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 .
Claims 1-5 are pending.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: SHIELDED CONNECTOR ATTACHED TO SHIELDING CASE, HAVING TERMINAL PROVIDED WITH TERMINAL AND CONDUCTOR CONNECTION PORTIONS CONNECTED TO MATING TERMINAL OF MATING CONNECTOR.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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(s) 1, 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itsuki et al. (JP 2014-38793, also published as US 2014/0051286) embodiment 2 (FIG. 5-12) in view of embodiment 1 (FIG. 1-4).
With respect to Claim 1:
Itsuki discloses a connector (FIG. 5, 210 2nd embodiment), comprising:
a housing (FIG. 5/6, 220) made of synthetic resin ([0039]), the housing (220) having a facing surface (FIG. 9. 21, see notation) facing a mounting object;
a connection terminal (FIG. 9; 51, 52) accommodated in the housing (220),
a current-carrying conductor (FIG. 8/9, 231) connected to an end of a cable (FIG. 9, 230, 70), the current-carrying conductor (231) being accommodated in the housing (220); and
a shield shell (FIG. 7, 240) made of metal for covering the housing (220) ([0056]), the shield shell (240) including an extending portion (FIG. 9, see notation) for covering the facing surface of the housing (220),
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (fixing portion)][AltContent: textbox (common resin wall)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (1st accommodating recess part)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd accommodating recess part)][AltContent: textbox (extending portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (facing surface)]
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the housing (220) including a first accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) and a second accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) (FIG. 9, 26) for accommodating a second fastening member (FIG. 9, 25) made of metal for fastening the housing (220) and the extending portion (FIG. 9, see notation) of the shield shell (FIG. 9, 240), and the first accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) and the second accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) being adjacent across a common resin wall (FIG. 9, see notation).
Itsuki (FIG. 5, 210 embodiment 2) does not expressly disclose a first accommodation recess for accommodating a first fastening member made of metal for fastening the connection terminal and the current-carrying conductor.
However, Itsuki (FIG. 3, 10 connector embodiment 1) teaches a first accommodation recess for accommodating a first fastening member (FIG. 3, 140) made of metal for fastening the connection terminal (FIG. 3, 53) and the current-carrying conductor (FIG. 3) ([0045, 0054], claims 4-7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Itsuki (FIG. 5, 210 embodiment 2) with the teachings of Itsuki (FIG. 3, 10 embodiment 1) and provide a first accommodation recess for accommodating a first fastening member made of metal for fastening the connection terminal and the current-carrying conductor so as to miniaturize a connector while absorbing vibration from a body side.’ (paragraph [0006]).
With respect to Claim 3:
Itsuki discloses the connector (FIG. 9, 210), wherein the resin wall (FIG. 9, see notation) separating the first accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) and the second accommodation recess (FIG. 9, see notation) has a wall thickness of 2 mm or less.
With respect to Claim 4:
Itsuki discloses the connector (FIG. 9, 210), wherein the shield shell (FIG. 9, 240) includes a fixing portion (FIG. 9, see notation) for the mounting object made of metal.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Regarding Claim 2, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting the second accommodation recess is open in the facing surface of the housing, the first accommodation recess is open on a side opposite to the facing surface of the housing, and the first accommodation recess and the second accommodation recess at least partially overlap in projection in a direction intersecting a facing direction of the facing surface and the mounting object, as recited in claim 2, in conjunction with all the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 2, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 2, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 2 is allowable.
Regarding Claim 5, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting the cable is constituted by the shielded cable including a shield member, and the shield member is connected to the extending portion of the shield shell, as recited in claim 5, in conjunction with all the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 5, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 5, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 5 is allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER G. LEIGH whose telephone number is (571)270-0672. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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August 23, 2025
/PETER G LEIGH/Examiner, Art Unit 2831