Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Application No. 19/105,492

LOW-POWER POWER SCREW AND QUICK LOCK COMPATIBLE STRUCTURE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Feb 21, 2025
Priority
Aug 25, 2022 — CN 202211027745.8 +1 more
Examiner
SUBRAMANIAN, VISWANATHAN
Art Unit
2834
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Delta Electronics Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
82%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 82% — above average
82%
Career Allowance Rate
198 granted / 243 resolved
+13.5% vs TC avg
Strong +19% interview lift
Without
With
+19.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
26 currently pending
Career history
281
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
§103
54.9%
+14.9% vs TC avg
§102
31.1%
-8.9% vs TC avg
§112
12.7%
-27.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 243 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 2.21.25. In view of this communication, claims 1-12 are now pending in this application. 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. Claim 4 recites “the socket power terminals (5) are soldered to an internal circuit of the motor”, however none of the drawings show where the terminals are being soldered. 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 below are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 9,11 recite “in sequence”, however claims 9,11 are a product claim and underlined seems a method limitation. To advance prosecution, Examiner will remove underlined limitation. Claims 2,9,11 recite “the bottoms”, however they do not have a basis for the underlined. Examiner interprets “bottoms”. Appropriate correction is required. 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 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. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 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 1-3,8,11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (CN102623846A English translation) hereinafter Wang in view of Dai (CN207834743U English translation) Regarding Claim 1 , Wang discloses (Fig 1) a low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure comprising: a socket (1), a quick-lock plug (2) and a screw-type plug (2), wherein the quick- lock plug (2) and the screw-type plug (2) are respectively connected to the socket (1) one to one (Examiner interprets either screw type or quick plug type is sufficient assemble connector to socket reliably to make electrical contact); wherein the socket (1) comprises a socket housing (1), cantilevers (31), protrusions (3), connecting holes (3h hole)[Para 0010 discloses “compatibility with threaded locking methods”], the cantilevers (31) and the connecting holes (3h hole) are in connection with an outer surface (3h is connected with 1) of the socket housing (1), the connecting holes (3h hole) are located on lateral sides (3h is away from 31 which can be lateral) of the cantilevers (31), and the protrusions (3) are disposed on the cantilevers (31); the quick-lock plug (2) is locked on the socket (1) through the cantilevers (31), and the screw-type plug (2) is locked on the socket (1) through the connecting holes (3h) in cooperation with screw nuts (3n)(Claim 1). Wang does not explicitly disclose socket with fixing holes disposed around the socket housing wherein the socket is connected to a motor through socket screws in cooperation with the fixing holes. Dai discloses (Fig 4) socket (10) with fixing holes (9h) [Page 4 Lines 26-27 discloses “contacting the motor by locking socket device with screws”] disposed around the socket housing wherein the socket is connected to a motor through socket screws in cooperation with the fixing holes. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang with socket connection to motor as taught by Dai in order to have a reliable way to power the motor. PNG media_image1.png 382 587 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 532 498 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 2 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 1. Wang in view of Dai further discloses wherein the socket (Wang,1) further comprises, socket power terminals (Po), and the socket power terminals (Po) are distributed on the inner surface (Iis) of the socket housing (1). Wang in view of Dai does not disclose a head seat sealing ring, a socket motor sealing ring , socket band brake terminals and a socket ground terminal , wherein the head seat sealing ring is connected with the outer surface of the socket housing , the socket motor sealing ring is connected with an inner surface of the socket housing , the socket band brake terminals and the socket ground terminal are distributed on the inner surface of the socket housing ; wherein the socket ground terminal is located on a lateral side of the socket power terminals, and the socket band brake terminal are located on the bottoms of the socket power terminals. Dai further discloses (Fig 4) a head seat sealing ring (8), a socket motor sealing ring (14), socket band brake terminals (12) and a socket ground terminal (11), wherein the head seat sealing ring (8) is connected with the outer surface (10os) of the socket housing (10), the socket motor sealing ring (14) is connected with an inner surface (10is) of the socket housing (10), the socket band brake terminals (12) and the socket ground terminal (11) are distributed on the inner surface (10is) of the socket housing (10); wherein the socket ground terminal 11) is located on a lateral side (11 is lateral to 13) of the socket power terminals (13), and the socket band brake terminal (12) are located on the bottoms of the socket power terminals (13)(Page 5, Lines 19-20 discloses location of brake terminal which can be “bottoms” and similar to Fig 1 of instant invention). