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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 5/27/2026 is acknowledged. Accordingly, claims 15-20 are withdrawn from consideration at this time.
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)(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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goren 2026/0066555.
Regarding claim 1, Goren discloses a system (100, Fig 1), comprising: a terminal block (105, Fig 1) comprising a plurality of terminals (at 115, Fig 1) configured to receive one or more wires (110, Fig 1); an input/output (I/O) device (such as devices mentioned in par 0167) comprising a circuit configured to electrically couple to the one or more wires via the terminal block (‘circuit’ par 0261); and a structure (105, Fig 1) comprising: a body (125, Fig 1) comprising a portion (130, Fig 1) configured to couple to the terminal block (once assembled, see Fig 26); and one or more spring clamps (710, Fig 14) coupled to the body (once assembled, Figs 9-12), wherein the one or more spring clamps are configured to secure the one or more wires placed therein (see Fig 10, for example), wherein the one or more wires are routed to one or more terminals of the plurality of terminals via the one or more spring clamps (note, 110 routed to one or more terminals of 115 via 710 once assembled/operative and is electrically communicative, see Figs 1-26).
Regarding claim 2, Goren discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the terminal block comprises an aperture (at 160, Fig 1) configured to receive the portion (once assembled, as in Fig 26).
Regarding claim 3, Goren discloses the system of claim 2, wherein the portion comprises a protrusion (165, Fig 1) configured to interface with an indentation (2310, Fig 23) within the aperture (Fig 23).
Regarding claim 4, Goren discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the body comprises: a first segment (middle segment/region of body at 120, Figs 1, 2) configured to receive a first spring clamp (715, Fig 12) of the one or more spring clamps (Figs 8, 12); and a second segment (at 205, Fig 15) configured to receive a second spring clamp (725, Fig 14) of the one or more spring clamps (Fig 26), wherein the first segment and the second segment are coupled to each other via an element (305, Figs 3, 26), and wherein the first segment is offset from the second segment in a direction (offset in length/depth direction, Fig 26).
Regarding claim 5, Goren discloses the system of claim 4, wherein the first segment comprises a support element (at front facia of 120 where 140 locates for example, Fig 1) extending from the first segment (extending inward from segment, Fig 7), and wherein the support element is configured to support a first wire of the one or more wires (Fig 11) and comprises one or more grooves (140, Fig 11) configured to secure the first wire to the support element using a fastener (note, portion 1205 pressing wire onto 910 within 140 constitutes fastener, see Fig 11 with respect to Fig 12).
Regarding claim 6, Goren discloses the system of claim 4, wherein the first segment comprises a divider component (such as portion 815, for example, and/or including 735, Fig 9) configured to extend into a channel within the first spring clamp (channel within 710, where 815 locates, Fig 9, including 760, for example), and wherein a first wire (first 110, Fig 1) of the one or more wires Fig 1) is configured to be positioned adjacent to the divider component and inside the channel (see Figs 10, 11).
Regarding claim 7, Goren discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the body and the one or more spring clamps comprise a conductive material (par 0193).
Regarding claim 8, Goren discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more spring clamps comprise one or more grounding components configured to couple the structure to ground when the one or more spring clamps are coupled to the body (ground terminal block, par 0264).
Regarding claim 9, Goren discloses the system of claim 1, wherein each spring clamp of the one or more spring clamps comprises one or more protrusions (at 810, Fig 10, for example) configured to mechanically couple a respective spring clamp to the body (see Fig 10).
Regarding claim 10, Goren discloses an assembly (100, Fig 1), comprising: a body (125, Fig 1) comprising a portion (130, Fig 1) configured to couple to a terminal block (105, Fig 1) of an input/output (I/O) device (such as devices mentioned in par 0167); and a spring clamp (710, Fig 14) configured to couple to a segment (middle segment/region of body at 120, Figs 1, 2) of the body (once assembled, Figs 9-12), wherein the segment comprises a divider component (such as portion 815, for example, and/or including 735, Fig 9) configured to extend into a channel within the spring clamp (channel within 710, where 815 locates, Fig 9, including 760, for example), wherein a wire (110, Fig 1) is configured to be positioned adjacent to the divider component and inside the channel (see Figs 10-11) and routed to a terminal of the terminal block via the spring clamp (note, 110 routed to terminal of 115 via 710 once assembled and is electrically communicative, see Figs 1-26).
Regarding claim 11, Goren discloses the assembly of claim 10, wherein the body and the spring clamp comprise a conductive material (note, body 125 contains spring clamp 710 which comprise conductive material such as gold, see par 0193).
Regarding claim 12, Goren discloses the assembly of claim 10, wherein the spring clamp comprises a grounding component configured to couple the assembly to ground when the spring clamp is coupled to the segment (comprise ground terminal blocks, see last sentence par 0264).
Regarding claim 13, Goren discloses the assembly of claim 10, wherein the segment comprises a support element (at front facia of 120 where 140 locates for example, Fig 1) extending from the segment (extending inward from segment, Fig 7), and wherein the support element is configured to support the wire (Fig 11) and comprises one or more grooves (140, Fig 11) configured to secure the wire to the support element using a fastener (note, portion 1205 pressing wire onto 910 within 140 constitutes fastener, see Fig 11 with respect to Fig 12).
Regarding claim 14, Goren discloses the assembly of claim 10, wherein the spring clamp comprises one or more protrusions (810 and/or 1205, Fig 12) configured to mechanically couple the spring clamp to the segment (protrusion placement within body allows spring retention, see Fig 11).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Vazach - US 8628004 B2, Fig 3. Teaches similar device including terminal block.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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