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 Objections
Claim 32 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 32, line 6, change “comprising s a second” to –comprising a second--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Amendola (US 3404362 A).
In regard to claim 1, Amendola discloses an electrical connection device, comprising:
a first panel 15 comprising a first panel foolproof portion 21, 25; and
a first connector comprising a first insulative outer housing (see annotated drawing below), two first terminals (see annotated drawing below) and two first cables 62, the first insulative outer housing being provided to the first panel 15 and having a first housing foolproof portion 19 which cooperates with the first panel foolproof portion, the two first terminals being diagonally (see annotated drawing below) provided to the first insulative outer housing, the two first cables 62 being electrically connected with the two first terminals respectively.
In regard to claim 8, Amendola discloses a second connector 14 mating with the first connector, the second connector comprising two second terminals which are diagonally provided, the two second terminals are respectively electrically connected with the two first terminals.
[AltContent: textbox (Two 1st terminal being diagonally)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (1st insulative outer housing)][AltContent: connector]
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Claim(s) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishikawa et al. (US 11239600 B2).
In regard to claim 32, Ishikawa et al. discloses an electrical connection device 11, comprising:
a first connector comprising a first insulative outer housing 15, at least two first terminals 95 and at least two first cables 93, the first insulative outer housing 15 having a first locking structure 54, the first terminals 95 being provided to the first insulative outer housing 15, the first cables 93 being respectively electrically connected with the first terminals 95; and
a second connector used to mate with the first connector and comprising a second insulative outer housing 13, at least two second terminals 33 and at least two second cables 31, the second insulative outer housing 13 having a second locking structure 23 which is used to latch to the first locking structure 54, the second terminals 33 being provided to the second insulative outer housing 13 and being respectively used to be electrically connected to the first terminals 95, the second cables 31 being respectively electrically connected with the second terminals 33.
Claim(s) 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 2525442 A2.
In regard to claim 40, EP 2525442 A2 discloses an electrical connection device, comprising:
a first connector 10 comprising a first insulative outer housing 100 and two first terminals 110-1 and 110-3 (see annotated drawing below) which are diagonally provided to the first insulative outer housing;
a first circuit board 40 used to be electrically connected to the two first terminals; and
a second connector 20 used to mate with the first connector 10 and comprising a second insulative outer housing 22 and two second terminals 26’ and 26” (see annotated drawing below) which are diagonally provided to the second insulative outer housing 22, the two second terminals being respectively used to be electrically connected to the two first terminals.
[AltContent: textbox (110-3)][AltContent: connector]
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[AltContent: textbox (26’)][AltContent: textbox (26”)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 2525442 A2.
EP 2525442 A2 discloses each first terminal is a male terminal, each second terminal is a female terminal which partially protrudes from the second insulative outer housing.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of EP 2525442 A2 by constructing each first terminal is a female terminal, each second terminal is a male terminal since applicant has presented no explanation that these particular configurations of the engagement means are significant or are anything more than one of numerous configurations a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious for the purpose of providing engaging surfaces between two members and since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Einstein, 8 USPQ 167.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 7, 9, 10, 17, 33-38, 41, 49, 50 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
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Tdt
2/6/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834