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, 2, 4-6 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mori 10,256,577.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Mori (Figures 1-4) discloses a terminal block comprising: a terminal block body 10,32 including one or more terminals 20 each having two ends serving as electrical connection points, the terminal block body being configured to be attached to a case 50 by being fitted to an attachment portion of the case; and an annular elastic seal 24 arranged to seal a connection between the attachment portion and the terminal block body, wherein: the terminal block body further includes a protrusion portion configured to press and fix the elastic seal against a flat attachment surface 51 of the attachment portion without moving the elastic seal in an attachment direction during attachment to the attachment portion, and the elastic member seal includes a compression portion 41a configured to be squashed and pressed against the attachment surface by the protrusion during attachment.
Regarding claim 2, Mori discloses the elastic seal 24 further includes a catch portion 42a configured to be caught on an upper surface 52 of the attachment portion during attachment.
Regarding claim 4, Mori discloses the terminal block body 10,32 further includes a seat (Figure 4, just to the left of the distal end of reference numeral 24) on which a distal end of the compression portion 41a is placed in an initial state before attachment.
Regarding claim 5, Mori discloses the protrusion further includes a flat pressing portion configured to, along with the attachment surface 51, sandwich and support the elastic seal 24 during attachment.
Regarding claim 6, Mori discloses the protrusion includes an inclined surface 37 configured to squash the compression portion 41a during attachment.
Regarding claim 9, Mori discloses the compression portion is non-parallel with the attachment surface 51 so as to form an angle with the attachment surface.
Regarding claim 10, Mori discloses a distal end of the compression portion 41a has a quadrangular shape in cross section.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 3, 7 and 8 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: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the force point and support point; no the compression portion includes: a base end having an inclined surface configured to come into contact with the inclined surface of the terminal block body; and a thick wall extending distally from the base end and being thicker than the base end; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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