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 § 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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen (US 7,377,802).
Regarding claims 1, 6 and 11, Allen discloses an extender for sting lights comprising:
a fused current tap comprising:
an inner box (101) having a plurality of metal blades (100) protruding from a first end (at slots 105) and slots (111) at a second end opposite to the first end for receiving a plurality of wires;
a printed circuit board (102) comprising a contact connectable to the plurality of wires (not shown, see Column 3, Lines 43-50);
an upper cover (101) covering at least a part of a top side of the inner box;
a push cover (106); and
a shell (103) configured to house the inner box, the upper cover, and the push cover, wherein the shell comprises an opening (un-numbered, see Fig. 1a) via which the plurality of metal blades are exposed; and
wherein the shall comprises a window (113) on a top surface for releasing the push cover to a position that is on top of the exposed metal blades;
wherein the first plurality of metal blades fit into corresponding plurality of slots (105) at a first end of the inner box;
and wherein the plurality of slots (109) are configured to receive a second plurality of blades of a fused current tap.
Allen substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the push cover is arranged to be on top of the upper cover and partially covering the upper cover.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to rearrange the push cover to be on top of the upper cover, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 2, in the modified fused current tap, Allen discloses one or more fuses (not shown, fuses in compartments 109, see Column 3, Lines 43-50), wherein the one or more fuses is housed in the inner box.
Regarding claims 3-4 and 8-9, in the modified fused current tap, Allen substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the number of wires connecting to the contact is 4 or 5 wires.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to duplicate number of wires to 4 or 5 wires, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Regarding claims 5 and 7, in the modified fused current tap, Allen discloses a rectifier circuit (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, in the modified fused current tap, Allen discloses the plurality of wires (not shown) extend from one end of the shell.
Regarding claim 12, in the modified fused current tap, Allen discloses the first plurality of blades and the second plurality of blades are in contact when the fused current tap and the cord connector are engaged.
Conclusion
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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