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 . Claims 1 and 2 are pending in the current application.
Claim Objections
Regarding Claim 1, line 20, perhaps the language “same as that of” should be changed to “the same as that of the.”
Regarding Claim 2, line 17, perhaps the term “continuously” should be changed to “the.”
Regarding Claim 2, the 13th to the last line, perhaps the term “be” should be deleted.
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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Specifically, Claim 1, line 2, is rejected since the language “locker-type” is not defined. See, e.g., the specification at p. 1, l. 21, and p. 8, l. 20.
Regarding each of Claims 1 and 2, line 3, there is no antecedent basis for the language “the circuit breaker.”
Regarding Claim 1, line 25, there is no antecedent basis for the language “slide portion.”
Regarding Claim 1, the 3rd to the last line, the language “in a manner” is indefinite.
Regarding Claim 1, the 2nd and 3rd to the last lines, the language “in accordance with” is indefinite.
Regarding Claim 2, line 2, the language “locker-type” is not defined. See, e.g., the specification at p. 1, l. 21, and p. 8, l. 20.
Regarding Claim 2, the 5th to the last line, the language “in a manner” is indefinite.
Regarding Claim 2, the 3rd to the last line, the language “in accordance with” is indefinite.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure. Hovanic et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,456) discloses a handle lock device comprising a slot plate, and Yee (U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,041) discloses a handle lock device comprising a lock frame and handle catch. However, the prior art fails to teach, disclose, or suggest, either alone or in combination, a handle lock device for locking a knob part of a [locker-type] opening and closing operation handle projecting from a surface of [a] circuit breaker at an OFF position, comprising a lock plate having a second slotted hole arranged to correspond to a first slotted hole, the second slotted hole having a longitudinal dimension shorter than that of the first slotted hole and a short-length dimension [the] same as that of [the] first slotted hole, and a slide pin configured to be inserted through the first slotted hole of the locking plate and the second slotted hole of the lock plate, as recited in Claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY R. JIMENEZ whose telephone number is 313-446-6518. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 1030am - 9pm.
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/ANTHONY R JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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