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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7-9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mello et al 5957733.
Regarding claim 1, Mello et al (front page) discloses a mechanical lug 1 comprising: a lug body defining: a wire receptacle bore 30 (column 3, lines 48-53) therethrough along a wire axis from a first face of the lug body to a second face of the lug body opposite the first face, and a wire binding screw (WBS) bore 28 extending from a third face of the lug body into the wire receptacle bore along a screw axis that is lateral to the wire axis, wherein the wire receptacle bore has a cross-sectional shape relative to the wire axis that includes opposed clamping surfaces (lower surfaces of bore 30) that converge toward one another in a direction away from the WBS, wherein the clamping surfaces are configured to clamp a wire urged into the opposed clamping surfaces by a WBS in the WBS bore.
Regarding claim 2, Mello et al discloses a cylindrical fillet surface (unnumbered) joins the two clamping surfaces.
Regarding claim 7, Mello et al discloses the WBS bore 28 includes female threads extending helically about the screw axis.
Regarding claim 8, Mello et al discloses a WBS 8 with male threads engaged to the female threads of the WBS bore 28.
Regarding claim 9, Mello et al discloses the WBS 8 includes an axial end face in the wire receptacle bore, wherein the WBS is configured to clamp a wire between the axial end face and the clamping surfaces.
Regarding claim 17, Mello et al discloses a connection flange 14 extending from the lug body 6, with a fastener bore 42 defined through the connection flange configured for fastening the lug body to a housing body 4.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mello et al as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Grunwald 8932089.
Regarding claim 10, Grunwald (front page) discloses the axial end face includes a circumferential rim (unnumbered, lower face of 4) extending around the screw axis surrounding an end pocket 6 defined in the axial end face, wherein the circumferential rim and the end pocket are configured to deform a section of a wire in the wire receptacle bore so that the circumferential rim presses into the wire and a portion of the wire extends radially outward relative to the rim along the screw axis, into the end pocket to secure the wire in the lug body in case of differential thermal expansion causing the wire to loosen preloading relative to the lug body and to the WBS. Thus it would have been obvious to form the WBS of Mello et al in this way, for better engagement with an inserted wire.
Regarding claim 11, Grunwald discloses the end pocket 6 defines a conical surface extending inward into the WBS 4 from the circumferential rim along the screw axis.
Regarding claim 12, Mello et al (as modified by Grunwald) discloses the wire clamped in the wire receptacle bore by the WBS with a section of the wire extending into the end pocket along the screw axis.
Regarding claims 13-15, the wire is not positively recited, and thus Mello et al (as modified by Grunwald) is deemed to disclose the positively recited structure.
Regarding claims 18-20, the references are applied as above.
Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mello et al as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Carr 7931508.
Carr (front page) discloses multiple clamping sets 11, and to provide Mello et al with same thus would have been obvious, to allow interconnection of plural wires.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 3-6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the cross-sectional shape of the wire receptacle bore is a rectangular shape including a pair of flat surfaces opposed to the clamping surfaces; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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