31427DETAILED 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 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 3, change “the exterior” to - -an exterior- -. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 21-28 and 30-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tedeschi 9,331,427. Regarding claim 21, Tedeschi discloses an electrical wiring device 10,100 comprising: a body 20 having an interior that is at least partially hollow, a plurality of blade openings providing access from the exterior of the body to the hollow interior of the body, and a cable opening that provides access from an exterior of the body to the hollow interior of the body; and a plurality of contact assemblies 30,30 positioned in the hollow interior of the body, wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes: a contact member having a contact blade 33 aligned with one of the plurality of blade openings such that the contact blade can pass through the one of the plurality of blade openings and extend from the body; a wire terminal including a clamp brace 38 electrically connected to the contact member and a clamping member 32 electrically connected to the clamp brace, the clamping member being movable between a closed position where a wire can be clamped by the clamping member to the wire terminal, and an open position where the wire can be positioned so that the clamping member can clamp the wire to the wire terminal; and an actuator 40 that is interactive with the clamping member such that movement of the actuator in a first direction causes the actuator to move the clamping member from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the actuator in a second direction moves the clamping member from the open position to the closed position.
Regarding claim 22, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Regarding claim 23, the clamping member remains in the closed position or the open position until the actuator is manually moved.
Regarding claim 24, the movement of the actuator in the second direction is opposite the movement of the actuator in the first direction.
Regarding claim 25, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace.
Regarding claim 26, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Regarding claim 27, movement of the actuator in the first and second directions is relative to the clamping member.
Regarding claim 28, when in the closed position the clamping member can clamp the wire with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Regarding claim 30, Tedeschi discloses an electrical wiring device 10,100 comprising: a body 20 having an interior that is at least partially hollow, a plurality of blade openings providing access from the exterior of the body to the hollow interior of the body, and a cable opening that provides access from an exterior of the body to the hollow interior of the body; and a plurality of contact assemblies positioned in the hollow interior of the body, wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes: a contact member having a contact blade 33 aligned with one of the plurality of blade openings such that the contact blade can pass through the one of the plurality of blade openings and extend from the body; a wire terminal 30 including a clamp brace 38 electrically connected to the contact member and a clamping member 35 electrically connected to the clamp brace, the clamping member being movable between a closed position where a wire can be clamped by the clamping member to the wire terminal, and an open position where the wire can be positioned so that the clamping member can clamp the wire to the wire terminal; and an actuator 40 that is interactive with the clamping member such that movement of the actuator in a first direction from a first position to a second position causes the actuator to move the clamping member from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the actuator in a second direction permits the clamping member to automatically move from the open position to the closed position, wherein the clamping member remains in the closed position or the open position until the actuator is manually moved.
Regarding claim 31, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Regarding claim 32, the movement of the actuator in the second direction is opposite the movement of the actuator in the first direction.
Regarding claim 33, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace.
Regarding claim 34, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Regarding claim 35, wherein movement of the actuator in the first and second directions is relative to the clamping member.
Regarding claim 36, the wire can be clamped by the clamping member such that the wire is clamped between the clamping member and the clamp brace.
Regarding claim 37, when in the closed position the clamping member can clamp the wire with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 29 and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tedeschi in view of Toly 7,114,986. Tedeschi discloses the invention substantially as claimed except for the wiring device comprises a power cord plug. Wiring devices comprising a power cord plug are well known in the art as evidenced by Toly. Toly discloses an electrical wiring device comprising a power cord plug. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify the electrical wiring device of Tedeschi by providing a power cord plug as taught by Toly for meeting the needs of the customer’s mating electrical connections in order to gain the market share associated with that customer as taught by Toly in the background information.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
/Briggitte R. Hammond/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833