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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, the limitation “a primary molded portion molded with the terminal as an insert” is unclear.
Claim 1, the limitation “a secondary molded portion molded with the primary molded portion including the terminal as an insert” is unclear.
Claim 1, it is unclear whether or not that “an insert” line 11 is the same as “an insert” in line 10.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the inserting portion” in lines 15 and 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Matsuoka (US 2010/0297864).
The limitation that “relay” has not been given patentable weight because it has been held that a preamble is denied the effect of a limitation where the claim is drawn to a structure and the portion of the claim following the preamble is a self-contained description of the structure not depending for completeness upon the introductory clause. Kropa v. Robie, 88 USPQ 478 (CCPA 1951).
Regarding claim 1, Matsuoka discloses a connector to be mounted on a device case (60) for electrically connecting inside and outside of the device case, comprising:
a housing (10) including a tubular inserting portion to be inserted into a mounting hole of the device case; an electrically conductive terminal (11) provided in a state partially embedded in the housing; and
a sealing member (15) to be mounted on an outer periphery of the inserting portion, the sealing member sealing between the mounting hole and the inserting portion,
the housing including a primary molded portion (20, Fig. 3) molded with the terminal as an insert and a secondary molded portion (10) molded with the primary molded portion including the terminal as an insert,
the primary molded portion (20) including a first body portion for holding the terminal and a tubular first connector fitting portion projecting in a first direction from an end surface in the first direction of the first body portion, the first connector fitting portion being provided in an internal space of the inserting portion, and
the secondary molded portion (10) including a second body portion for holding the terminal and covering the first body portion with the first body portion partially embedded, the inserting portion projecting in the first direction from an end surface in the first direction of the second body portion and a second connector fitting portion projecting in a first opposite direction from an end surface in the first opposite direction of the second body portion, the first opposite direction being opposite to the first direction.
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd direction)][AltContent: textbox (1st direction)][AltContent: textbox (2nd body portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (tubular first connector fitting portion)][AltContent: textbox (1st body portion)][AltContent: arrow]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2011. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday (7-4).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834