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 .
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.
Claims 1, 6-9, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smith Publication No. US 2010/0218992.
Regarding claims 1, 8, 9, Smith discloses a grounding device [Fig. 1] for a local gas extractor, the grounding device being configured to interconnect a tubing [Fig. 1, metal tube 15], a conductive duct [Fig. 1, coupler body 11] and a coupling element [Fig. 1, 21A, 21B, 21C] of the local gas extractor to divert static electricity, the tubing comprising a metal wire [Fig. 1, grounding ring 19], wherein the grounding device comprises a conductive body with:
a head section [Fig. 1, 21A] configured to interact with a part of the metal wire [Fig. 1, mounting plate 21A interacts with the grounding ring 19] of the tubing [Fig. 1, 15]; and
a connection section [Fig. 1, 21B, 21C] configured to be arranged on the tubing in abutment with the duct and the coupling element [par. 0047 to par. 0055].
Regarding claim 6, Smith discloses that the head section comprises an aperture for receiving the metal wire [Fig. 2, the head section 21A has a hole to attach the grounding ring 19 with a screw 22].
Regarding claim 7, Smith discloses that the head section [Fig. 2, 21A] is configured to at least partly encircle a part of the metal wire [Fig. 2, grounding ring 19].
Regarding claim 12, Smith discloses that the step of arranging the coupling element [Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, 21A, 21B, 21C] around the tubing [Fig. 1, 15] and the duct [Fig. 1, 11] comprises tightening the coupling element [Fig. 1, utilizing the screws 22 as shown] such that the connection section [Fig. 1, 21B, 21C] of the grounding device [Fig. 1, 10] is clamped on the tubing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 10-11, and 13 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 2: The prior art does not disclose that the connection section comprises a first leg and a second leg configured to be arranged on opposite sides of the tubing wall. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 10: The prior art does not disclose that the step of mounting the grounding device on the tubing comprises exposing a part of the metal wire of the tubing, and mounting the grounding device with at least a part of the exposed wire inserted inside the head section of the grounding device. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 13: The prior art does not disclose that the step of arranging the coupling element around the tubing and the duct comprises arranging the coupling element, such that a part of the coupling element is retained by a retaining portion of the connection section [[(30)]] of the grounding device.
Conclusion
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DHARTI PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/DHARTI H PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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