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
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6,12 -14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a, 1) as being anticipated by Nakamura (U. S. Patent 7,267,569).
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura, see figures 1-4, discloses a connector housing 13, 27, comprising: a housing body 17, 27; and a first buckle device (at the bottom latch at 30) formed on a side of the housing body 17, 27 and inserted into a first accommodating cavity 41 of a first mating buckle device 44 of a mating connector housing 13, 27 the first buckle device (at the bottom of the latch 30) includes a first elastic buckle 30, the first elastic buckle 30 has an elastic cantilever 30, a retaining protrusion 32 formed on a free end of the elastic cantilever 30 and engaging with a pre locking slot on a side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41, and a blocking part 20, 31 resting against an inner wall surface of the side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41 when the retaining protrusion 32 is engaged with the pre locking slot, the blocking part 20, 31 limiting the elastic cantilever 30 within the first accommodating cavity 41.
Regarding claim 2, Nakamura discloses the first buckle device (at the bottom of the latch at 30) includes a side wing part (first part of cantilever arm 30 read as a side wire part) connected to a side of the housing body 13, 27, a fixed end of the elastic cantilever 30 is connected to the side wing part (first part of cantilever arm 3), and the elastic cantilever 30 extends along a longitudinal direction of the housing body 13, 27.
Regarding claim 3, Nakamura discloses the retaining protrusion 32 protrudes outward along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing body 13, 27, the blocking part 20, 31 is formed on an end face of the retaining protrusion 32 and protrudes forward along the longitudinal direction of the housing body 13, 27 from the end face of the retaining protrusion 32.
Regarding claim 4, Nakamura discloses the retaining protrusion 32 protrudes outward along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing body 13, 27, the blocking part 20, 31 is formed on a side of the elastic cantilever 30 and protrudes from the side of the elastic cantilever 30 along the transverse direction of the housing body 13, 27 towards the side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41.
Regarding claim 6, Nakamura discloses further comprising a second buckle device (the top of latch at 30) formed on a top of the housing body 17, 27 and inserted into a second accommodating cavity 41 of a second mating buckle device 44 of the mating connector housing.
Regarding claim 12, Nakamura discloses a connector, comprising: a connector housing 13, 27 including a housing body 17, 27 and a first buckle device (at the bottom of the latch 30) formed on a side of the housing body 17, 27 and inserted into a first accommodating cavity 41 of a first mating buckle device 44 of a mating connector housing, the first buckle device 44 includes a first elastic buckle 30, the first elastic buckle 30 has an elastic cantilever 30, a retaining protrusion 32 formed on a free end of the elastic cantilever 30 and engaging with a pre locking slot on a side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41, and a blocking part 20 resting against an inner wall surface 41 of the side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41 when the retaining protrusion 32 is engaged with the pre locking slot, the blocking part 20. 31 limiting the elastic cantilever 30 within the first accommodating cavity 41; and a terminal 14 provided in the connector housing 13, 27 and matable with a mating terminal 41 of a mating connector 40.
Regarding claim 13, Nakamura discloses connector assembly, comprising: a connector including: a connector housing 27, 13 including a housing body 17, 27 and a first buckle device (the bottom of the latch 30) formed on a side of the housing body 17, 27, the first buckle device (the bottom of the latch 30) includes a first elastic buckle 30, the first elastic buckle 30 has an elastic cantilever 30, a retaining protrusion 32 formed on a free end of the elastic cantilever 30 and engaging with a pre locking slot on a side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41, and a blocking part 20, 31 resting against an inner wall surface (at 44, see figure 1) of the side wall of the first accommodating cavity 41 when the retaining protrusion 32 is engaged with the pre locking slot, the blocking part 20, 31 limiting the elastic cantilever 30 within the first accommodating cavity 41; and a terminal 14 provided in the connector housing 27, 13; and a mating connector 40 mated with the connector, the mating connector 40 includes a mating connector housing mated with the connector housing 13, 27 and a mating terminal 42 arranged in the mating connector housing.
Regarding claim 14, Nakamura discloses the mating connector housing includes a mating housing body 40 having an inner cavity and a first mating buckle device 44 formed on a side of the mating housing body and including a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall.
Claims 5, 7-11, 15-20 are 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Neil Abrams whose telephone number is (571)272-2089. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TC Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NEIL ABRAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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