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with details of socket terminal and sealing structure as further taught by Dai in order to have a reliable way to power the motor as well as seal the electrical connection area from the outside environment. Regarding Claim 3 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 2. Wang in view of Dai does not explicitly disclose wherein a resilient member of the socket ground terminal contacts a surface of the motor. Dai further discloses (Fig 4) wherein a resilient member (11) of the socket ground terminal (11) contacts a surface of the motor (Page 4, Line 26). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with grounding structure as further taught by Dai in order to have a reliable way to power the motor by ensuring any stray body currents in grounded safely. Regarding Claim 8 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 1. Wang in view of Dai further discloses wherein the screw-type plug (Wang 2,3 there is no limitation regarding either socket or plug only comprising screw ) comprises a screw-type plug shell (2) and plug screws (3), the plug screws (3) are located on two lateral sides (Fig 1 with screw 3 used to connect 2 to 1) of the screw-type plug shell (2) and the plug screw (3) are connected to the screw nuts (3n) correspondingly one to one; wherein the screw-type plug (2) is locked on the socket (1) through cooperation of the plug screws (3) and the screw nuts (3n) [Page 4 Lines 26-27 discloses “contacting the motor by locking socket device with screws” and claim 1]. Regarding Claim 11 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 8. Wang in view of Dai discloses the quick-lock plug (Wang,2) and the screw-type plug (Wang,2) but does not explicitly disclose wherein the plug further comprises a plastic plug core, plug band brake female terminals , plug power female terminals , a tail clamp nut , a wire clamp and a wire sealing ring ; wherein the plastic plug core , the plug band brake female terminals and the plug power female terminals are connected to inner surfaces of the quick-lock plug shell and the screw-type plug shell in sequence, the wire clamp is sleeved on an outer wall of the wire sealing ring , and the wire clamp is connected to the bottoms of quick-lock plug shell or the screw plug shell through the tail clamp nut . Dai further discloses (Fig 3) wherein the plug (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) further comprises a plastic plug core (7), plug band brake female terminals (6), plug power female terminals (5), a tail clamp nut (3), a wire clamp (Cl) and a wire sealing ring (2); wherein the plastic plug core (7), the plug band brake female terminals (6) and the plug power female terminals (5) are connected to inner surfaces of the plug shell (Fig 3) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with internal structure of plug as further taught by Dai in order to have a plug design that will mate with compatible socket. PNG media_image3.png 566 704 media_image3.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 12 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 9. Wang in view of Dai does not explicitly disclose wherein the tail clamp nut (12), the wire clamp (13) and the wire sealing ring (14) are hollow. Dai further discloses (Fig 3) wherein the tail clamp nut (3), the wire clamp (Cl) and the wire sealing ring (2) are hollow. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with hollow structure of tail clamp nut,wire sealing ring and wire clamp as further taught by Dai in order to have space for wire to go through. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Dai and Jin (CN110233549A English translation). Regarding Claim 4 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 2. Wang in view of Dai further does not explicitly disclose wherein the socket power terminals have hook plate structures but does not explicitly disclose the socket power terminals are soldered to an internal circuit of the motor. Dai further discloses (Fig 4) wherein the socket power terminals (13) have hook plate structures but does not disclose the socket power terminals are soldered to an internal circuit of the motor. Jin discloses (Fig 4) the socket power terminals (75) are soldered to an internal circuit of the motor[Para 0082]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with hook shaped socket power terminals as further taught by Dai in order to have desired structure for connection with motor and soldering of power terminals as taught by Jin in order to have a reliable and durable connection that can endure various operating conditions. PNG media_image4.png 606 492 media_image4.png Greyscale Claims 5-7,9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Dai and Liu(CN206727362U English translation), hereinafter Liu. Regarding Claim 5 , Wang in view of Dai discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 1. Wang in view of Dai further discloses a quick lock structure (Wang, Fig 1,31,4,5,7,8) but does not explicitly disclose wherein the quick-lock plug comprises a quick-lock plug shell and a lock rod, the lock rod is connected to the quick-lock plug shell, and outer walls of the lock rod are clamped with inner walls of the cantilevers ;wherein cylinders and grooves are disposed on lateral sides of the quick-lock plug shell , the grooves are connected with the cylinders, wherein perforations and first convex parts are disposed on lateral sides of the lock rod , the cylinders are disposed in and connected with the perforations so as to allow the lock rod rotating around centers of the cylinders , and the lock rod is positioned through cooperation of the grooves and the first convex parts . Liu discloses (Figs 1,6,8) wherein the quick-lock plug (2) comprises a quick-lock plug shell (2) and a lock rod (3), the lock rod (3) is connected to the quick-lock plug shell (2), and outer walls of the lock rod (34) are clamped with inner walls of the cantilevers (11)[Para 0033] ;wherein cylinders (21) and grooves (25,26) are disposed on lateral sides of the quick-lock plug shell (2), the grooves (25,26) are connected with the cylinders (21)(Claim 4), wherein perforations (31) and first convex parts (37) are disposed on lateral sides of the lock rod (3), the cylinders (21) are disposed in and connected (Fig 6) with the perforations (31) so as to allow the lock rod (3) rotating around centers of the cylinders (21), and the lock rod (3) is positioned through cooperation of the grooves (25,26) and the first convex parts (37). