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 § 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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkner (US 9,022,813) in view of Provinsky (US 3,854,790).
Regarding claim 1, Wilkner discloses a flexible cable connector, comprising: a first housing (100) formed with a plurality of first terminal accommodation chambers (110); a second housing (200) formed with a plurality of second terminal accommodation chambers (210); a plurality of terminal fittings (40, 50) individually mounted into the plurality of first terminal accommodation chambers and the plurality of second terminal accommodation chambers; a first flexible cable (not shown) fixed to the plurality of terminal fittings by welding (method of manufacturing), a second flexible cable (not shown) fixed to the plurality of terminal fittings by welding (method of manufacturing);
wherein the first housing is formed with a first opening (at 112, Fig. 2) for exposing a first welded part of the plurality of terminal fittings and the first flexible cable (intended use), the second housing is formed with a second opening (212) for exposing a second welded part of the plurality of terminal fittings and the second flexible cable (intended use); the first housing and the first terminal is formed with first positioning holes (130, 42) to be aligned with each other, the second housing and the second terminal is formed with second positioning holes (230, 52) to be aligned with each other; a first module (10) is configured by assembling the first housing, the plurality of terminal fittings and the first flexible cable, a second module (20) is configured by assembling the second housing, the plurality of terminal fittings and the second flexible cable, a first boss pin (120) formed on the first housing is fit into the positioning hole of the second housing and the positioning hole of the second terminal with the first and second modules stacked, and a second boss pin (220) formed on the second housing is fit into the positioning hole of the first housing and the first positioning hole of the first terminal with the first module and the second module stacked, thereby forming a cross-penetrating structure between the first module and the second module (i.e. each pin from one module penetrates the other module).
Wilkner discloses substantially the claimed invention except for the boss pins fitting into positioning holes on the cables. Provinsky teaches (in Figure 6) a first housing (34b) and a flexible cable (42) being formed with positioning holes (67, 46) to be aligned with each other; a second boss pin (65) formed on a second housing (34a) being fit into the positioning hole of the first housing and the positioning hole of the flexible cable. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to use a boss pin and positioning holes in the device of Wilkner, as taught by Provinsky, in order to relieve strain on the terminal to cable connection.
Regarding claim 7, Wilkner discloses the first opening (112) formed to face rear ends of the plurality of first terminal accommodation chambers of the first housing so that the first welded part is visible through the first opening (intended use, from the rear), and the second opening (212) formed to face rear ends of the plurality of second terminal accommodation chambers of the second housing so that the second welded part is visible through the second opening (intended use, from the rear).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkner and Provinsky, and further in view of Maeda (US 6,354,887).
Regarding claim 2, Maeda teaches a first opening (top in Fig. 2) being open to expose an outer peripheral edge of the first welded part (at 7) of the first flexible cable to the plurality of terminal fittings, and the second opening (see Fig. 4) open to expose an outer peripheral edge of the second welded part of the second flexible cable to the plurality of terminal fittings. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to use an opening on the welded section, as taught by Maeda, in order to allow for inspection and/or repair of the welded section.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection, as applied.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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