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
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 1: “Strand protective” should be corrected to - -A strand protective- -;
Claim 2, lines 3-4: “a clamping jaw” should be corrected to - -the clamping jaw - -, antecedent basis found in claim 1;
Claim 3, line 2: “claim 2” should be corrected to - -claim 3- -, antecedent basis for “end edge” is found in claim 3, not claim 2;
Claim 9, line 1: “Electrical plug” should be corrected to - -An electrical plug- -;
Claim 10, line 1: “Electrical plug” should be corrected to - -An electrical plug- -;
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Worsham (US 9,660,357).
Regarding claim 1: Worsham teaches a strand protective plate 27 (Fig. 1) for clamping a strand 32 of an electric cable 31 in a strand clamping body 21 by means of a clamping screw 24 which acts on the strand protective plate 27 and is screwed into the strand clamping body 21 (see Figs. 1-2), wherein the strand protective plate 27 has a strand clamping tongue 29 for bearing against the strand 32 (see Fig. 1) and a bent-over region (e.g. left hand vertical portion between sections 28 and 29; see Fig. 5) and a contact region (at 28; Fig. 5) for bearing against the strand clamping body 21 (see Figs. 1-2), wherein the strand clamping tongue 29 is connected by means of the bent-over region to the contact region (e.g. all regions are connected to one another; see Fig. 5) and a leadthrough opening 30 for guiding the clamping screw 24 through is arranged in the contact region (see Figs. 1-2), wherein at least one clamping jaw (e.g. distal ends of plate 27, located to the right of opening 30; see Fig. 5) is formed on the contact region adjacent to the leadthrough opening 30 for fixedly clamping the clamping screw 24 which is guided through the leadthrough opening 30 (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 2: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein on the contact region (at 28; Fig. 5) on opposite sides of the leadthrough opening 30 and adjacent to the leadthrough opening 30 the clamping jaw (e.g. distal ends of plate 27, located to the right of opening 30; see Fig. 5) is formed in each case for fixedly clamping the clamping screw 24 which is guided through the leadthrough opening 30 between the clamping jaws (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 3: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein each clamping jaw or jaws, preferably each thereof, has a freely projecting end edge for engagement with a thread of the clamping screw 24 (e.g. clamping screw 24 engages with multiple edges and surfaces of plate 27; see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 7: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the at least one clamping jaw or jaws (e.g. distal ends of plate 27, located to the right of opening 30; see Fig. 5), preferably each thereof, is or are is arranged, at least for the most in part, on the side of the contact region (at 28; Fig. 5) opposite the strand clamping tongue 29 (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein at least one of: the entire strand protective plate 27 is formed in one piece (see Fig. 5), preferably as a stamped and bent part (see Fig. 5), or a fixing lug angled relative to the contact region is arranged on the contact region on the side opposite the bent-over region.
Regarding claim 9: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches an electrical plug contact 18a comprising a contact pin 19 and a strand clamping body 21 and a clamping screw 24 screwed into the strand clamping body (see Figs. 1-2) and a strand protective plate 27 according to claim 1,wherein the clamping screw 24 is passed through the leadthrough opening 30 in the contact region of the strand protective plate 27 and is screwed into the strand clamping body 21 and is held in a clamping manner by means of the at least one clamping jaw (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 10: Worsham teaches all the limitations of claim 9 and further teaches an electrical plug 10 for transmitting electrical power and/or electrical signals (Col. 1, lines 14-22), wherein the plug 10 comprises a plug housing 12 and at least one electrical plug contact 18a according to claim 9 (see Figs. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Dvorachek (US 4,401,357) teaches an electrical contact comprising a spring clip and screw to engage a cable conductor within;
Heng (US 5,192,234) teaches a terminal and clamping element within a housing to hold a wire within via a screw;
Neese (US 7,445,526) teaches a terminal and a spring configured to connector a wire within via a screw;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896