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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “a support point” in lines 10 and 16 of claims 1 and 4, line 2; “a support contour” in lines 2 and 3 of claim 6; “a support structure” in claim 7, “the at least two superimposed and interconnected layers of metal components lie flat to each other in a plane running substantially perpendicular to the conductor insertion direction of the spring-loaded clamping connection” in claim 8; and “at least part of the support structure is located below the spring arc of the clamping spring and / or extends into the spring arc of the clamping spring” in claim 9 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 1, line 1, “at least the head section” should be –the at least one head section”;
Claim 1, line 17, “the same mandrel” should be –the at least one mandrel--;
Claim 2, line 2, “the same spring arc” should be –the spring arc--;
Claim 3, line 2, line 1, --the-- should be inserted before “at least”;
Claim 3, line 2, “a clamping spring” should be --at least one clamping spring--;
Claim 3, line 3, “the spring arc” should be --a spring arc--;
Claim 5, line 1, “its” should be changed --the--;
Claim 6, line 2, “the free end of the attachment leg” should be –a free end of an attachment leg--;
Claim 10, “the mandrels” lack an antecedent basis;
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, lines 9-10 and 15-16, what “which” refers to?
Claim 1, line 19, what “such” refers to?
Claim 2, lines 2-3, “disposed on opposite sides each laterally at the edge of the spring arc” are confusing.
Claim 3, line 3, what “it” refers to?
Claim 4, line 3, what “which” refers to?
Claim 5, line 1, what “its” refers to?
Claim 7 is confusing how is “at least one clamping spring is supported by a support structure which has at least two superimposed and interconnected layers of metal components”?
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 1, 3, 6 and 10, insofar as the claims can be understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wu (11,646,511).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a conductor terminal comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 2) with at least two conductor insertion openings (12); and
at least two spring-loaded clamping connections (33, Fig. 4) arranged in the housing and accessible via the conductor insertion openings to connect electrical conductors (A, Fig. 7), the spring-loaded clamping connections being electrically conductively interconnected by a bus bar arrangement (21 and 30 , Fig. 4) comprising:
at least one clamping spring (333, Fig. 4) of a spring-loaded clamping connection (33) is supported by at least one mandrel (21 and 32), which ends with at least one head section (322D; an upper protrusion between 322A and 323A; and 322B, Figs. 5 and 8) in a spring arc (322D in the spring arc, Fig. 3) of the clamping spring and extends to a support point on the housing which is located outside of the spring arc, at least the head section protruding laterally beyond the edge of the spring arc (the upper protrusion between 322A and 323A that beyond the edge of the spring arc, Fig. 3) and is received and supported in a receiving groove (321, Fig. 6) of a part of the housing; or
Regarding claim 3, the at least one head section protruding laterally beyond the edge of the spring arc of a clamping spring extends into the spring arc (at 322B) of an adjacent clamping spring and supports it.
Regarding claim 6, Fig. 7 shows a free end (331) of an attachment leg is supported on a support contour (311) of the bus bar arrangement when the clamping spring is deflected.
Regarding claim 10, the at least one mandrel (21, Fig. 4) extends through at least one opening (313, Fig. 4) of the bus bar arrangement (Fig. 6).
Claims 1 and 4-5, insofar as the claims can be understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wu (11,646,511).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a conductor terminal comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 2) with at least two conductor insertion openings (12); and
at least two spring-loaded clamping connections (33, Fig. 4) arranged in the housing and accessible via the conductor insertion openings to connect electrical conductors (A, Fig. 7), the spring-loaded clamping connections being electrically conductively interconnected by a bus bar arrangement (31 and 32, Fig. 4) comprising:
the bus bar arrangement has at least one retaining tab (32, Fig. 8) for holding at least one clamping spring (Fig. 6), the retaining tab having at least one lateral retaining plate (323, Fig. 8) which is received in a retaining groove (321, Fig. 6) of at least part of the housing for support.
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 3 shows the retaining tab ends in a spring arc (322D in 333, Fig. 6) of the clamping spring and extends to a support point on the bus bar arrangement which lies outside the spring arc.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 2 shows the retaining tab, with its at least one lateral retaining plate (a plate that located between 323A and 322A, Fig. 8) protrudes beyond the edge of the spring arc (a upper surface of the retaining plate (Fig. 3).
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul Riyami can be reached at 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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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 08/21/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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