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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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) 1-5, 10, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heiser 2284392.
Regarding claim 1, Heiser discloses a connecting terminal 12, comprising: a planar main body 23, including: an electrical contacting portion 24 adapted to be in electrical contact with a mating terminal; and a welding portion 26 connected to the electrical contacting portion and adapted to be welded to at least one cable.
Regarding claim 2, Heiser discloses the main body 23 has a first face and
an opposite second face, and the at least one cable is weldable onto at least one of the first face or
the second face at 27.
Regarding claim 3, Heiser discloses a plurality of the main bodies 22,23 stacked together in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the main bodies are arranged.
Regarding claim 4, Heiser discloses at least two main bodies 22,23 of the plurality of main bodies are abutted together, and at least a portion of the at least one cable 20 is weldable onto a face of the outermost main body of the at least two main bodies located away from other main bodies of the at least two main bodies.
Regarding claim 5, Heiser discloses at least a portion of the at least one cable 20 is weldable between two adjacent main bodies 22,23 of the plurality of main bodies.
Regarding claim 10, Heiser discloses the connecting terminal 12 is an integral conductive component.
Regarding claims 11 and 13, Heiser discloses an electrical connector comprising: an insulating housing 18; and a connecting terminal 12 arranged within the insulating housing. Heiser is further applied as above.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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(s) 12, 14, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heiser.
Heiser discloses the cable 20 being soldered, not welded, to the main body 23. It would have been an obvious equivalent to weld, not solder the cable to the main body.
Claim(s) 8, 9, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heiser as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of EP 3267533.
Regarding claim 8, EP ‘533 (front page) discloses at least one side of opposite two
sides of the main body 21 is formed with a notch (between 23 and 24), and to provide Heiser with a notch thus would have been obvious, to engage with a terminal locking member (the portion of housing 18 surrounding the lower end of the main body 22,23) located between the welding portion 26 and the electrical contacting portion 24.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 6, 7, 16 and 19 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the insertion slot; nor the terminal locking member including a base, protrusion and spacing portion; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834