Patent Application 15946369 - Electrical Wiring Junction Ball

Title: Electrical Wiring Junction Ball

Application Information

Invention Title: Electrical Wiring Junction Ball
Application Number: 15946369
Submission Date: 2025-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
Effective Filing Date: 2018-04-05T00:00:00.000Z
Filing Date: 2018-08-31T00:00:00.000Z
National Class: 174
National Sub-Class: 050000
Examiner Employee Number: 78034
Art Unit: 2841
Tech Center: 2800

Rejection Summary

102 Rejections: 1
103 Rejections: 1

Cited Patents

No patents were cited in this rejection.

Office Action Text

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 .

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)(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.

Claims 5-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pritchard (US 10,381,814).
Regarding claim 5, Pritchard discloses an electrical junction ball (10), comprising a hollow housing comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC; column 7 lines 29-31) shaped as a sphere (column 7 lines 31-34; any appropriate shape) with two cylindrical entry ports (26; column 5 lines 29-41) for entry of electrical wires (16) and configured to have a section (18) that flips open for a user to gain access to an interior of the electrical junction ball (see figures 1 and 2) to connect ends of electrical wires inserted through the two cylindrical entry ports (see figure 4)
Regarding claim 6, Pritchard discloses the electrical junction ball (10), wherein an outside diameter of the sphere is approximately three inches, to permit the electrical junction ball to be inserted inside a standard 2 x 4 wall ( column 7 lines 31-34; any appropriate size).
Regarding claim 7, Pritchard discloses the electrical junction ball (10), wherein the two cylindrical entry ports (26) are each configured as a split clamped entry port so that additional wiring (16) can be introduced into the electrical junction ball without disconnecting wiring connections already present inside the electrical junction ball (see figures 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 9, Pritchard discloses the electrical junction ball (10) configured with gaskets (28) on all openings for sealing against an entry of water (see figures 1-5).

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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pritchard (US 10,381,814) in view of Shaw (US 3,467,763).
Regarding claim 8, Pritchard discloses the claimed invention except for the electrical junction ball, further comprising a thin insertable cylinder guide with an associated attachment screw that is configured to slip inside the insertable cylinder guide to attach the electrical junction ball to a fixed external object such as a wall stud, wherein the insertable cylinder guide prevents perforation by the associated attachment screw of wiring and connections inside the electrical junction ball. Shaw teaches an electrical junction box comprising a thin insertable cylinder guide (47) with an associated attachment screw (19) that is configured to slip inside the insertable cylinder guide (47) to attach the electrical box to a fixed external object (13; see figure 2), wherein the insertable cylinder (47) guide prevents perforation by the associated attachment screw of wiring and connections inside the electrical junction box (see figure 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Pritchard’s electrical box with a thin insertable cylinder guide with an associated attachment screw configured to slip inside the insertable cylinder guide as taught by Shaw to provide means for firmly secure the electrical junction ball to any external object or surface.

Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 5-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.

Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.

The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Barr et al (US 11,515,695), Schneider (US 8,057,122), Naylor (US 7,097,474), Reiker (US 6,303,859), Stephan (US 6,220,893), Florentine (US 6,099,340) and Targett (US 5,913,692) disclose an electrical junction box.

Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Angel R. Estrada at telephone number (571) 272-1973. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30am -5:00pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) OR 571-272-1000.

May 6, 2025

/ANGEL R ESTRADA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841