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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(h)(3) because section lines in drawings should refer to the view number of the sectional view where it is shown. Figure 2 should have section lines 4—4 and 5—5.
The drawings are objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched. Insulating members shown in cross section should be properly crosshatched. See Figures 4 and 5. It is brought to applicant’s attention that the conventional crosshatch for insulating members shown in cross section consist of lines of two different thicknesses alternatively disposed.
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamanashi (US 11,557,871).
Regarding claim 1, Yamanashi discloses a connector, comprising: a housing (2); and a terminal assembly (3, 5), the housing including a housing body portion having a through hole (26, 27) penetrating in a first direction, the terminal assembly including a terminal (3), a holding component (5) to be inserted into the through hole together with the terminal, a sealing member (4) for sealing between an inner wall of the through hole and the terminal by being directly mounted on the terminal and a nut (6) to be mounted and temporarily held in the holding component, the holding component including a terminal insertion hole (51a), the terminal being inserted into the terminal insertion hole, a terminal positioning portion (51) for positioning the terminal inserted into the terminal insertion hole, and a nut positioning portion (50a) provided to be continuous with the terminal positioning portion for positioning the nut, and the housing including a nut holding wall (23) for holding the nut in a state positioned by the nut positioning portion.
Regarding claim 2, Yamanashi discloses the nut holding wall including a base plate portion for suppressing separation of the nut by arranging the nut between the terminal and the base plate portion (Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 3, Yamanashi discloses the nut holding wall including a side plate portion (24e) for stopping rotation of the nut by engaging an outer peripheral surface of the nut.
Regarding claim 4, Yamanashi discloses the side plate portion including a locked portion (23d), and the holding component includes a locking portion (52b) for holding the terminal assembly in a state mounted in the housing body portion by locking the locked portion.
Regarding claim 5, Yamanashi discloses the holding component including a deflectable deflection piece (52) and the locking portion (52b) provided on the deflection piece.
Regarding claim 6, Yamanashi discloses the nut positioning portion including a temporary holding rib (54, 53, 61) for sandwiching and temporarily holding the nut in the first direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)727-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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