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 .
Drawings
Applicant states that the multiple views of Fig. 6A and 11 are properly presented because these figures contain detail views, and drawings must contain as many views as necessary to show the invention. Examiner disagrees that these views are properly presented. Attention is directed to 37 CFR 1.84 (h)(2), which states that “When a portion of a view is enlarged for magnification purposes, the view and the enlarged view must each be labeled as separate views” (emphasis added). Furthermore, 37 CFR 1.84 (u)(1) states “Partial views intended to form one complete view, on one or several sheets, must be identified by the same number followed by a capital letter” (emphasis added).
The drawings remain objected to because:
Figure 6A includes two views, these views must be separately labeled and also cannot be connected by a lead line with arrow as presently presented.
Figure 11 contains multiple views, and these views should be separately labeled.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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, 3 – 4, 6 – 7, 9 – 13, 15 – 16, and 18 – 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No. 10,594,089 (“Durse”).
Regarding claim 1, Durse discloses a connector (10) comprising:
a connector housing (12);
a terminal (14) mounted on the connector housing;
a terminal locking mechanism (16) configured to:
fasten the terminal to the connector housing (see Fig. 1 and the abstract); and
move between a locked position (final position within housing) and an unlocked position (external position before entering housing),
wherein the terminal locking mechanism comprises a resistor mounting portion (20), and wherein the resistor mounting portion comprises a groove (28) configured to accommodate a resistor (see Fig. 2) and is configured to:
mount the resistor (see Fig. 2); and
expose the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (see Fig. 1); and
a resistor connecting member (22) configured to electrically couple the resistor to the terminal (see Fig. 3),
wherein the connector housing is configured to seal the groove and conceal the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the locked position (when assembled at the locked position the housing seals the groove and resistor is concealed within the housing, see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln 8).
Regarding claim 3, Durse discloses wherein the terminal locking mechanism is further configured to:
be inserted into the connector housing (see Fig. 1);
fasten the terminal onto the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is at the locked position (see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln. 8); and
unfasten the terminal when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (removal of 16 allows removal of terminal 14).
Regarding claim 4, Durse discloses wherein the resistor mounting portion (20) is:
configured to be located outside the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (20 is part of 16 and is outside 12 when 16 is outside 12); and
configured to be within the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is in the locked position (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Durse discloses wherein the resistor connecting member comprises:
a resistor conduction portion (46) configured to couple to two ends of the resistor in a clamping manner; and
a terminal conduction portion (40) electrically coupled to the resistor conduction portion and configured to abut against the terminal.
Regarding claim 7, Durse discloses wherein the terminal conduction portion is an elastic spring plate (see Fig. 3) comprising:
a first end (end at portion 48) fastened onto the terminal locking mechanism (see Fig. 2; and
a second end (52) configured to be in contact with the terminal to fasten the terminal onto the connector housing by the terminal locking mechanism (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Durse discloses wherein the resistor conduction portion comprises a hole (34) configured to accommodate either end of the resistor so that either end of the resistor is capable of being inserted into the hole (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Durse discloses a conductor (portion 44), wherein the resistor conduction portion and the terminal conduction portion are electrically coupled through the conductor.
Regarding claim 11, Durse discloses a terminal locking mechanism (16) comprising:
a resistor mounting portion (20) configured to mount a resistor, wherein the resistor mounting portion comprises a groove (28) configured to accommodate the resistor; and
a resistor connecting member (22) configured to electrically couple the resistor to a terminal,
wherein the terminal locking mechanism is configured to fasten the terminal onto a connector housing (see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln. 8), and wherein the terminal locking mechanism is moveable between a locked position (final position within housing) and an unlocked position (external position before entering housing),
wherein the resistor mounting portion is further configured to expose the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (see Fig. 1), and
wherein the connector housing seals the groove and conceals the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the locked position (when assembled at the locked position the housing seals the groove and resistor is concealed within the housing, see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln 8).
Regarding claim 12, Durse discloses wherein the terminal locking mechanism is further configured to:
fasten the terminal onto the connector housing at the locked position (see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln. 8); and
unfasten the terminal at the unlocked position (removal of 16 allows removal of the terminal 14).
Regarding claim 13, Durse discloses wherein the resistor mounting portion is:
configured to be located outside the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (20 is part of 16 and is outside 12 when 16 is outside 12); and
configured to be within the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is in the locked position (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Durse discloses wherein the resistor connecting member comprises:
a resistor conduction portion (46) configured to couple to two ends of the resistor, in a clamping manner; and
a terminal conduction portion (40) electrically coupled to the resistor conduction portion and configured to abut against the terminal.
