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 and 4-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 102021101505.
Regarding claims 1 and 9, DE ‘505 (Figure 1) discloses a cable connection device 1 with a contact carrier, the cable connection device comprising: a busbar 3; a contact arm 43 for fixing an electrical conductor between the busbar and the contact arm; and an actuator 5 cooperating with the contact arm, wherein the actuator is displaceably mounted in a guide channel 20 in an actuating direction between a released position (Figure 1) and an actuated position (Figure 2), and wherein the actuator is divided into a main body 52 and a locking body 51 in such a way that the locking body, in the actuated position of the actuator, is movable relative to the main body in a locking direction different from the actuating direction into a recess 24 in an inner wall of the guide channel to form a rear grip to lock the actuator in the actuated position.
Regarding claim 4, DE ‘505 discloses a swivel joint 53 connects the main body 52 and the locking body 51.
Regarding claim 5, DE ‘505 discloses the main body 52 and the locking body 51 are initially firmly connected to one another and can only be moved relative to one another, after overcoming a resistance.
Regarding claim 6, DE ‘505 discloses the actuator 5 has a predetermined breaking point between the main body 52 and the locking body 51.
Regarding claim 7, DE ‘505 discloses the main body 52 is arranged directly next to the contact arm 43 or partially encloses the contact arm and the locking body 51 is arranged above the main body as viewed in the actuating direction, and in that a tool engagement point 54 is formed into an end of the locking body facing away from the main body.
Regarding claim 8, DE ‘505 discloses a spring arm of a torsion spring is configured as the contact arm 43.
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) 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 102021101505.
It would have been an obvious matter of design to provide DE ‘505 with a dovetail guide since dovetails are widely used in a wide variety of applications.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834