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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 8, and 14 – 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.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “jacks on a socket” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hernandez (US 9,997,860 B1) in view of Liao (US 2018/0303002 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Hernandez (US 9,997,860 B1) discloses an active panel cover (Fig 1-6), comprising a panel cover main body (100), wherein the panel cover main body is provided with a through hole (101) for exposing jacks (see Fig 6) on a socket (Abstract, Column 1, lines 50-65, Column 4, lines 35-40); the panel cover main body (100) is provided with at least one clip (108,112) on two sides of the through hole (101); each clip (108,112) comprises a protective panel (108) and a conductive sheet (112,115); the protective panel (108) is arranged on the panel cover main body (100); the conductive sheet (112,115) is embedded (see Fig 3-5) onto the protective panel (108); the conductive sheet (112,115) is provided with a conductive protrusion (at 115); and the conductive protrusion (at 115) protrudes out (see Fig 5) of an outer side (side of 108 where 115 protrudes in Fig 5) of the protective panel (108).
Hernandez does not explicitly disclose the protective panel is elastic.
Liao (US 2018/0303002 A1) teaches of a panel cover (Fig 1-2), comprising a panel cover main body (1), wherein the panel cover main body is provided with a through hole (114); the panel cover main body (1) is provided with at least one clip (115) on two sides of the through hole (114); each clip (115) comprises a protective panel (115) and a conductive sheet (14); the protective panel is elastic ([0025,0027,0035]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the panel as disclosed by Hernandez, wherein the protective panel is elastic as taught by Liao, in order to provide elasticity, firmly assemble the panel, and clasp two sides of the socket (Liao, [0025,0027,0035]).
Regarding Claim 12, Hernandez in view of Liao teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-5) according to claim 1, wherein there is one or more through hole (101).
Claim(s) 2 – 5, 9, 10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hernandez (US 9,997,860 B1) in view of Liao (US 2018/0303002 A1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Tee (US 2011/0147037 A1).
Regarding Claim 2, Hernandez in view of Liao teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Hernandez does not disclose the active panel cover according to claim 1, wherein the panel cover main body is provided with first gaps on two sides of the protective panel, and one side of each first gap is a first opening.
Tee (US 2011/0147037 A1) teaches of a panel cover (Fig 3-6), wherein a panel cover main body (30) is provided with first gaps (at 16,18; see Fig 4 showing gaps between 36 or 38 in the up-down direction in the frame 14 along the outer surface of 14) on two sides (either side of 36,38) of a protective panel (about 14), and one side (side of 14 towards 12 in Fig 4; structure shown is analogous to Applicant’s structure) of each first gap (at 16,18) is a first opening (opening in the left-right direction of Fig 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the panel as taught by Hernandez in view of Liao, wherein the panel cover main body is provided with first gaps on two sides of the protective panel, and one side of each first gap is a first opening as taught by Tee, in order to provide access for a tool, allow easy removal or disassembly, allow retainment without a screw fastener, and allow separation (Tee, [0020,0028,0035,0037]).
Regarding Claim 3, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-6) according to claim 2, wherein an insertion sliding (see Fig 3-5) chute (110a,110b) is arranged on the protection panel, and the conductive sheet (112,115) is placed in the insertion sliding chute (110a,110b).
Regarding Claim 4, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-5) according to claim 3, wherein a circumferential side (side of 108a as seen in Fig 2 around 112a is shown to be protruding away from 104) of the protective panel (108) is raised to form a reinforcing strip (not labeled; see Fig 2 showing a lip around 112a formed by 108a); one side of the reinforcing strip close to the conductive protrusion (115a) protrudes to form a surrounding edge (edge of 108a); the insertion sliding chute (110a) is enclosed by the protective panel (108), the reinforcing strip (lip or flange as part of 108a around 115a as seen in Fig 2), and the surrounding edge (edge of 108 where the protruding lip meets 108a); and the reinforcing strip extends to the first gaps (structure shown would extend to 104 and thus would extend to first gaps) and is located on peripheral sides of the first gaps.
Regarding Claim 5, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-6) according to claim 2, wherein the panel cover main body comprises a first cover plate (102) and a second cover plate (104); the protective panel and the first gaps (as taught in view of Tee) are located on the second cover plate (104); and the first cover plate (102) is connected to the second cover plate (104) to limit (see Fig 5) the conductive sheet (115,112).
Regarding Claim 9, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-5) according to claim 5, wherein the protective panel (108) is (integrally injection-molded Column 4, lines 39-46) with the second cover plate (104).
