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 § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shain (US 2019/0312385).
Regarding claim 1: Shain teaches a cable connection system 100 (Fig. 1) comprising: a cable termination coupled to a first end of a cable (at 46; Fig. 1), the cable termination comprising: a cable connector 46 electrically coupled to wiring of the cable 40 (see Fig. 1), and a connection carrier (at 504; Fig. 5) surrounding a portion of the cable connection (see Fig. 5); and a receiving port 430 configured to mate with the cable termination (see Figs. 5-6), the receiving port 430 comprising: a receptacle 70 configured to mate with the cable connector to form a connection (see Figs. 5-6), and a lock 410A configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position and from the unlocked position to the locked position (see Figs. 9-11), wherein: when the cable termination is mated with the receiving port 430 and the lock is moved to the locked position (see Fig. 11), the lock is configured to engage with the connection carrier and form a fluid-tight seal (e.g. via seal 72; see Fig. 6 and Para. 0047) between the connection carrier of the connection carrier and a mating surface of the receiving port (see Figs. 6 and 11).
Regarding claim 2: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the lock 410A comprises: a retaining clip (at 440B; Fig. 7) configured to engage with the connection carrier and provide a force in a direction of the mating surface of the receiving port (see Fig. 11); and a lock tab (at 460A; Fig. 7) coupled to the retaining clip and configured to provide one or more surfaces for applying a force to move the lock to the locked position from the unlocked position and to the unlocked position from the locked position (see Figs. 7-11 and Para. 0053).
Regarding claim 3: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the retaining clip (at 440B; Fig. 7) of the lock comprises: a clip body having a lock cavity (see Fig. 7 for cavity located in the middle of 440B); and a clip lip (at 442B; Fig. 8) extending from a surface of the clip body within the lock cavity (see Figs. 7-8), wherein the connection carrier is configured to fit within the lock cavity and the clip lip is configured to engage with the connection carrier (see Figs. 5-11).
Regarding claim 4: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the connection carrier comprises: a carrier body (at 500; Fig. 5); an upper stop 504A extending from a side surface of the carrier body (Fig. 5); and a lower stop 504B extending from the side surface of the carrier body (Fig. 5), wherein the upper stop and the lower stop define a lock channel from receiving the retaining clip of the lock (see Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 5: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the connection carrier further comprises: a face seal 72 coupled to a bottom surface of the carrier body (see Figs. 5-11), wherein the face seal 72 forms the fluid-tight seal between the connection carrier and the mating surface of the receiving port (Para. 0047).
Regarding claim 6: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 5 and further teaches wherein the face seal 72 is partially enclosed with the bottom surface of the carrier body (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the cable termination (at 46; Fig. 1) further comprises: an overmold coupled to the connection carrier and configured to provide support to a coupling between the cable connector and the wiring of the cable (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the receiving port 430 is positioned within a device 50 and the cable termination forms the fluid-tight seal with the receiving port and the device when the lock is engaged with the connection carrier (see Fig. 1 and Para. 0047).
Regarding claim 9: Shain teaches a receiving port 430 comprising: a receptacle 70 configured to mate with a cable connector 46 of a cable 40 (see Fig. 1); a mating surface comprising an opening 430 for receiving the cable connector (see Fig. 5); and a lock 410A configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position and from the unlocked position to the locked position (see Figs. 9-11), wherein: when a cable termination (at 46; Fig. 5) of the cable 40 is mated with the receiving port and the lock is moved to the locked position (see Figs. 6 and 11), the lock is configured to engage with the cable termination and form a fluid-tight seal (e.g. via seal 72; see Fig. 6 and Para. 0047) between the cable termination and the mating surface (see Figs. 6 and 11).
Regarding claims 10-11: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 2-3, respectively.
Regarding claim 12: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 11 and further teaches wherein the retaining clip of the lock further comprises: a bump 422B formed on an outer surface of the clip body (Fig. 7), wherein the bump is configured to engage with a recess 424A (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 13: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 9 and further teaches wherein the receiving port 430 is installed in a device 50 and provides a fluid-tight seal for the cable to the device (see Figs. 1,6 and 11 and Para. 047).
Regarding claim 14: Shain teaches a cable system (Fig. 1) comprising: a cable 40; and a cable termination (at 46; Fig. 1) coupled to a first end of a cable (Fig. 1), the cable termination comprising: a cable connector 46 coupled to wiring of the cable (Fig. 1), and a connection carrier (at 504; Fig. 5) surrounding a portion of the cable connector (see Fig. 5), wherein the connection carrier is configured to engage with a lock 410A of a receiving port 430 to form a fluid-tight seal (e.g. via seal 72; see Fig. 6 and Para. 0047) between the connection carrier and the receiving port (see Figs. 6 and 11).
Regarding claim 15-16: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 4-5, respectively.
Regarding claim 17: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and further teaches wherein the face seal 72 is partially enclosed with the bottom surface of the carrier body (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claim 7.
Regarding claim 19: Shain teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches further comprising: at least one circurit board coupled between the wiring of the cable and the cable connector (e.g. port 506 is defined as a male USB-C connector, Para. 0046, and comprises a board for holding the terminals within).
Regarding claim 20: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Hammer (US 2007/0141886) teaches a cable connection system comprising a locking and seal means for establishing a fluid-tight seal;
Thom (US 2011/0008986) teaches a receptacle connector having a sliding locking component for unlocking and locking a mechanical connection;
Snyder (US 4,109,989) teaches a male and female connector forming a sealed connection and a locking means actuated via a lever;
Miyazaki (US 11,336,064) teaches a male and female connector having a sliding locking component for unlocking and locking a mechanical connection;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at (571) 272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896