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 .
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.
The following title is suggested: --TERMINAL BLOCK WITH TERMINAL RELEASE ELEMENTS AND I/O UNIT USING THE SAME--.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tadahiko (JP2018190676).
With regard to claim 1, Tadahiko teaches, as shown in figures 1-8(B) and taught in the Abstract of the translation: “A terminal block 3 comprising: a plurality of insertion-receiving portions 61A and 61B into which a plurality of external… (wires described in the Abstract) are inserted, respectively, and which are provided respectively with a plurality of connection terminals 30A and 30B each connected to a corresponding one of the inserted external terminals; and a plurality of release operating elements 50A and 50B each configured to release connection between a corresponding one of the plurality of external terminals and a corresponding one of the plurality of connection terminals 30, wherein the plurality of insertion-receiving portions 11 include: a plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A arranged in a row along a first direction X; and a plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B arranged in a row along the first direction at positions that are different from positions of the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A in a second direction Y orthogonal to the first direction X, and wherein the plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B are disposed at positions that are different from the positions of the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A in the first direction X, and the plurality of release operating elements corresponding to the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A and the plurality of release operating elements corresponding to the plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B are arranged along the first direction X at positions that are different from the positions of the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A and the positions of the plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B in the second direction Y”.
Tadahiko does not specifically teach the external mating elements being terminals. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to insert a terminal into the terminal block since both wires and terminals are conductive members capable of making electrical connection.
With regard to claim 2, Tadahiko teaches: “The terminal block according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Tadahiko also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8(B): “wherein the plurality of release operating elements 50A corresponding to the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A and the plurality of release operating elements 50B corresponding to the plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B are disposed between the plurality of first insertion-receiving portions 61A and the plurality of second insertion-receiving portions 61B in the second direction Y”.
With regard to claim 3, Tadahiko teaches: “The terminal block according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Tadahiko also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8(B): “wherein the terminal block 3 has a shape in which the first direction X is a long-side direction and the second direction Y is a short-side direction when viewed in a direction Z orthogonal to the first direction X and the second direction Y”.
With regard to claim 4, Tadahiko teaches: “…the terminal block according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Tadahiko does not specifically teach: the terminal block according to claim 1 being used in “An I/O unit… wherein the I/O unit has a flat plate shape, and a thickness direction of the flat plate shape is the second direction”. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to use the terminal block according to claim 1 in an I/O unit having a flat plate shape, since the patented structure meets the structural limitations as claimed and would allow the terminal block to be used to send and receive signals in the terminals of the terminal block and the terminal block has a roughly flat-plate shape with a thickness in the second direction Y. Selecting a specific shape of the device in which the terminal block is used and the use of the terminals as input and output terminals would amount to a recitation of the intended use of the patented invention, without resulting in any structural difference between the claimed invention and the structure disclosed by Tadahiko, and therefore fails to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. See In re Casey, 152 USPQ 235 (CCPA 1967) and In re Otto, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A 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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/JUSTIN M KRATT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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