Regarding claim 16, Durse discloses wherein the terminal conduction portion (40) is an elastic spring plate (see Fig. 3) comprising:
a first end (end at portion 48) fastened onto the terminal locking mechanism (see Fig. 2; and
a second end (52) configured to be in contact with the terminal to fasten the terminal onto the connector housing by the terminal locking mechanism (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Durse discloses wherein the resistor conduction portion comprises a hole (34) configured to accommodate either end of the resistor (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 19, Durse discloses wherein the resistor conduction portion and the terminal conduction portion are coupled through a conductor (the portions are coupled through portion 44).
Regarding claim 20, Durse discloses a vehicle (col. 1, lns. 57 – 60) comprising:
a bus (col. 1, lns. 57 – 60);
a resistor (26);
a connector (10) coupled to the bus and comprising:
a connector housing (12);
a terminal (14) mounted on the connector housing;
a terminal locking mechanism (16) configured to:
fasten the terminal onto the connector housing (see Fig. 1 and the abstract); and
move between a locked (final position within the housing) position and an unlocked position (positioned outside the housing),
wherein the terminal locking mechanism comprises a resistor mounting portion (20) disposed on the connector, and wherein the resistor mounting portion comprises a groove (28) to accommodate the resistor and is configured to:
mount the resistor (see Fig. 2); and
expose the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (see Fig. 1); and
a resistor connecting member (22) disposed on the connector and configured to electrically couple the resistor to the terminal,
wherein the connector housing is configured to seal the groove and conceal the resistor when the terminal locking mechanism is at the locked position (when assembled at the locked position the housing seals the groove and resistor is concealed within the housing, see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln 8).
Regarding claim 21, Durse discloses wherein the terminal locking mechanism is further configured to:
be inserted into the connector housing (see Fig. 1);
fasten the terminal onto the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is at the locked position (see Fig. 1 and col. 1, ln. 61 – col. 2, ln. 8); and
unfasten the terminal when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (removal of 16 allows removal of terminal 14).
Regarding claim 22, Durse discloses wherein the resistor mounting portion is: configured to be located outside the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is at the unlocked position (see Fig. 1); and configured to be within the connector housing when the terminal locking mechanism is in the locked position (20 is within the housing when assembled and at the locked position).
Regarding claim 23, Durse discloses the resistor connecting member comprises:
a resistor conduction portion (46) configured to couple to two ends of the resistor in a clamping manner; and
a terminal conduction portion (40) electrically coupled to the resistor conduction portion and configured to abut against the terminal.
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 8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Durse in view of U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,813 (“Kellerman”).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Durse discloses the resistor conduction portion as a first sheet member, but does not disclose the resistor conduction portion comprises:
a second conductive sheet abutted against the first conductive sheet and comprising:
a third end fastened to the resistor mounting portion; and
a fourth end abutted against the second end, so that either end of the resistor can be inserted between one end of the first conductive sheet and one end of the second conductive sheet that abut against each other.
However, Kellerman teaches a plate shaped terminal member (33) for mating with a conductor, the terminal member having a conduction portion (79) which comprises:
a first conductive sheet (portion 39) comprising:
a first end fastened to the conduction portion (the bottom end of 39 connects to portion 79, see Fig. 24); and
a second end (the upper end near the lead line of numeral 103 in Figure 20); and
a second conductive sheet (303) abutted against the first conductive sheet (see Fig. 21 and see col. 9, lns. 43 – 46) and comprising:
a third end (lower end of 303) fastened to the conduction portion (see Figs. 21, 26, and 34); and
a fourth end (upper end of 303) abutted against the second end see Fig. 21 and see col. 9, lns. 43 – 46), so that either end of a resistor can be inserted between one end of the first conductive sheet and one end of the second conductive sheet that abut against each other (the respective upper ends of 39 and 303 accept a mating conductor therebetween).
It would have been obvious to modify the terminal conduction portion of Durse which mates with the resistor in view of Kellerman, by providing the conductive sheets which are formed to accept a conductive member therebetween, because the two sheets are arranged to be biased against one another to provide a grip upon a mating conductor to help maintain connection to the mating conductor.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Durse does not disclose the claimed unlocked or locked position. Applicant further argues that a disk adjacent to 20 covers the cavity and prevents the resistor from being exposed. Examiner cannot concur.
The assembly of Durse does have the unlocked and locked positions. As best seen in Figure 1, member 16/20 is in an unfixed position, and when the assembly is completed member 16 holds the terminals in place and is furthermore fixed in place by the rest of the assembled members, including the housing. Furthermore, the housing conceals the resistor and seals the resistor groove by encapsulating the internal components and engaging with a seal structure.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 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.
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, 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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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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