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
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, 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 8,827,742).
Regarding claim 1: Wang teaches an electrical connector 100, comprising: an insulator 2; a plurality of terminals 3 disposed in the insulator (Fig. 1); a first housing 5 surrounding the insulator and the terminals (Fig. 1), wherein the first housing 5 has a connecting port (at 52; Fig. 2) and a flange 511 (see Fig. 2), the connecting port is configured to connect to another electrical connector along a docking axis (e.g. connector 100 is configured to mate with another connector), and the flange 511 is disposed along the connecting port and extends outwardly and upwardly from an annular structure of the first housing 5 by facing away from the connecting port (see Fig. 2); a waterproof sealant 7 disposed onto the first housing along the connecting port and abutting the flange 511 (see Fig. 1), wherein the flange 511 blocks the waterproof sealant in the docking axis (see Figs. 1-2); and a second housing 8 disposed on the first housing 5 (see Fig. 5), wherein the waterproof sealant 7 is kept at a distance from the second housing (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 4: Wang teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the second housing 8 covers part of the first housing 5 and part of the insulator 2 (see Figs. 4-5).
Regarding claim 6: Wang teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the waterproof sealant 7 has a convex portion 71 (Fig. 2) protruding from the flange and away from the connecting port (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8: Wang teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the insulator 2 comprises a base and a tongue (see Fig. 2), the tongue extends from the base, forms a stepped structure, and penetrates the first housing 5, and the base has another stepped structure facing away from the tongue (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9: Wang teaches all the limitations of claim 8 and further teaches wherein part of the second housing 8 covers the first housing 5 (see Fig. 5), and another part of the second housing 8 covers the insulator 2 and is suitable for the another stepped structure (Fig. 5).
Claims 1, 4-6, 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao (US 2018/0175543).
Regarding claim 1: Zhao teaches an electrical connector 100 (Fig. 1), comprising: an insulator 1; a plurality of terminals 2 disposed in the insulator (Fig. 8); a first housing 5 surrounding the insulator and the terminals (Fig. 1), wherein the first housing 5 has a connecting port (at 50; Fig. 3) and a flange 53 (see Fig. 4), the connecting port is configured to connect to another electrical connector along a docking axis (e.g. connector 100 is configured to mate with another connector), and the flange 53 is disposed along the connecting port and extends outwardly and upwardly from an annular structure of the first housing 5 by facing away from the connecting port (see Fig. 4); a waterproof sealant 7 disposed onto the first housing along the connecting port and abutting the flange 53 (see Fig. 1), wherein the flange 53 blocks the waterproof sealant in the docking axis (see Figs. 1, 14-15); and a second housing 421 disposed on the first housing 5 (see Figs. 1-2, 14-15), wherein the waterproof sealant 7 is kept at a distance from the second housing 421 (see Fig. 14).
Regarding claim 4: Zhao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the second housing 421 covers part of the first housing 5 and part of the insulator 1 (see Figs. 1-6).
Regarding claim 5: Zhao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the second housing 421 is a stamped and bent metal housing welded to the first housing (see Para. 0025).
Regarding claim 6: Zhao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the waterproof sealant 7 has a convex portion 72 (Fig. 5) protruding from the flange and away from the connecting port (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 8: Zhao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the insulator 2 comprises a base and a tongue (see Fig. 8), the tongue extends from the base, forms a stepped structure, and penetrates the first housing 5 (see Fig. 3), and the base has another stepped structure facing away from the tongue (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 9: Zhao teaches all the limitations of claim 8 and further teaches wherein part of the second housing 421 covers the first housing 5 (see Figs. 1-5), and another part of the second housing 421 covers the insulator 2 and is suitable for the another stepped structure (see Fig. 14).
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 Wang (US 8,827,742), in view of Hsu (US 9,997,866).
Regarding claim 3: Wang teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the waterproof sealant 7.
Wang does not explicitly teach wherein the waterproof sealant is a liquid silicone rubber injection molding.
Hsu teaches a waterproof sealant is a liquid silicone rubber injection molding (see Col. 4, lines 59-37 through Col. 5, lines 7).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with the waterproof sealant is a liquid silicone rubber injection molding as taught by Hsu into the electrical connector of Wang in order to achieve the advantage of allowing efficient production of complex shapes and consistent part quality.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Zhao (US 2018/0175543) and Wang (US 8,827,742) teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches the flange extending outwardly and upwardly and wherein the flange blocks the waterproof sealant in the docking axis.
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 OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at (571) 272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896