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 Objections
Claim 7, line 3, --and-- should be inserted before “;”;
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)(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.
Claims 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ding (11,557,869).
Regarding claim 6, Ding discloses a system for connecting electrical signals between a plurality of trunk sections of an artificial tree comprising:
a first trunk section (613, Fig. 7) of said plurality of trunk sections of said artificial tree;
a second trunk section (612, Fig. 7) of said plurality of trunk sections of said artificial tree that connects to said first trunk section;
a plug (20’, Fig. 2) having a plug cylindrical housing;
a plug curved guide sheath (27, Fig. 2) attached externally to said plug cylindrical housing, said plug curved guide sheath having plug rotational alignment surfaces (side edges of 27) that extend from said plug cylindrical housing by a first predetermined amount;
a socket (10’, Fig. 2) having a socket cylindrical housing (171);
a socket curved guide sheath (pointed at 10, Fig. 2) attached externally to said socket cylindrical housing, said socket curved guide sheath having socket rotational alignment surfaces (side edges of 171) that extend from said socket cylindrical housing by a second predetermined amount and that abut against said plug rotational alignment surfaces to rotationally align said plug and said socket (Fig. 1);
socket connector receptacles (111, Fig. 2) disposed in said socket cylindrical housing;
plug connector pins (25, Fig. 2) disposed on said plug cylindrical housing and extend from said plug cylindrical housing by an amount that is less than said first predetermined amount and said second predetermined amount so that said plug connector pins are aligned with said socket connector receptacles prior to said plug connector pins touching said socket cylindrical housing.
Regarding claim 7, additional trunk sections (611 and other side of 612, Fig. 7);
additional plugs (20) on said additional trunk sections; and
additional sockets (10) on said additional trunk sections.
Regarding claim 8, plug collars (other side of 20 opposites to 27, Fig. 2) disposed on said plugs that secure said plug to said first trunk section and secure said additional plugs to said additional trunk sections;
socket collars (other side of 13 that opposites to 11, Fig. 2) disposed on said socket that secure said socket to said second trunk section and secure said additional sockets to said additional trunk sections.
Regarding claims 9-10, the features in the method claims are identical to those in the apparatus claims; therefore, the method of connecting electrical signals between a plurality of trunk sections of a trunk of an artificial tree alone is not a patentable feature.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 08/15/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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