channel about the axial direction.
Regarding claim 2, Filippi discloses the second clamping member comprises a first attachment portion (72a) and a second attachment portion (72, see Fig. 5), and wherein the grounding ring further comprises a third clamping member (82, 106) attachable to the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion so as to maintain the second clamping member within the channel and in contact with the first clamping member.
Regarding claim 3, Filippi substantially disclosed the claimed invention except to mention the third clamping member comprises an elastic member.
This feature is seen to be an inherent teaching since the third clamping member was structurely formed by a thin wire. One skill in the art understood that structure must has an elasticity property to function as intended.
Regarding claim 5, Filippi discloses the first clamping member has a first clamping member radius of curvature, wherein the second clamping member has a second clamping member radius of curvature, and wherein the first clamping member radius of curvature is approximately equal to the second clamping member radius of curvature (see Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 6, Filippi discloses the channel comprises at least two channel walls (60, 62) that extend in a radial direction.
Regarding claim 7, Filippi discloses the first clamping member comprises: a first arc section (36); and a second arc section (36), and wherein the first arc section and second arc section are rotatably attached to one another (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Filippi discloses a method of grounding a protective covering of an electrical connection, the method comprising:
disposing a radially inward side of a first clamping member (36) around the protective covering (24, 26), a radially outward side of the first clamping member at least in part defining a channel (58); and
disposing a second clamping member (50) within the channel so as to prohibit the second clamping member from moving in an axial direction with respect to the first clamping member, the second clamping member being rotatable with respect to the first clamping member about the axial direction.
Regarding claim 14, Filippi discloses affixing a third clamping member (38, 82) to the second clamping member so as to secure the second clamping member within the channel.
Regarding claim 16, Filippi discloses the first clamping member comprises: a first arc section (36); and a second arc section (36), and wherein the first arc section and second arc section are rotatably attached to one another (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Filippi discloses the first arc section and second arc section each have a rotation end and a fastening end, the fastening end being disposed opposite the rotation end on a respective arc section, and wherein the first arc section and second arc section are rotatably attached to one another at the rotation ends (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 18, Filippi discloses disposing the radially inward side of the first clamping member around the protective covering comprises bringing the fastening end of the first arc section closer to the fastening end of the second arc section.
Regarding claim 20, Filippi discloses the first clamping member has a first clamping member radius of curvature, wherein the second clamping member has a second clamping member radius of curvature, and wherein the first clamping member radius of curvature is approximately equal to the second clamping member radius of curvature.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 4, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Filippi (US 4,008,937) in view of Gardner et al. (US 2010/0261390).
Filippi substantially disclosed the claimed invention except a ground carrier for attaching a grounding wire.
Gardner et al. teach a ground carrier (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the ground carrier into Filippi’s grounding ring unit, as taught by for connecting to a ground wire.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11 and 19 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.
Conclusion
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834