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 9, line 1, “the lead” should be --a lead--;
Claim 12, line 3, “this connector” should be --the one of the two connectors--;
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “the guiding groove comprises a helical section that extends at least sectionwise helically around the plug-in direction” in claim 8 and “the lead of the helical section is smaller at a first location in the helical section than at a second location in the helical section” in claim 9 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-7 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pillard et al. (11,276,951).
Regarding claim 1, Pillard et al., disclose a connector assembly comprising:
two electric connectors (10A and 50A, FIG. 1) that are configured to be plugged together in a plug-in direction and rotated relative to one another in a direction of rotation into a coupled state,
wherein one of the two electric connectors includes a contact (15A, FIG. 2) and the other one of the two electric connectors includes a mating contact (54, FIG. 1); and
a mechanical guiding system (12D and 56B, FIG. 1) guiding the movement of the two electric connectors relative one another in the plug-in direction and the movement of the two electric connectors relative to one another in the direction of rotation, the mechanical guiding system mechanically coupling the movement in the direction of rotation with a movement against the plug-in direction, wherein, in the coupled state, the contact and the mating contact are pressed against each other against the plug-in direction.
Regarding claim 2, FIG. 8B shows in the coupled state, the contact of the one of the two connectors is located along the plug-in direction between the mating contact of the other one of the two connectors and a housing of the other one of the two connectors.
Regarding claim 3, FIG. 1 shows in the coupled state, the contact (54) of the one of the two connectors is located in a pocket (22C) of the other one of the two connectors.
Regarding claim 5, FIG. 6A and 6B show the direction of rotation is directed around the plug-in direction.
Regarding claim 6, the mechanical guiding system comprises a first section (pointed at 12D, FIG. 1) and a second section (a horizontal groove from 12D), the first section being configured to guide the one of the two connectors relative to the other one of the two connectors in the plug-in direction, the second section being configured to guide the one of the two connectors relative to the other one of the two connectors in the direction of rotation and against the plug-in direction.
Regarding claim 7, FIG. 1 shows the mechanical guiding system comprises a guiding groove (12D) and a guiding protrusion (56B) that is configured complementary to the guiding slot and configured to slidingly fit into the guiding slot, the guiding slot and the guiding protrusion each being located on a different connector of the two connectors.
Regarding claim 11, the contact of the one of the two connectors and the mating contact of the other one of the two connectors each comprise a contact section (pointed at 15A, FIG. 2), the contact section of the contact being configured to contact the contact section of the mating contact (54) in the coupled state, the contact section of the contact and the contact section of the mating contact each extending in plane that is perpendicular to the plug-in direction and parallel to the direction of rotation.
Regarding claim 12, the contact (15A) of one of the two connectors is attached to a support structure (15B, column 9, lines 31-32), forming a unit (20, FIG. 2) that is attached to a housing (12, column 15, lines 23-25) of the one of the two connectors connector.
Regarding claims 13-15, the features in the method claims are identical to those in the apparatus claims; therefore, the method for coupling two electric connectors of a connector assembly alone is not a patentable feature.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lo (11,233,357).
Regarding claim 1, Lo discloses a connector assembly comprising:
two electric connectors (2 and 3, FIG. 1) that are configured to be plugged together in a plug-in direction and rotated relative to one another in a direction of rotation into a coupled state,
wherein one of the two electric connectors includes a contact (22, FIG. 1) and the other one of the two electric connectors includes a mating contact (32, FIG. 2); and
a mechanical guiding system (33 and 24, FIG. 1) guiding the movement of the two electric connectors relative one another in the plug-in direction and the movement of the two electric connectors relative to one another in the direction of rotation, the mechanical guiding system mechanically coupling the movement in the direction of rotation with a movement against the plug-in direction, wherein, in the coupled state, the contact and the mating contact are pressed against each other against the plug-in direction.
Regarding claim 4, the connector assembly comprises an unplugged state (FIG. 1) and an intermediate state (FIG. 4A), wherein the two connectors are configured to be moved towards each other from the unplugged state to the intermediate state in the plug-in direction and from the intermediate state to the coupled state in the direction of rotation, wherein, during the movement from the unplugged state to the intermediate state, the contact (23) of the one of the two connectors and the mating contact (32) of the other one of the two connectors do not overlap each other in the plug-in direction.
(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 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cannon (6,808,407).
Regarding claim 1, Cannon FIG. 2 shows a connector assembly comprising:
two electric connectors (13 and 9) that are configured to be plugged together in a plug-in direction and rotated relative to one another in a direction of rotation into a coupled state,
wherein one of the two electric connectors includes a contact (16) and the other one of the two electric connectors includes a mating contact (10); and
a mechanical guiding system (17 and 12) guiding the movement of the two electric connectors relative one another in the plug-in direction and the movement of the two electric connectors relative to one another in the direction of rotation, the mechanical guiding system mechanically coupling the movement in the direction of rotation with a movement against the plug-in direction, wherein, in the coupled state, the contact and the mating contact are pressed against each other against the plug-in direction.
Regarding claim 10, FIG. 2 shows the one of the two connectors comprises an outer wall (14) and an inner wall (15), the outer wall being spaced apart from and at least sectionwise surrounding the inner wall, the mechanical guiding system being arranged on the outer wall, the inner wall being sealingly engaged by the other one of the two connectors (FIG. 5).
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 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pillard et al. (11,276,951).
Regarding claim 8, Pillard et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the guiding groove that extends at least sectionwise around the plug-in direction, except for the guiding groove comprises a helical section. It would have been obvious to provide Pillard et al. to have the guiding groove comprises a helical section, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954) for better engaging.
Regarding claim 9, Pillard et al., FIG. 5A shows a lead (a distal end) of the helical section is smaller at a first location in the helical section than at a second location (pointed at 12D, FIG. 1) in the helical section, the second location being spaced apart from the first location in the direction of rotation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/04/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov