Appeal No. 1999-0432
Application No. 08/331,799
mounting hooks 54 for mounting the bus bar support panel 24. Sharp at 9. The reference
shows a clamp 60 (Fig. 7) having clamp pieces 64 for clamping round wiring which may be
introduced into a hole covered by "knock-out" 66 (Fig. 6). Id. at 10-11. Cables of different
sizes may also be introduced into knock-out opening 70, through smaller segment 72 or
larger segment 74. Id. at 11.
Each endwall 34 of housing 22 has a conductor-mounting member 84 (Fig. 6).
According to pages 11 through 13 of Sharp, a mounting member 84 is adapted to secure
special NM-B flexible cable conductors for lower amperage circuits. Slots 86 (Fig. 7) in
mounting member 84 are formed at an angle of 120E to provide an interference fit; angles
substantially less than 120E were found to cut the NM-B cable insulation while angles
substantially greater than 120E were found to permit the NM-B cable to slip.
Each slot 86 is sized to receive two NM-B conductor cables, one on top of the other
(after removal of knock-out member 88). A mismatch in height between outer wall portion
84a and inner wall portion 84b forms a plurality of wire bending fixtures 87. The conductor
is bent about one of the wire bending fixtures 87 before being pressed into one of the slots
86. The mounting member 84 permits the conductors to be stripped of their insulation
prior to insertion into the slots 86.
We cannot agree with the examiner that housing 22, or conductor mounting
member 84, would be in any way "conductively coupled" to the bus bars. The circuit
breaker bus bar support panel 24 is molded from a plastic material and is configured such
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