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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/16/2024 was filed after the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
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 surrounding surface of claims 3 and 4 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3, 4, 8 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 6 recites, “the conductor insertion direction,” claim should be amended to recite –a conductor insertion direction--.
Claim 3 lines 1 and 2 recite, “the clamping edge,” and, “the surrounding surface,” claim should be amended to recite –a clamping edge-- and –a surrounding surface--.
Claim 4 line 2 recites, “the surrounding surface,” claim should be amended to recite –a surrounding surface--.
Claim 8 line 2 recites, “the circumferential direction,” claim should be amended to recite –a circumferential direction--.
Claim 11 lines 1-3 recite, “the clamping edge,” “the first elevation,” “the second elevation,” “the third elevation,” “the material,” claim should be amended to recite –a clamping edge--, --a first elevation--, --a second elevation--, --a third elevation--, --a material--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 4 is 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.
The recitation, “one second elevation designed to be higher than the surrounding surface of the busbar after the receiving contour in the conductor insertion direction,” of claim 4 lines 1-3 is vague and indefinite because according the drawings and specification, 32 is disclosed as the claimed second elevation; however, it appears that the second elevation 32 is lower than all other parts of busbar 3. How can the second elevation 32 be higher than anything on the busbar 3? What and where is the surrounding surface exactly? Is there another structure below the second elevation 32 like the claim states, if so what figure discloses this construction?
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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) 1-3, 5, 6 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 202013101751 U1.
Regarding claim 1, DE ‘751 discloses a conductor terminal to connect an electrical conductor, the conductor terminal comprising: a busbar (figs. 6a-c; 21); a clamping point (fig. 6b; 22) formed on the busbar (21) to clamp the electrical conductor (fig. 6b; 5); and at least one three-dimensionally shaped receiving contour (figs. 6a-c; 23) arranged after the clamping point (22) in the conductor insertion direction (fig. 6a; 40) of the electrical conductor (5) , which is configured to contact with and/or to receive the electrical conductor (5).
Regarding claim 2, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the busbar (21) has, at the clamping point (22), at least one clamping edge (fig. 6b; tip of 22 that engages 5) facing the electrical conductor (5), at which the electrical conductor (5) is adapted to be clamped firmly in place.
Regarding claim 3, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the clamping edge (tip of 22 that engages 5) is part of a first elevation (position of 22) designed to be higher than the surrounding surface (fig. 6a; concave contour 233, 234 makes) of the busbar (21).
Regarding claim 5, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the receiving contour (23) is designed as a curved trough (shape of 233, 234), which has a base surface (concave surface 233, 234 makes that contacts 5) which forms a support surface for the clamped electrical conductor (5).
Regarding claim 6, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the trough (shape of 233, 234) is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal direction (parallel to 40), which runs substantially in parallel to the conductor insertion direction (40).
Regarding claim 8, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the base surface (concave surface 233, 234 makes that contacts 5) of the trough (shape of 233, 234) is curved in a concave manner in the circumferential direction (circumference of 5) of the clamped electrical conductor (5).
Regarding claim 9, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the base surface (concave surface 233, 234 makes that contacts 5) of the trough (shape of 233, 234) is curved in a convex manner or runs in a straight line (23 extends in 40 direction, which is a straight line) in the longitudinal direction (40) of the clamped electrical conductor (5).
Regarding claim 10, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the receiving contour (23) is configured by its shaping to surround the electrical conductor (5) over a circumferential region (region of 5 that is covered by 23) or a circumferential region having a circumferential angle of 30 degrees to 90 degrees.
Regarding claim 11, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the clamping edge (tip of 22 that engages 5), the first elevation (position of 22), the receiving contour (23), the second elevation (fig. 6b; middle of 25), and/or the third elevation (fig. 6b; bottom of 25) are formed as a single piece from the material (21 is one piece) of the busbar (21) by stamping, bending (Translation Par [0042] Ln 367-369), and/or embossing.
Regarding claim 12, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the conductor terminal (1) is configured to clamp the electrical conductor (5) at the clamping point (22) by a spring force clamping (fig. 6a; force of 32).
Regarding claim 13, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the conductor terminal (1) includes a clamping spring (fig. 6b; 3), which has a clamping leg (fig. 6a; 32) for clamping the electrical conductor (5) at the clamping point (22).
Regarding claim 14, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the clamping leg (32) ends with a free end (fig. 6c; 34) between the clamping point (22) and the receiving contour (23).
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) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 202013101751 U1 in view of Fehling et al. US 12021339.
DE ‘751 discloses all of the claim limitations except wherein the busbar has at least one second elevation designed to be higher than the surrounding surface of the busbar after the receiving contour in the conductor insertion direction.
However, Fehling teaches wherein the busbar (fig. 3a; 8) has at least one second elevation (see mark-up below from fig. 3a; SE) designed to be higher than the surrounding surface (fig. 3a; surface of 8 that is surrounded by 14) of the busbar (8) after the receiving contour (fig. 3a; area between two protrusions of 8, where 7d is located in fig. 1a) in the conductor insertion direction (fig. 1a; x direction).
PNG
media_image1.png
283
248
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Mark-up
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the busbar has at least one second elevation designed to be higher than the surrounding surface of the busbar after the receiving contour in the conductor insertion direction as suggested by Fehling for the benefit of providing an improved compact conductor terminal connector.
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 202013101751 U1.
Regarding claim 7, DE ‘751 discloses wherein the trough (shape of 233, 234) is arranged in a third elevation (position of 3) designed to be at the same position as the surrounding surface (fig. 6a; concave contour 233, 234 makes) of the busbar (21).
DE ‘751 do not disclose the third elevation being higher than the surrounding surface of the busbar.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the third elevation being higher than the surrounding surface of the busbar since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art, In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70, and also for the benefit of improving the clamping function of an inserted conductor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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, Abdullah 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights