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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-9, 15-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Köllmann et al. (US 20150372402), hereinafter Köllmann.
Regarding claim 1, Köllmann discloses a wiring device (connecting clamp 16, Fig. 4), comprising: a housing (housing made from insulating material 17, Fig. 4) and an electrical terminal (resilient clamping contact 1, Fig. 1) disposed at least partially within the housing (Fig. 4); and a wire terminal (resilient clamping element 3, Fig. 2) arranged and configured to mechanically and electrically secure a line-voltage AC electrical wire to the electrical terminal, the wire terminal including: an actuator (actuating lever 19, pivot bearing section 21, Fig. 4) moveable between a first position (Fig. 4) and a second position (Fig. 5); and a spring clamp including an opening, the opening at least partially defining an electrical wire receiving space (conductor insertion opening 24, Fig. 4) to selectively receive an electrical wire (Abstract, “A resilient clamping contact (1) for contacting electrical conductors”), the spring clamp including an extended leg (clamping limb 6, Fig. 1) extending therefrom, the extended leg configured to interact with the actuator (Figs. 4-5); wherein, in the second position (Fig. 4), the actuator interacts and biases the extended leg so that a portion of the spring clamp moves with respect to the electrical terminal to enlarge the electrical wire receiving space to allow an electrical wire to be received therein (pivot bearing 21 and actuating contour 23 push on clamping limb 6 to open clamping contact 3 to receive a conductor/wire); and wherein, in the first position, the actuator allows the portion of the spring clamp to return to an initial configuration (Fig. 5), the initial configuration arranged and configured to reduce the electrical wire receiving space (see Fig. 5 in the closed position), wherein if an electrical wire is present, the electrical wire is biased into contact with the electrical terminal to securely retain the electrical wire within the electrical wire receiving space and in contact with the electrical terminal (Par. 0037, “an electrical conductor (not illustrated) that is inserted into the conductor insertion opening 24 is fixedly clamped in an electrically conductive and mechanical manner as a result of the force of the resilient clamping element 3 by means of the clamping edge on the free clamping section 7 and the contact edge 13 on the current rail 2”).
Regarding claim 2, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator (pivot bearing section 21 rotates between open and closed in Figs. 4-5) arranged and configured to rotate between the first position (Fig. 5) and the second position (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 2, wherein the rotary actuator includes a lever arm (actuating lever 19, Fig. 4) and a cam (actuating contour 23, Fig. 4), the cam being rotationally offset from the lever arm, the cam being arranged and configured to contact the extended leg of the spring clamp when the rotary actuator is in the second position (see Fig. 4, contour 23 contacting limb 6 and pushing clamping section 7 away from current rail 2).
Regarding claim 4, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 3, wherein, when the rotary actuator is in the first position, the cam exerts a reduced contact force on the extended leg of the spring clamp to allow the spring clamp to bias the electrical wire into contact with the electrical terminal (see Fig. 5 where contour 23 is in rest position).
Regarding claim 5, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 3, wherein, when the rotary actuator is in the first position, the cam exerts no contact force on the extended leg of the spring clamp to allow the spring clamp to bias the electrical wire into contact with the electrical terminal (Par. 0037, “In the illustrated closed final position [Fig. 5], the clamping limb 6 is no longer lying on the actuating section 23 so that the resilient clamping element 3 can move unimpaired by means the actuating lever 19”).
Regarding claim 6, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 3, wherein the cam is oriented an approximate ninety-degree angle relative to the lever arm (Par. 0037, “The actuating contour 23 has rotated as a result of the pivot bearing section 21 pivoting by approx. 90°”).
Regarding claim 8, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 2, wherein the spring clamp further includes a first leg (lateral connecting pieces 9a, 9b, and transverse connecting pieces 10, 11, Fig. 6-7) arranged and configured to contact the electrical terminal, a second leg (contacting limb 4, Fig. 6-7) having a first end coupled to an end of the first leg, and a third leg (clamping element bend 5, Fig. 7) coupled to a second end of the second leg, the extended leg (clamping limb 6, Fig. 7) extending away from the third leg.
Regarding claim 9, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 8, wherein the electrical terminal includes a tab (retaining protrusion 26, Fig. 7) formed thereon, the first leg includes an opening (opening 12, Fig. 6), the opening of the first leg arranged and configured to receive the tab to couple the spring clamp to the electrical terminal (see Figs. 6-7).
Regarding claim 15, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 2, wherein the spring clamp further includes a plurality of segments including first (lateral connecting pieces 9a, 9b, and transverse connecting pieces 10, 11, Fig. 6-7) and second segments (contacting limb 4, Fig. 6-7), wherein: the first segment is arranged and configured to contact the electrical terminal (Fig. 5); and the second segment is coupled to the first segment and the extended leg (see Fig. 6-7).
Regarding claim 16, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of segments further comprises a third segment (clamping element bend 5, Fig. 7), wherein the second segment is coupled to the first segment via the third segment (see Fig. 6-7).
Regarding claim 17, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a lever (actuating lever 19, Fig. 4), the lever being pivotable between the first and second positions (Figs. 4-5).
Regarding claim 18, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 1, wherein the electrical wire receiving space is arranged and configured to receive an electrical wire (Abstract, electrical conductors) having one of a plurality different wire gauges selected from No. 8 AWG, No. 10 AWG, No. 12 AWG, and No. 14 AWG (Par. 0032, “multi-strand electrical conductor”).
Regarding claim 20, Köllmann discloses the wiring device of claim 1, wherein the electrical terminal further comprises a plurality of electrical terminals (resilient clamping contact 1, Fig. 1) and the wiring device is selected from one of: a plug, wherein each terminal comprises a blade; or a connector (connecting clamp 16, Fig. 4-5), wherein each terminal comprises a contact (current rail 2, Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 10-14, and 19 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:
Regarding claim 7, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art of record not fairly showing, suggesting, or teaching the wiring device of claim 3, further comprising a secondary mechanical spring arranged and configured to contact the cam of the rotary actuator to bias the rotary actuator into the first position, as recited in claim 7. These limitations are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record taken alone or in combination.
Regarding claim 10, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art of record not fairly showing, suggesting, or teaching the wiring device of claim 8, wherein the third leg includes the opening of the spring clamp, the opening of the spring clamp defining an inner surface, the inner surface arranged and configured to contact the electrical wire when in the first position, as recited in claim 10. These limitations are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record taken alone or in combination. Claims 11-14 are dependent on claim 10 and are therefore allowable for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 19, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art of record not fairly showing, suggesting, or teaching the wiring device of claim 1, further comprising a secondary mechanical spring arranged and configured to bias the actuator into the first position, as recited in claim 19. These limitations are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record taken alone or in combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schafmeister (US 8,444,443) discloses an electrical connection terminal having a clamping spring and a conductor insertion opening where an actuating lever is used to open and close the clamp spring.
Weiden (US 9,252,520) discloses a multi-wire connection system including a plurality of spring-loaded connector modules and a single actuator to operate all of the modules at once.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeffrey Mountain whose telephone number is (703)756-1939. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30am - 6:30pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JEFFREY MOUNTAIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights