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
Claims 1-6, 8-9, 12-14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1-8, line 1 “Electrical contact element” should read “An electrical contact element”
In claims 9-17, line 1 “Contact assembly” should read “A contact assembly”
In claim 18, line 1 “Set” should read “A set”
In claim 19, line 1 “Method” should read “A method”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hotea et al. (US Patent Application Publication 20100197178 A1).
As per claim 1, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, for mating with a mating contact 30, the electrical contact element 1 comprising: at least one elastically deflectable spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element which has at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) for contacting the mating contact 30 and is designed to generate a contact force (see paragraph 6) acting on the mating contact 30 during (along 30, see in figure 13) operation, at least one section (along 27 or 28) made of a shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) being integrated into the at least one contact element 1 and being transformable from a first shape (along 28) into a second shape (along 27) depending on a temperature (along 2, see paragraph 34) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34), wherein the at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) in the force-free state of the contact element 1 is located in the first shape (along 28) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a first contact position (along 28, shown in figure 11) and in the second shape (along 27) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a second contact position (along 27, shown in figure 11).
As per claim 2, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) has a one-way memory effect (see paragraph 56).
As per claim 3, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) has a two-way memory effect (see paragraph 56).
As per claim 4, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein the contact element 1 has a receptacle (along 15) for inserting the mating contact 30, and at least one spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element in the second shape (along 27) is moved towards the receptacle (along 15) relative to the first shape (along 28).
As per claim 5, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein the contact element 1 has an external dimension (15 along H) in the first shape (along 28) which is smaller than in the second shape (along 27).
As per claim 6, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein the at least one spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element is formed by a tongue (end portion of 22) punched out of the remaining contact element 1.
As per claim 7, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein the contact element 1 is configured to deform automatically from the first shape (along 28) to the second shape (along 27) when an electric current (see paragraph 61) flowing through the contact element 1 exceeds a predetermined minimum value (see paragraph 33).
As per claim 8, Hotea teaches an electrical contact element 1, wherein the contact element 1 is a contact element 1 from the following group of contact element 1s: a radial spring (along 30, see in figure 13) bent (along 22, 23) into a ring (along 30, see in figure 13); a crown spring 38; a shielding sleeve 16; a contact pin (along 30); a crimp plug 4; a crimp socket 14; a clamp 10; an insert for a clamp 10.
As per claim 9, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), comprising: a contact element 1 and a mating contact 30 mated with the contact element 1, the contact element 1 comprising: at least one elastically deflectable spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element which has at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) for contacting the mating contact 30 and is designed to generate a contact force (see paragraph 6) acting on the mating contact 30 during (along 30, see in figure 13) operation, at least one section (along 27 or 28) made of a shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) being integrated into the at least one contact element 1 and being transformable from a first shape (along 28) into a second shape (along 27) depending on a temperature (along 2, see paragraph 34) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34), wherein the at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) in the force-free state of the contact element 1 is located in the first shape (along 28) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a first contact position (along 28, shown in figure 11) and in the second shape (along 27) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a second contact position (along 27, shown in figure 11), wherein a contact force (see paragraph 6) exerted by the contact element 1 on the mating contact 30 is smaller in the first shape (along 28) than in the second shape (along 27).
As per claim 10, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein in the first shape (along 28) an arca of a contact surface (see paragraph 50), at which the contact element 1 and the mating contact 30 come into contact, is smaller than in the second shape (along 27).
As per claim 11, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein the contact assembly (2, 16 and 17) has a first intended operating state (seen in figure 11-13) (seen in figure 13) for conducting a current (see paragraph 61) between the contact element 1 and the mating contact 30 and a second intended operating state (seen in figure 11-13) (seen in figure 13) for conducting a current (see paragraph 61) between the contact element 1 and the mating contact 30, wherein the contact assembly (2, 16 and 17) is in the first operating state (seen in figure 11-13) when the contact element 1 is in the first shape (along 28) and is in the second operating state (seen in figure 11-13) when the contact element 1 is in the second shape (along 27).
As per claim 12, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) has a one-way memory effect (see paragraph 56).
As per claim 13, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the at least one section (along 27 or 28) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) has a two-way memory effect (see paragraph 56).
As per claim 14, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein the contact element 1 has a receptacle (along 15) for inserting the mating contact 30, and at least one spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element in the second shape (along 27) is moved towards the receptacle (along 15) relative to the first shape (along 28).
As per claim 15, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein the contact element 1 has an external dimension (15 along H) in the first shape (along 28) which is smaller than in the second shape (along 27).
As per claim 16, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein the at least one spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element is formed by a tongue (end portion of 22) punched out of the remaining contact element 1.
As per claim 17, Hotea teaches a contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), wherein the contact element 1 is configured to deform automatically from the first shape (along 28) to the second shape (along 27) when an electric current (see paragraph 61) flowing through the contact element 1 exceeds a predetermined minimum value (see paragraph 33).
As per claim 18, Hotea teaches a set (see paragraph 3-4), comprising: a plurality of contact element 1s, each contact element 1 comprising: a contact element 1 and a mating contact 30 mated with the contact element 1, the contact element 1 comprising: at least one elastically deflectable spring (along 30, see in figure 13) element which has at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) for contacting the mating contact 30 and is designed to generate a contact force (see paragraph 6) acting on the mating contact 30 during (along 30, see in figure 13) operation, at least one section (along 27 or 28) made of a shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) being integrated into the at least one contact element 1 and being transformable from a first shape (along 28) into a second shape (along 27) depending on a temperature (along 2, see paragraph 34) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34), wherein the at least one contact point (shown in figure 11-13) in the force-free state of the contact element 1 is located in the first shape (along 28) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a first contact position (along 28, shown in figure 11) and in the second shape (along 27) of the section (along 27 or 28) made of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) at a second contact position (along 27, shown in figure 11), wherein the set (see paragraph 3-4) comprises first contact element 1s of the contact element 1s having a section (along 27 or 28) made of shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) in a first configuration (seen in figure 9) and second contact elements (along 31, see paragraph 46) of the contact element 1s having a section (along 27 or 28) made of shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) in a second configuration (seen in figure 13) different from the first configuration (seen in figure 9), wherein the first contact element 1s and the second contact elements (along 31, see paragraph 46) are of identical design except for the section (along 27 or 28) of shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34).
As per claim 19, Hotea teaches a method, for automatically securing (along 30, see in figure 13) an electrical contact assembly (2, 16 and 17), which has a contact element 1 and a mating contact 30 mated with the contact element 1, wherein the contact element 1 has at least one section (along 27 or 28) made of a shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34), the method comprising: deforming automatically the contact element 1 from a first shape (along 28) into a second shape (along 27) when a temperature (along 2, see paragraph 34) of the shape memory material (along 2, see paragraph 34) increases due to at least one of vibrations and/or a current (see paragraph 61) flow between the contact element 1 and the mating contact 30, wherein the contact force (see paragraph 6) exerted by the contact element 1 on the mating contact 30 is lower in the first shape (along 28) than in the second shape (along 27).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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