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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 12, “the terminal fitting” lacks antecedent basis. In line 14, “the connecting portions” lacks antecedent basis. In line 14, “the connecting portions” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 3, the phrase “the positioning portion is formed in the holding member made of a material higher in heat resistance than the housing” is awkward because it is not clear what member is being required to be made of the material. For purposes of examination the claim is interpreted as requiring the holding member be made of the recited material.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 – 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "sheet-like" in line 1, 3, and 13 renders the claims indefinite because the claims include elements not actually disclosed (those encompassed by "sheet-like"), thereby rendering the scope of the claims unascertainable. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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 1 – 2 and 4 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No. 11,239,583 (“Nagasaka”).
Regarding claim 1, Nagasaka discloses a sheet-like conductive path, comprising:
a plurality of terminal fittings (10);
a sheet-like flexible conductive member (40) to be fixed to the plurality of terminal fittings;
a positioning portion (20b) for positioning the plurality of terminal fittings in a state where the plurality of terminal fittings are not fixed to the sheet-like flexible conductive member (20a positions the mating section 11 of the terminals before the terminals are soldered to 40); and
a housing (30) for accommodating the plurality of terminal fittings fixed to the sheet-like flexible conductive member,
the positioning portion being formed in a holding member (23) separate from the housing,
the holding member being accommodated in the housing (see Fig. 5),
a positioning hole (43) formed in the sheet-like flexible conductive member being fit to a positioning protrusion (35) formed in the housing,
the terminal fitting including a connecting portion (12) having an elongated shape,
the sheet-like flexible conductive member being formed with a plurality of connection holes (41), the connecting portions being passed through the connection holes (see Fig. 4), and
the connecting portions are fixed to the sheet-like flexible conductive member by soldering portions (col. 3, lns. 62 – 67).
Regarding claim 2, Nagasaka discloses:
the positioning portion is capable of positioning the plurality of terminal fittings with fixing portions of the plurality of terminal fittings to the sheet-like flexible conductive member exposed (portions 12 are exposed out of 22a for connection to 40), and
the sheet-like flexible conductive member and the plurality of terminal fittings are fixed by soldering portions (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Nagasaka discloses wherein the holding member is formed with a locking portion for locking the sheet-like flexible conductive member (portion 22 secures 40 and portion 51 secures 30 over 40, locking 40 within the assembly).
Regarding claim 5, Nagasaka discloses wherein fixing portions of the plurality of terminal fittings and the sheet-like flexible conductive member are accommodated in the housing (the location where 12 is fixed to holes 41 is within member 30).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagasaka in view of U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,651 (“Wang”).
Regarding claim 3, Nagasaka does not disclose the conductive path wherein the positioning portion is formed in the holding member, the holding member made of a material higher in heat resistance than the housing.
However, Wang teaches a connector with a multi-part body, where the body portion 20 near where terminals are soldered is made of a more temperature resistant material than a body portion 10 which is situated further away from where the terminals are soldered (see col. 4, lns. 15 – 24). It would have been obvious to make the holder member of Nagasaka using a material with a higher temperature resistance than the housing because the holder member needs to be able to withstand the heat of the soldering which takes place at the positioning portion of the holder member of Nagasaka, and the housing member can be made of an inexpensive material which is less heat resistant because the housing member does not have to resist the heat of the soldering.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, and if all applicable §112 rejections are remedied.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 7, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed sheet conductive path, wherein the plurality of terminal fittings include a plurality of first terminal fittings and a plurality of second terminal fittings having terminal body portions of a common form and the connecting portions having different extending lengths from the terminal body portions, the positioning portion alternately aligns and positions the plurality of first terminal fittings and the plurality of second terminal fittings such that the terminal body portions are arranged in a row, and the plurality of connection holes are arranged in a staggered manner, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Nagasaka discloses terminals in rows and staggered holes, but does not disclose terminals with different extending lengths being alternately aligned and positioned as required by the claims. Callahan discloses terminals of different extending lengths, but does not disclose or teach the housing and holding member arrangement, nor the alternating arrangement with staggered holes as required by the claims. Ito discloses a connector with a plurality of terminals having a common body form and connecting portions of different lengths, and connection pads which are staggered, but does not disclose the terminals arranged in an alternating matter in a row as required by the claims.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2833
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2833