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.
Claim(s) 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1029a)(1) as being anticipated by Tedeschi 9,331,427. Regarding claim 21, Tadeschi discloses an electrical wiring device 10,100 (100 shows a plurality of device 10) comprising: a housing 20 and (fig. 10 housing not numbered) having an interior that is at least partially hollow, a plurality of wire openings (fig. 10), a plurality of actuator openings (for actuator 40) and (fig. 10), and a plurality of blade openings (for blades 33), (fig. 10), wherein each of the plurality of wire openings and each of the plurality of actuator openings provides access from an exterior of a rear of the housing to the hollow portion of the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of blade openings provides access from an exterior of a front of the housing to the hollow portion of the housing; and a plurality of contact assemblies 30, 30 positioned in the hollow portion of the housing such that one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from one of the plurality of wire openings, one of the plurality of actuator openings and one of the plurality of blade openings (see fig. 2); wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes: a contact member 30 aligned with the one of the plurality of blade openings in the housing; a wire terminal 32 including a clamp brace electrically connected to the contact member and a clamping member 32 electrically connected to the clamp brace 38, the clamping member being movable between a closed position where a wire can be clamped by the clamping member, 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 extending at least partially through the one of the plurality of actuator openings in the housing, the actuator being 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 movement of the actuator in the first direction is outward relative to the housing and wherein movement of the actuator in the second direction is inward relative to the housing.
Regarding claim 29, when in the closed position the clamping member can clamp the wire to the wire terminal with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Regarding claim 30, the electrical wiring device comprises one of a twist-lock receptacle, a duplex receptacle and a single receptacle.
Regarding claim 31, Tedeschi discloses (as noted above in claim 21) an electrical wiring device comprising 10,100, a housing (figs 4 and 10) having an interior that is at least partially hollow, a plurality of wire openings, a plurality of actuator openings and a plurality of blade openings, wherein each of the plurality of wire openings and each of the plurality of actuator openings provides access from an exterior of a rear of the housing to the hollow portion of the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of blade openings provides access from an exterior of a front of the housing to the hollow portion of the housing; and a plurality of contact assemblies positioned in the hollow portion of the housing such that one of the plurality of contact assemblies is accessible from one of the plurality of wire openings, one of the plurality of actuator openings and one of the plurality of blade openings; wherein each of the plurality of the contact assemblies includes: a contact member aligned with the one of the plurality of blade openings in the housing; a wire terminal including a clamp brace electrically connected to the contact member and a clamping member electrically connected to the clamp brace, the clamping member being movable between a closed here a wire can be clamped by the clamping member, 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 extending at least partially through the one of the plurality of actuator openings in the housing, the actuator being 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 32, the clamping member is a clamp spring.
Regarding claim 33, the clamping member remains in the closed position or the open position until the actuator is manually moved.
Regarding claim 34, the movement of the actuator in the second direction is opposite the movement of the actuator in the first direction.
Regarding claim 35, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is parallel to the clamp brace.
Regarding claim 36, the movement of the actuator in the first direction and the second direction is linear.
Regarding claim 37, movement of the actuator in the first and second directions is relative to the clamping member.
Regarding claim 38 movement of the actuator in the first direction is outward relative to the housing and wherein movement of the actuator in the second direction is inward relative to the housing.
Regarding claim 39, when in the closed position the clamping member can clamp the wire to the wire terminal with a force that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire.
Regarding claim 40, the electrical wiring device comprises one of a twist-lock receptacle, a duplex receptacle and a single receptacle.
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.
/Briggitte R. Hammond/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833