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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 13 and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiao (US Patent Application Publication 20120077385 A1).
As per claim 1, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), comprising: a housing 2010 having a body 2110 defining a body 2110 receiving space, a divider (along A11, shown in figure 10) positioned in the body 2110 receiving space and defining a plurality of terminal receiving passageways (wherein 2310 and 2320 fit in) with the body 2110 in a plurality of rows (shown in figure 10), and a latch 1500 extending from the body 2110; and a locking device 1420 having a base 1010 and a plurality of protrusions 1110 extending from the base 1010, each of the protrusions 1110 is received in one of the rows (shown in figure 10) in an open position (before 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420 and is inserted further into the terminal receiving passageways (wherein 2310 and 2320 fit in) in a closed position (when 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420, the latch 1500 engages the locking device 1420 to secure the locking device 1420 in each of the open position (before 1420 engages 1500) and the closed position (when 1420 engages 1500).
As per claim 2, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), wherein, in the open position (before 1420 engages 1500), the locking device 1420 is movable (1500 along 1420) with respect to the housing 2010 while remaining secured to the housing 2010.
As per claim 3, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), wherein the locking device 1420 has a flange (along outer surface of 1010) extending from the base 1010, the latch 1500 engages the flange (along outer surface of 1010) in the open position (before 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420.
As per claim 4, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), wherein the locking device 1420 has a groove (in-between 1210, 1220) on a surface adjacent to the flange (along outer surface of 1010), the latch 1500 is positioned in the groove (in-between 1210, 1220) in the open position (before 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420.
As per claim 5, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), wherein the latch 1500 engages an end surface (adjacent to 1210, 1220) of the base 1010 in the closed position (when 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420.
As per claim 6, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), further comprising a plurality of terminals (2310 and 2320) each positioned in one of the terminal receiving passageways (wherein 2310 and 2320 fit in), the locking device 1420 is secured to the housing 2010 in the open position (before 1420 engages 1500) with each of the terminals (2310 and 2320) in an unterminated state (shown in figure 4) (shown in figure 8, along 3 and 4).
As per claim 13, Qiao teaches a connector (figure 3), wherein, in the closed position (when 1420 engages 1500) of the locking device 1420, the protrusions 1110 of the locking device 1420 abut the terminals (2310 and 2320) and are positioned between the terminals (2310 and 2320) and the body 2110 of the housing 2010 in a terminated state (shown in figure 8, along 3 and 4) of the terminals (2310 and 2320).
As per claim 17, Qiao teaches a method, of terminating a flat flexible cable (cable to be connected to 100 when not testing, see paragraph 6), comprising: providing a connector (figure 3) including a housing 2010 and a locking device 1420, the housing 2010 having a body 2110 defining a body 2110 receiving space, a divider (along A11, shown in figure 10) positioned in the body 2110 receiving space and defining a plurality of terminal receiving passageways (wherein 2310 and 2320 fit in) with the body 2110 in a plurality of rows (shown in figure 10), and a latch 1500 extending from the body 2110, the locking device 1420 having a base 1010 and a plurality of protrusions 1110 extending from the base 1010; inserting the locking device 1420 into the housing 2010 to an open position (before 1420 engages 1500) in which the protrusions 1110 are each received in one of the rows (shown in figure 10); and inserting the locking device 1420 further into the housing 2010 to a closed position (when 1420 engages 1500), the latch 1500 engages and secures the locking device 1420 in each of the open position (before 1420 engages 1500) and the closed position (when 1420 engages 1500).
As per claim 18, Qiao teaches a method, further comprising inserting a plurality of terminals (2310 and 2320) in an unterminated state (shown in figure 4) (shown in figure 8, along 3 and 4) into the connector (figure 3) prior to inserting the locking device 1420, the terminals (2310 and 2320) remain in the unterminated state (shown in figure 4) (shown in figure 8, along 3 and 4) with the locking device 1420 in the open position (before 1420 engages 1500).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12, 14-16 and 19-20 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.
As per claim 7, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein the body of the housing has a plurality of lance windows extending through the body, each of the terminals has a locking lance engaged in one of the lance windows to secure the terminals in the terminal receiving passageways.
As per claim 8, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: further comprising a flat flexible cable extending through the locking device and into the housing with the locking device in the open position, the flat flexible cable has an insulation material and a plurality of flat conductors embedded in the insulation material.
As per claim 19, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: further comprising inserting a flat flexible cable through the locking device in the open position and into one of the rows of the connector, the terminals are terminated to a plurality of flat conductors of the flat flexible cable in a terminated state with the locking device in the open position.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831