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)(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.
Claims 1-4, 6-9, and 16-19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over Brower (US 2024/0195124 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches a secondary lock system for a connector assembly that provides an engaging and warning system to an operator, said connector assembly having a primary lock system, or at least a connector position assurance (CPA) device, said connector assembly having said secondary lock system, comprising: a male connector having an activating member; a female connector for accommodating therein said secondary lock system,
wherein said secondary lock system (i.e. 130, 131, 132) comprises a flag member (i.e. 130), said flag member of said secondary lock system being movable in or out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator, said flag member of said secondary lock system, in its entirety, being movable, in a substantially linear sliding motion (i.e. via 132), relative to said female connector.
Regarding claim 2: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 1,
wherein said male connector begins to enter said female connector, and
wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system remains hidden inside said female connector (i.e. 130 configured to remain hidden inside the intended use female connector).
Regarding claim 3: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging warning to said operator according to claim 2,
wherein, when said male connector is slid into or pushed towards said female connector, said male connector begins to engage with said secondary lock system of said female connector (i.e. 132 configured to engage with the intended use male connector), and
wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system remains hidden inside said female connector (i.e. 130 configured to remain hidden inside the intended use female connector).
Regarding claim 4: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 3,
wherein, when said male connector is further slid into or pushed towards said female connector, said male connector engages with said secondary lock system of said female connector (i.e. 132 configured to engage the intended use male connector), and
wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system is pushed outside of said female connector for providing a visual and tactile warning system for informing said operator that said male and female connectors are partially mated or at a pre-lock position (i.e. 130 is configured to provide such a visual and tactile warning with the intended use connectors).
Regarding claim 6: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches a secondary lock system for a connector assembly that provides an engaging and warning system to an operator, said connector assembly having a primary lock system, or at least a connector position assurance (CPA) device, said connector assembly having said secondary lock system, comprising: a male connector having an activating member;
a female connector for accommodating therein said secondary lock system (i.e. 130, 131, 132 configured to be accommodated in the intended use female connector),
wherein said secondary lock system comprises a flag member (i.e. 130), said flag member of said secondary lock system being movable in or out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator, said flag member of said secondary lock system, in its entirety, being movable, in a substantially linear sliding motion, relative to said female connector, and
wherein said secondary lock system further comprises a partially angled bottom portion (i.e. bottom arm of 131) and a partially flat bottom portion (i.e. top arm of 131).
Regarding claim 7: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 6,
wherein said male connector begins to enter said female connector, and
wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system remains hidden inside said female connector (i.e. 130 configured to remain hidden inside intended use connector).
Regarding claim 8: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 7,
wherein, when said male connector is slid into or pushed towards said female connector, said activating member of said male connector begins to engage with said secondary lock system of said female connector (i.e. 131 configured to engage with intended use activating member), and
wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system remains hidden inside said female connector (i.e. 131 configured to remain hidden inside intended use connector).
Regarding claim 9: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 8: wherein, when said male connector is further slid into or pushed towards said female connector, said activating member of said male connector engages with said partially angled bottom portion and said partially flat bottom portion of said secondary lock system of said female connector (i.e. 131 configured to engage the intended use activating member), and wherein, when said activating member of said male connector engages with said partially flat portion of said secondary lock system, said flag member of said secondary lock system is pushed outside of said female connector for providing a visual and tactile warning system for informing said operator that said male and female connectors are partially mated or at a pre-lock position (i.e. 131 configured to be engaged by intended use activating member in this manner).
Regarding claim 16: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 1, further comprising a spring element (i.e. 132) or component for automatically or resiliently moving said flag member of said secondary lock system in or out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator.
Regarding claim 17: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 4, further comprising a spring element (i.e. 132) or component for automatically or resiliently moving said flag member of said secondary lock system in or out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator.
Regarding claim 18: Brower teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 1, wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system moves substantially (i.e. movement of 130 is substantial enough to lock the connectors from the unlocked state and indicate the mated position) out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator that said male and female connectors are mated or locked.
Regarding claim 19: Brower teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 1, wherein said flag member of said secondary lock system moves substantially (i.e. movement of 130 is substantial enough to lock the connectors from the unlocked state and indicate the mated position) out of said female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator that said male and female connectors are mated or locked.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brower.
Regarding claim 11: Brower (Figure 4A) teaches the secondary lock system for said connector assembly that provides said engaging and warning system to said operator according to claim 1, but does not specifically teach
wherein said secondary lock system further comprises a tang member or a lever member to provide resilient movement to said secondary lock system when said secondary lock system moves inside said female connector.
Instead, Brower (i.e. Figure 4A) teaches a spring member (i.e. 132) to provide resilient movement to said secondary lock system when said secondary lock system moves inside said female connector.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the secondary lock system to have a tang member or a lever member to provide resilient movement to said secondary lock system since the prior art spring will provide the same resilient movement as a tang or lever, meeting the functional requirements of the claimed secondary lock system.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 5 and 10 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The examiner does not agree that, “when Brower’s female connector 100 and male connector 200 become mated or locked,…, Brower’s raised lock button 13 remains outside of the female connector 100, but enters an orifice 256 of the male connector 200,” because the button extending into the orifice 256 is interpreted as extending out of the female connector, as further discussed below. However, in light of these arguments, the rejection of claims 5 and 10 are withdrawn because the prior art of record does not teach wherein said flag member of said SLS returns inside said female connector at a hidden position, which provides a further visual and tactile warning system to said operator that said male and female connectors are fully mated or at a final-lock position, alone or in obvious combination with the remaining subject matter of the claims.
5. Claims 12-15 and 20 allowed. Regarding claim 12, applicant’s arguments are persuasive and the prior art of record does not teach keeping a flag member of said secondary lock system of said female connector, which is movable in or out of said female connector, hidden inside said female connector alone or in obvious combination with the remaining subject matter of the claim.
Response to Arguments
6. Applicant’s arguments regarding claims 1 and 6 have been considered but are not persuasive. The examiner would first point out that applicant has cited Brower’s 100 and 200 as female and male connectors respectively. The examiner assumes applicant interprets 100 as the female connector because the cited SLS 130 is disposed in 100, however, claims 1 and 6 only recite, “a female connector for accommodating therein said secondary lock system.” Being accommodated in the female connector does not require the SLS to be disposed, or included, in the female connector under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim language. Furthermore, the connector assembly including the male and female connectors has not been positively recited in claims 1 and 6, but as intended use structures having the claimed SLS, which is why these components of Brower are only functionally cited in relation to the SLS in the rejections. Comparison with the previous rejection of claim 12 (now indicated allowable) would show that connectors 100 and 200 would be interpreted as the male and female connectors respectively when relevant. As such, Brower teaches 130 as configured to move in or out of the intended use female connector to provide said engaging and warning system to said operator. If Brower’s 130 did not move outside of the female connector as cited, the operator of Brower’s device would not know when the connectors were in the relevant states and they would be unable to press the button 130 to disconnect the device as intended. Therefore, the top of Brower’s 130 poking even towards the surface of the female connector 200 must teach, “out,” of the connector, since it must be visible, feelable, and thereby operable from the outside of the female connector 200 when assembled.
Conclusion
7. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory Mangot whose telephone number is 703-756-5737. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
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/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834