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai with locking structure features as taught by Liu in order to have a plug design with adjustable outlet cable direction. PNG media_image5.png 488 728 media_image5.png Greyscale PNG media_image6.png 544 604 media_image6.png Greyscale PNG media_image7.png 356 750 media_image7.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 6 , Wang in view of Dai and Liu discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 5. Wang in view of Dai and Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein a rib (207) is disposed on the top of the quick-lock plug shell (15), a second convex part (205) is disposed on the top of the lock rod (16), and the lock rod (16) is locked on the quick-lock plug shell (15) through cooperation of the second convex part (205) and the rib (207). Liu further discloses (Fig 4) wherein a rib (22) is disposed on the top of the quick-lock plug shell (2), a second convex part (32) is disposed on the top of the lock rod (3), and the lock rod (3) is locked on the quick-lock plug shell (2) through cooperation of the second convex part (32) and the rib (22 (Claim 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai and Liu with further locking structure features as taught by Liu in order to have a plug design with locking rod that is secured in place against vibration. PNG media_image8.png 258 736 media_image8.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 7 , Wang in view of Dai and Liu discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 5. Wang in view of Dai and Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein third convex parts (206) are disposed on the lateral sides of the lock rod (16);when the quick-lock plug (200) is inserted into the socket (100), the third convex parts (206) are connected to and misaligned with the protrusions (102) of the cantilevers (101). Liu further discloses (Fig 5) wherein third convex parts (35) are disposed on the lateral sides of the lock rod (3);when the quick-lock plug (2) is inserted into the socket (1), the third convex parts (35) are connected to and misaligned with the protrusions (1p) of the cantilevers (1c). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai and Liu with further locking structure features as taught by Liu in order to have a plug design with locking rod that can have gripping features to move the locking rod . PNG media_image9.png 554 534 media_image9.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 9 , Wang in view of Dai and Liu discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 5. Wang in view of Dai and Liu discloses the quick-lock plug (Wang,2) and the screw-type plug (Wang,2) but does not explicitly disclose wherein the plug further comprises a plastic plug core (9), plug band brake female terminals (10), plug power female terminals (11), a tail clamp nut (12), a wire clamp (13) and a wire sealing ring (14); wherein the plastic plug core (9), the plug band brake female terminals (10) and the plug power female terminals (11) are connected to inner surfaces of the quick-lock plug shell (15) and the screw-type plug shell (17) in sequence, the wire clamp (13) is sleeved on an outer wall of the wire sealing ring (14), and the wire clamp (13) is connected to the bottoms of quick-lock plug shell (15) or the screw plug shell through the tail clamp nut (12). Dai further discloses (Fig 3) wherein the plug (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) further comprises a plastic plug core (7), plug band brake female terminals (6), plug power female terminals (5), a tail clamp nut (3), a wire clamp (Cl) and a wire sealing ring (2); wherein the plastic plug core (7), the plug band brake female terminals (6) and the plug power female terminals (5) are connected to inner surfaces of the plug shell (Fig 3) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai and Liu with internal structure of plug as further taught by Dai in order to have a plug design that will mate with compatible socket. Regarding Claim 10 , Wang in view of Dai and Liu discloses the low-power power screw and quick lock compatible structure according to claim 9. Wang in view of Dai and Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein the tail clamp nut (12), the wire clamp (13) and the wire sealing ring (14) are hollow. Dai further discloses (Fig 3) wherein the tail clamp nut (3), the wire clamp (Cl) and the wire sealing ring (2) are hollow. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed screw and quick lock compatible structure of Wang in view of Dai and Liu with hollow structure of tail clamp nut,wire sealing ring and wire clamp as further taught by Dai in order to have space for wire to go through. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wu et al (CN213717117U English translation) discloses relevant plug internal structure Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4814. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. 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, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. 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. /VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 21, 2025
Application Filed
Sep 24, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
82%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+19.3%)
2y 6m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 243 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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