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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo et al. (US 11,909,151) in view of Yang (US 9,923,313).
Regarding claim 1, Endo discloses a wire connection module, comprising: an outer member (6) having a receiving groove, wherein one of two ends of the outer member has a mating side (left side in Fig. 12), and the other end of the outer member has an assembling side (right side in Fig. 12); an insulated member (5) in the receiving groove; and a tail cap (8) mated with the assembling side of the outer member and assembled outside an outer portion of the outer member. Endo discloses the outer member having a plurality of combining portions (623), the insulated member has a plurality of positioning portions (at 522), and each of the combining portions is engaged with a corresponding one of the positioning portions.
Endo does not disclose the combining portions and the positioning portions on the assembly side. Yang teaches combining portions (331/421) and the positioning portions located on the assembly side. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to form the combining portions and the positioning portions on the assembly side, as taught by Yang, in order to simplify assembly of the connector.
Regarding claim 3, Endo discloses each of the combining portions is a groove (around 623), and each of the positioning portions is a protrusion (521, around 522).
Regarding claim 4, Endo discloses a terminal (4), wherein the insulated member has a terminal groove for being assembled with the terminal.
Regarding claim 5, Endo discloses the insulated member having a through hole (55) in communication with the terminal groove, and the terminal has a thorn portion (422) engaged with the through hole.
Regarding claim 6, Endo discloses an outer lateral surface of the insulated member has a recessed portion corresponding to an opening of the through hole (see Figs. 9 and 10).
Regarding claim 7, Endo discloses the mating side of the outer member having a mating ring portion (63, Fig. 12), the assembling side of the outer member has an assembling ring portion (61), and an outer diameter of the mating ring portion is less than an outer diameter of the assembling ring portion (Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 8, Endo discloses the tail cap (8) having a fitting ring portion fitted over the assembling ring portion, and a length of the fitting ring portion is less than a length of the assembling ring portion (Fig. 18).
Regarding claim 9, Endo discloses a plug connector, comprising: a housing (2) having a plurality of receiving spaces (23), wherein the housing has a plurality of first mating surfaces respectively at inner sides of the receiving spaces; and a plurality of wire connection modules (100) respectively in the receiving spaces, wherein each of the wire connection modules comprises an outer member (6), an insulated member (5), and a tail cap (8); for each of the wire connection modules, the outer member has a receiving groove, one of two ends of the outer member has a mating side (left side in Fig. 12), another end of the outer member has an assembling side (right side in Fig. 12), the insulated member is in the receiving groove, and the tail cap is mated with the assembling side of the outer member and assembled outside an outer portion of the outer member; an outer portion of each of the tail caps is positioned at a corresponding one of the first mating surfaces (inside 21, Fig. 4).
Endo does not disclose the combining portions and the positioning portions on the assembly side. Yang teaches combining portions (331/421) and the positioning portions located on the assembly side. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to form the combining portions and the positioning portions on the assembly side, as taught by Yang, in order to simplify assembly of the connector.
Regarding claim 10, Endo discloses that for each of the wire connection modules, the mating side of the outer member has a mating ring portion (at 63), the assembling side of the outer member has an assembling ring portion (at 61), an outer diameter of the mating ring portion is less than an outer diameter of the assembling ring portion (Fig. 12), the outer member has a bent portion (622) between the mating ring portion and the assembling ring portion; the housing comprises a plurality of stopping blocks (31 in Fig. 4), and each of the stopping blocks is at the inner side of a corresponding one of the receiving spaces and leans against a corresponding one of the bent portions.
Regarding claim 11, Endo discloses the housing having a plurality of second mating surfaces (not labeled, left of 622 in Fig. 4) respectively at the inner sides of the receiving spaces, each of the second mating surfaces is between a corresponding one of the first mating surfaces (inside 22) and a corresponding one of the stopping blocks, and the outer portion of each of the outer members is positioned at a corresponding one of the second mating surfaces (see Fig. 4).
Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo in view of Yang, and further in view of Listing et al. (US 11,784,439).
Regarding claim 12 and 13, Listing discloses the outer member having a plurality of protruding spots (at 36), the protruding spots abut against the outer portion of the insulated member after the outer member is combined with the insulated member (8). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to use protruding spots, as taught by Listing, in order to provide a more permanent connection between the outer member and the insulting member.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection, as applied.
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 FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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