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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tabata et al. (9,966,701) in view of Fukushima et al. (6,755,673).
Regarding claim 1, Tabata et al. disclose a connector device comprising:
a connector (100, Fig. 2) and a mating connector (300, Fig. 5), wherein:
the connector and the mating connector are mateable with each other (Fig. 8);
the connector comprises a housing (110, Fig. 2) and a terminal (210);
the housing holds the terminal;
the housing is provided with an axis portion (120, Fig. 2) and a maintenance portion (a FIGURE A below);
the mating connector comprises a mating housing (310, Fig. 5) and a mating terminal (410);
the mating housing holds the mating terminal (Fig. 10);
the mating housing is provided with a mating axis portion (320, Fig. 5) and a mating maintenance portion (380);
one of the axis portion and the mating axis portion is a rotation axis with an axis direction;
a remaining one of the axis portion and the mating axis portion is a bearing;
the connector is rotatable around the rotation axis between an open position (Fig. 10) and a close position (Fig. 24) when the axis portion and the mating axis portion are combined with each other;
the terminal is not connected with the mating terminal when the connector is positioned at the open position;
the terminal is connected with the mating terminal when the connector is positioned at the close position;
when the connector is positioned at the open position, the maintenance portion is brought into contact with the mating maintenance portion; and
the maintenance portion and the mating maintenance portion temporarily maintain a position of the connector at the open position.
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Tabata et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for when the connector is positioned at the open position, the maintenance portion is positioned above the mating maintenance portion in an up-down direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotation axis.
Fukushima et al., Figs. 10-12 shows when the connector is positioned at the open position, the maintenance portion (17, Fig. 10) is positioned above the mating maintenance portion (36, Fig. 12) in an up-down direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotation axis. It would have been obvious to modify Tabata et al. to have
when the connector is positioned at the open position, the maintenance portion is positioned above the mating maintenance portion in an up-down direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotation axis, as taught by Fukushima et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 2, Tabata et al. disclose the housing is further provided with a guide portion (180, Fig. 2);
the mating housing is further provided with a mating guide portion (380, Fig. 7);
the mating guide portion is a guide protrusion;
the guide portion is a guide ditch which receives the guide protrusion to guide a rotational movement of the connector; and
when the guide protrusion also functions as the mating maintenance portion, the maintenance portion is provided in the guide ditch.
Regarding claim 3, Tabata et al. disclose the guide protrusion (380) functions as both the mating guide portion and the mating maintenance portion;
the guide portion is the guide ditch;
the guide protrusion is positioned at a first position in the guide ditch when the connector is positioned at the open position (Fig. 10);
the guide protrusion is positioned at a second position in the guide ditch when the connector is positioned at the close position (Fig. 24); and
the maintenance portion is provided in the guide ditch at a location which is positioned beyond the first position (Fig. 10) in an orientation from the first position toward the second position (Fig. 24).
Regarding claim 4, Tabata et al. disclose the guide ditch (180, Fig. 2) has a bottom surface; and the maintenance portion protrudes from the bottom surface in the guide ditch (the FIGURE A above).
Regarding claim 6, Tabata et al. disclose the axis portion is the bearing; when the connector is positioned at the open position (Fig. 10), the axis portion is opened downward in the up-down direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotation axis;
the mating axis portion is the rotation axis;
the mating axis portion is lightly press-fit into the bearing; and
when the connector is positioned at the open position, the connector is separable from the mating connector by the connector being moved upward in the up-down direction.
Claims 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tabata et al. (9,966,701) in view of Skipworth et al. (6,087,593).
Regarding claim 5, Tabata et al. disclose the claimed invention as described in claims 1-4 above except for the guide protrusion has a diameter; and the maintenance portion has a width which is less than the diameter of the guide protrusion.
Skipworth et al. disclose a guide protrusion (38, Fig. 6) has a diameter (a diameter of 38); and the maintenance portion (28, Fig. 4) has a width (a width at 28) which is less than the diameter of the guide protrusion. It would have been obvious to modify Tabata et al. to have the guide protrusion has a diameter; and the maintenance portion has a width which is less than the diameter of the guide protrusion, as taught by Skipworth et al. for better engaging.
Regarding claim 7, Tabata et al., Fig. 10 shows the axis portion is the bearing;
when the connector is positioned at the open position, the axis portion is opened downward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotation axis;
the mating axis portion is the rotation axis;
the mating axis portion is lightly press-fit into the bearing; and
when the connector is positioned at the open position, the connector is separable from the mating connector by the connector being moved upward in the up-down direction.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 04/30/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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