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 § 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 1-8 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.
Claim 1, the limitation “a resiliently undeformable complete locking portion” is indefinite. It is a self-contradition. The complete locking portion can only be either resilient or undeformable.
Claim 1, the limitation “the first housing and the second housing in an assembled state being displaceable to: a primarily locked state where the complete locking portion is retracted to outside an insertion path for the terminal fitting and the terminal fitting is holdable in a retained state by the locking lance; and a secondarily locked state where the locking lance is retracted to outside the insertion path for the terminal fitting and the terminal fitting is holdable in the retained state by the complete locking portion.” is indefinite.
The limitation describes the “complete locking portion” as being “displacable” and “retracted to outside an insertion path”. If the portion moves because the entire housing is displaced, it might be “rigid” relative to its housing but movable as a unit.
Claim 1, it is unclear that the “resiliently deformable locking lance” is belong to the first housing or second housing.
Claim 1, it is unclear that the “resiliently undeformable complete locking portion” is belong to the first housing or second housing.
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, 3, 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerwatownski (US 2015/0133002).
Regarding claim 1, Gerwatownski discloses a connector, comprising:
a connector housing configured by assembling a first housing (14) and a second housing (30);
a terminal fitting (62) to be inserted into the connector housing;
a resiliently deformable locking lance (78) formed in the connector housing; and
a resiliently undeformable complete locking portion (146) formed in the connector housing,
the first housing and the second housing in an assembled state being displaceable to:
a primarily locked state where the complete locking portion is retracted to outside an insertion path for the terminal fitting and the terminal fitting is holdable in a retained state by the locking lance; and
a secondarily locked state where the locking lance is retracted to outside the insertion path for the terminal fitting and the terminal fitting is holdable in the retained state by the complete locking portion.
Regarding claim 3, Gerwatowski discloses the locking lance is formed in the first housing,
a mold removal space (at 82) formed by molding the locking lance is open in a front end surface of the first housing,
the second housing is formed with a front wall portion for stopping in front the terminal fitting inserted into the connector housing, and the front wall portion is accommodated in the mold removal space with the first housing and the second housing assembled.
Regarding claim 7, Gerwatowski discloses the first housing is formed with an accommodation space for accommodating the second housing, a part of the second housing projects out from the accommodation space when the first housing and the second housing are in the primarily locked state, and the entire second housing is accommodated in the accommodation space when the first housing and the second housing are in the secondarily locked state.
Regarding claim 8, Gerwatowski discloses the first housing is formed with an opening (42) for allowing the part of the second housing to project out from the first housing in the primarily locked state, and the second housing is formed with an expansion restricting portion for restricting the first housing from being deformed to expand the opening.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-6 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2011. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday (7-4).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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