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 Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 7 recites "in the base bore", should read "in the first base bore". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 9 recites "received with the", should read "received in the". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al [KR 102166720 B1.
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses a connector system to provide electrical grounding connections, the connector system (see Fig 1-2) comprising: a base (100) that includes a base body (100), a base bore (121) extending into the base body (100) along a base axis that defines an axial direction, a lay-in slot (122) that opens at a sidewall of the base body (100) and forms a base conductor channel (122) that intersects the base bore (121); and a plug (200) that includes a first end (211) with a first diameter sized to be received in the base bore (121), and a second end (230), axially opposite the first end (211); the base conductor channel (122) receiving a longitudinal portion of a conductor (2) into the lay-in slot (122) at the sidewall so that the conductor (2) extends through the base conductor channel (122) to intersect the base bore (121); and in an assembled configuration, the first end (211) of the plug (200) extending into the base bore (121), with the plug (200) aligned with the conductor (2) along the base axis to deform (transmits a fixing force to the conductor 2) the conductor (2) in the axial direction.
Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Kim further discloses a grounding rod (1) having a first end coupled to the base (100) at one end and a second end insertable into a ground surface (see Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 9, Kim further discloses the base bore (121) is a first base bore extending axially into the base body (100) at a first axial end; and wherein the base (100) further includes a second base bore (110) extending axially into the base body (100) at a second axial end opposite the first axial end, the second base bore (110) receiving the first end of the grounding rod (1).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim discloses all the limitations of claim 9, Kim further discloses the second base bore (110) is a tapered bore (see Fig 4), and the first base bore (121) is not a tapered bore.
Claim(s) 1, 8-9, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ciampini [US 5503575 A].
Regarding Claim 1, Ciampini discloses a connector system to provide electrical grounding connections, the connector system (20, Fig 1) comprising: a base (22) that includes a base body (22), a base bore (30) extending into the base body (22) along a base axis that defines an axial direction, a lay-in slot (32) that opens at a sidewall of the base body (22) and forms a base conductor channel (32) that intersects the base bore (30) [see Column 1, lines 50-63]; and a plug (36) that includes a first end (38) with a first diameter sized to be received in the base bore (30), and a second end (40), axially opposite the first end (38); the base conductor channel (32) receiving a longitudinal portion of a conductor (34) into the lay-in slot (32) at the sidewall so that the conductor (34) extends through the base conductor channel (32) to intersect the base bore (30); and in an assembled configuration, the first end (38) of the plug (36) extending into the base bore (30), with the plug (36) aligned with the conductor (34) along the base axis to deform the conductor (34) in the axial direction [see Column 2, lines 6-16].
Regarding Claim 8, Ciampini discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Ciampini further discloses a grounding rod (44) having a first end coupled to the base (22) at one end and a second end insertable into a ground surface (see Fig 4).
Regarding Claim 9, Ciampini discloses all the limitations of claim 9, Ciampini further discloses the base bore (30) is a first base bore extending axially into the base body (22) at a first axial end (26); and wherein the base (22) further includes a second base bore (42) extending axially into the base body (22) at a second axial end (28) opposite the first axial end (26), the second base bore (42) receiving the first end of the grounding rod (44).
Regarding Claim 17, Ciampini discloses a method of electrically grounding one or more conductors (34), the method comprising: inserting a longitudinal portion of a conductor (34) into a lay-in slot (32) that opens at a sidewall of a base body (22) of a connector system (20); sliding the longitudinal portion of the conductor (34) along a base conductor channel (32) formed by the lay-in slot (32), so that the conductor (34) intersects a first base bore (30), the first base bore (30) extending in an axial direction along a base axis into the base body (22), from a first end (26) of the base body (22); and inserting a first end (38) of a plug (36) of the connector system (20) into the base bore (30) at the first end (26) of the base body (22); and hammering a second end (40) of the plug (36), opposite the first end (38, see Column 2, lines 6-15), to place the connector system (20) in an assembled configuration in which a first diameter of the plug (36) is secured within the first base bore (30) and of the first end (38) of the plug (36) is aligned with the conductor (34) along the base axis to deform the conductor (34) in the axial direction.
Regarding Claim 18, Ciampini discloses all the limitations of claim 17, Ciampini further discloses before hammering the second end (40) of the plug (36), inserting an end of a grounding rod (44) into a second base bore (42) of the base body (22) that extends into the base body (22) at a second end (28) of the base body (22), opposite the first end (26).
Regarding Claim 19, Ciampini discloses a connector system (20, Fig 1) to provide electrical grounding connections, the connector system (20) comprising: a base (22) that includes a base body (22), a first base bore (30) extending into the base body (22) along a base axis at a first axial end (26) of the base (22), a second base bore (42) extending axially into the base body (22) at a second axial end (28) opposite the first axial end (26), and a base conductor channel (32) that is formed by a lay-in slot (32) and intersects the base bore (30); a plug (36) that includes a first end (38) sized to be received in the base bore (30), and a second end (40), axially opposite the first end (38); and a grounding rod (44) with a first end received with the second base bore (42) and a second end insertable into a ground surface (see Fig 4); the lay-in slot (32) including an opening at a sidewall of the base body (22) to receive a longitudinal portion of a conductor (34) into the base conductor channel (32), a first portion extending from the opening transverse to the base axis and a second portion extending from the first portion along the base bore to a seat portion at an inner end of the lay-in slot (32, see Fig 3); and in an assembled configuration, the longitudinal portion of the conductor (34) being seated on the seat portion ( where the slot 32 intersects the bore 30) and the first end of the plug (36) extending within the base bore (30) to deform the conductor (34) axially past the seat portion [see Column 2, lines 6-16].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 11-16 and 20 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.
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a second portion extending from the first portion substantially parallel to the base axis and along the base bore, along with all other limitations of Claims 2 and 1.
Claims 3-7 are objected to as they are dependent on Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 11, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose the second end of the plug has a second diameter sized to be received within the cap bore, along with all other limitations of Claims 11 and 1.
Claims 12-16 are objected to as they are dependent on Claim 11.
Regarding Claim 20, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose the second end of the plug is sized to be received within the cap bore, along with all other limitations of Claims 20 and 19.
Conclusion
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/T.R./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834