Claim 9 states “integrally injection-molded”; however in accordance to MPEP 2113, the method of forming the device is not germane to the issue of patentability of the device itself. Therefore, this limitation has not been given patentable weight. Please note that even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product, i.e. integrally injection-molded, does not depend on its method of production, i.e. ----. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Federal Circuit 1985).
Regarding Claim 10, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez further discloses the active panel cover (Fig 1-5) according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion (portion as seen in Fig 4; note that the structural limits or periphery of this claimed portion is not established in the claim language) of a side surface (side of 115 inwardly facing the socket) of the conductive protrusion away from the protective panel is a plane (see Fig 4 showing flat planar ridges at 115a).
Regarding Claim 13, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Hernandez further discloses a lamp (Fig 1-5; 200) with a panel cover (100), comprising the active panel cover according to claim 5, wherein the first cover plate (102) is connected to the second cover plate (104) to form a accommodating chamber (space for 119,200); a control circuit board (119; Column 4, lines 20-40) and a light-emitting unit (200) for emitting light are arranged in the accommodating chamber (see Fig 1-5); the light-emitting unit (200) is electrically connected to the control circuit board (Column 4, lines 20-40); and the control circuit board is connected to the conductive sheet (112) through a wire (113).
Claim(s) 6 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hernandez (US 9,997,860 B1) in view of Liao (US 2018/0303002 A1) and Tee (US 2011/0147037 A1) as applied to claim 5 above and further in view of Smith (US 2018/0241146 A1; herein referenced as “Smith’146”).
Regarding Claim 6, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including the first gaps.
Hernandez does not disclose the active panel cover according to claim 5, wherein at least one first limiting pillar is arranged on the first cover plate; the conductive sheet comprises a first sheet body and a second sheet body connected and perpendicular to the first sheet body; the conductive protrusion is located on the second sheet body; the first sheet body is located between the first cover plate and the second cover plate; the second sheet body is arranged in the insertion sliding chute; an insertion hole is formed in the first sheet body; and the first limiting pillar is arranged in the insertion hole.
Smith’146 (US 2018/0241146 A1) teaches of an active panel cover (Fig 1-7), wherein at least one first limiting pillar (38) is arranged on a first cover plate (28); a conductive sheet (50) comprises a first sheet body (52) and a second sheet body (46) connected and perpendicular ([0034]) to the first sheet body; a conductive protrusion (46) is located on the second sheet body (46); the first sheet body (52) is located between a first cover plate (28) and a second cover plate (32); the second sheet body (46) is arranged in an insertion sliding chute ([0035]); an insertion hole (56) is formed in the first sheet body (52); and the first limiting pillar (38) is arranged in the insertion hole (52).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the panel as taught by Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee, wherein at least one first limiting pillar is arranged on the first cover plate; the conductive sheet comprises a first sheet body and a second sheet body connected and perpendicular to the first sheet body; the conductive protrusion is located on the second sheet body; the first sheet body is located between the first cover plate and the second cover plate; the second sheet body is arranged in the insertion sliding chute; an insertion hole is formed in the first sheet body; and the first limiting pillar is arranged in the insertion hole as taught by Smith’146, in order to provide a securing element and provide securement (Smith’146, [0087,0088,0093,0116]).
Regarding Claim 11, Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Hernandez does not disclose the active panel cover according to claim 10, wherein a distance between the protective panels in two opposite clips gradually decreases in a direction away from the first cover plate.
Smith’146 (US 2018/0241146 A1) teaches of an active panel cover (Fig 1-2), wherein a distance between protective panels (40) in two opposite clips gradually decreases (see Fig 2F; [0034-0035]) in a direction away from a first cover plate (34).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the panel as taught by Hernandez in view of Liao and Tee, wherein a distance between the protective panels in two opposite clips gradually decreases in a direction away from the first cover plate as taught by Smith’146, in order to secure to smaller outlets and to ensure contact with electrical receptacles (Smith’146, [0023,0029-0040]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Smith (US 2017/0222417 A1; herein referenced as “Smith’417”) teaches of a cover panel comprising a reinforcing strip (702) in order to prevent unwanted accidental conductive contact ([0099]). This could be used in a future 103 Rejection. Cagne (US 2014/00083759 A1) teaches of a cover panel (Fig 3) comprising cut-out portions (57,58) which are analogous to first gaps on two sides of the protective panel and thus could be used in a 103 Rejection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSHN K VARGHESE whose telephone number is (571)270-7975. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 900 am-300 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROSHN K VARGHESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896