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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph 0032, 0033, the specification refers to avoidance grooves 11d, 11e, however, these numbers are not found in drawings see figure 5.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a, 1) as being anticipated by Rexroad 4121067.
For claim 1, Rexroad figure 4 connector includes a housing with top wall 219 bottom wall 221 side walls 237, 237, having elastic parts at their ends, a pair of terminals 213, 215, in the housing with inner sides and outer sides, the elastic arms pressing on outer sides of the terminals to bias the terminals into contact with mating terminals and a pair of connecting members 231, 233 ratably connecting the terminals to the housing.
For claim 2, terminals 213, 215 are rigid components and a contact force is provided by the elastic arms.
For claim 3, the housing has front and rear parts defined by ends of plates 237, 237 terminal end portions are located in the parts, and the elastic arms include front and rear portions.
For claim 4, the front elastic arms apply a first contact pressure to front end portions of the terminals and the rear elastic arms apply force on the rear ends of the terminals.
For claim 6, the terminals each include multiple laminations 213, 215 each one formed with holes for pins 231, 233, see figure 6.
For claim 7, lines 2, 3, do not define structural features to avoid rejection and number of laminations exceeds three.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rexroad.
For claim 8, a slot hole for pin 233 is shown as formed in top wall for pin 233. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Rexroad to form such hole in bottom wall to enable terminals to self-adjust for size of inserted bar.
For claim 9, term “rotating shaft” do not overcome pins 231, 233, since it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Rexroad to form the pins to allow terminals to rotate, this enabling terminals to self-adjust as connection bars are inserted. Also, there is no need for tight fit of the pins in terminal holes.
For claims 10 and 11, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Rexroad to use threaded ends of pins, nuts and washers as these are standard ways to secure items mounted on a pin or shaft.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the reference as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Fu 12,738718.
Rexroad lacks insulative housing. Fu shows insulative housing. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Rexroad to add such features so as to protect the device.
Claims 5, 13-20 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NEIL ABRAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-2089. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8-5pm..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TC Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NEIL ABRAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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