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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Cancellation
The cancellation of claims 1-19 have been made of record.
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 20-24, 26, 28, 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 103367935 B (herein CN935)
In reference to claim 20, CN935 teaches a contact carrier (shown in figure 1) apparatus, comprising: a contact carrier (1; fig. 7), having a connection region (near lead line 18; fig. 7) at a cable connection side (near lead line 12; fig. 7), and at least one contact chamber (interior space of 1 which houses 2, 21; fig. 7), which is open at the cable connection side, for receiving a contact unit (2, 21; fig. 7); a holding plate (16; fig. 7) which is connectable and fixable at the cable connection side to the contact carrier, the holding plate having an actuation opening (13) for each at least one contact chamber (near lead line 61; fig. 7), and a connection opening (12; fig. 7), which is adjacent to the actuation opening (13) and/or connected to the actuation opening (13), for inserting an electrical conductor (3; fig. 10) at the cable connection side into the at least one contact chamber in an insertion direction, wherein the contact carrier apparatus has, at each actuation opening, an actuator (4; fig. 7) arranged at least partially in the corresponding contact chamber and held therein so as to be actuatable in an actuation direction, for releasing the electrical conductor from the contact unit, wherein the actuator has a holding portion (D; shown in the illustration below ) having an engagement surface (wall surface inside 42; fig. 3) ,an actuation portion (43; fig. 3) having two lateral actuation arms (A; shown in the illustration below) extending in the actuation direction, and an actuation web (B; shown in the illustration below) which connects ends of the two lateral actuation arms (122), for actuating the contact unit, wherein the actuator is of open design (see hollow opening near lead line 43; fig. 3) between the two lateral actuation arms (A) in a region between the actuation web (B) and the holding portion (D), and wherein a stiffening rib (44; fig. 3) is formed at an outside on each of the two lateral actuation arms of the actuator (1').
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In reference to claim 21, CN935 teaches wherein the actuation direction and the insertion direction extend parallel to one another.
In reference to claim 22, CN935 teaches wherein the stiffening ribs of the actuator extend in the actuation direction.
In reference to claim 23, CN935 teaches wherein a length, measured in the actuation direction, of each stiffening rib corresponds to more than two thirds of a length, measured in the actuation direction, of the actuator.
In reference to claim 24, CN935 teaches wherein the stiffening ribs extend over approximately an entire actuation portion of the actuator and further into the holding portion (D) of the actuator (See D shown in the illustration below).
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In reference to claim 26, CN935 teaches wherein each of the two stiffening ribs (44) is at least half as wide as a narrow-side surface of the holding portion (D).
In reference to claim 28, CN935 teaches wherein, in an installed state, the actuator is in a recessed arrangement in a system formed from the contact carrier and the holding plate that is latched together with the contact carrier, or the actuator terminates flush with the holding plate (see fig. 2 where the actuator terminates flush with the holding plate).
In reference to claim 29, CN935 teaches wherein, for facilitating installation, the contact carrier has, within the contact chamber on two mutually opposite inner surfaces of the contact chamber, in each case one inwardly directed installation strip (19; fig. 7) extending in an insertion direction.
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.
Claims 25, 27 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 103367935 B ( herein CN935).
In reference to claim 25, CN935 substantially teaches the claimed invention.
However CN935 does not teach wherein a thickness of each of the stiffening ribs at least corresponds to, or is greater than, a thickness of the actuation arm on which the respective stiffening rib is formed.
It would have been an obvious matter of changing the size of the stiffening ribs or the actuation arm thickness, since such a modification would have been a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. Modifying the thickness of the stiffening ribs or the actuation arm thickness to arrive at the results of claim 25 is seen as an obvious modification.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the size of thickness of the stiffening ribs or the actuation arm thickness to arrive at the results of claim 25. The actuator still operates in the contact carrier, therefore new results are not produced.
In reference to claim 27, CN935 substantially teaches the claimed invention.
However CN935 does not teach wherein each of the two stiffening ribs and a narrow-side surface of the holding portion have a same width.
It would have been an obvious matter of changing the size of the two stiffening ribs so that the two stiffening ribs and a narrow-side surface of the holding portion have a same width, since such a modification would have been a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the size of the two stiffening ribs to arrive at the results of claim 27. The actuator still operates in the contact carrier, therefore new results are not produced.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 30-38 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS SLOAN CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRAVIS S CHAMBERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 06/05/2026
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