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 1-4 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cummings et al. (US. 7,331,792 B2).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Cummings teaches a trailer tow connector (500) for a vehicle used in towing a trailer, comprising:
a housing (501) having first and second bodies (See Reproduced Drawing 1) respectively providing first and second electrical connections (504/502), wherein the housing (501) has laterally spaced apart hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1); a spring (514) arranged relative to first and second covers (506/508), wherein the first cover (506) has a central hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and the second cover (508) has lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1), the first and second covers (506/508) respectively over the first and second bodies (See Reproduced Drawing 1), wherein lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1) are arranged laterally outside the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and the lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provide a portion of an aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1), the portion concealing outer sides of the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1); and a pin (510) extending through a hole (See Reproduced Drawing 1) in at least one lateral hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and through the central hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1) and the spring (514).
In Regards to Claim 2:
Cummings teaches the trailer tow connector of claim 1, wherein the housing (501) provides an outer perimeter wall configured to abut a structure with the trailer tow connector (500) in an installed position, the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provided by the first and second covers (506/508), the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) substantially concealing the outer perimeter wall with the first and second covers (506/508) in a closed position.
In Regards to Claim 3:
Cummings teaches the trailer tow connector of claim 1, wherein the first and second covers (506/508) and the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provide an exterior aesthetic face substantially covering the spring (514), the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provided by the first and second covers (506/508) and circumscribing the exterior aesthetic face.
In Regards to Claim 4:
Cummings teaches the trailer tow connector of claim 1, wherein the spring (514) is provided by spaced apart coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2), a terminal end extending from each coil (See Reproduced Drawing 2) in a first direction and received in a first pocket in the first cover (506), and a closed portion joining the coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2) and extending in a second direction opposition the first direction, the closed portion having a closed end received in a second pocket in the second cover (508), the pin (510) extending through the coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2).
In Regards to Claim 12:
Cummings teaches a method of assembling a trailer tow connector (500), comprising:
providing a housing (501) having first and second bodies (See Reproduced Drawing 1) respectively providing first and second electrical connections (504/502), wherein the housing (501) has laterally spaced apart hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1); arranging a spring (514) relative to first and second covers (506/508), wherein the first cover (506) has a central hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and the second cover (508) has lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1); positioning the first and second covers (506/508) respectively over the first and second bodies (See Reproduced Drawing 1), wherein lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1) are arranged laterally outside the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and the lateral hinge portions (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provide a portion of an aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1), the portion concealing outer sides of the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1); and inserting a pin (510) through a hole (See Reproduced Drawing 1) in at least one lateral hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), and the inserting step includes inserting the pin (510) through the central hinge portion (See Reproduced Drawing 1), the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1) and the spring (514).
In Regards to Claim 13:
Cummings teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the housing (501) provides an outer perimeter wall configured to abut a structure with the trailer tow connector (500) in an installed position, the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provided by the first and second covers (506/508), the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) substantially concealing the outer perimeter wall with the first and second covers (506/508) in a closed position.
In Regards to Claim 14:
Cummings teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the first and second covers (506/508) and the hinge posts (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provide an exterior aesthetic face substantially covering the spring (514), the aesthetic perimeter (See Reproduced Drawing 1) provided by the first and second covers (506/508) and circumscribing the exterior aesthetic face.
In Regards to Claim 15:
Cummings teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the spring (514) is provided by spaced apart coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2), a terminal end extending from each coil (See Reproduced Drawing 2) in a first direction and received in a first pocket in the first cover (506), and a closed portion joining the coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2) and extending in a second direction opposition the first direction, the closed portion having a closed end received in a second pocket in the second cover (508), the pin (510) extending through the coils (See Reproduced Drawing 2).
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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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cummings et al. (US. 7,331,792 B2) in view of Burlak et al. (US. 2006/0085099 A1).
In Regards to Claim 8:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 1, Cummings does not teach wherein the first electrical connection is a 4-pin connector, and the second electrical connection is a 7-pin connector.
Burlak teaches wherein the first electrical connection is a 4-pin connector, and the second electrical connection is a 7-pin connector. (Paragraph 25, Similarly, connector 26 may be implemented with a standard trailer tow connector having either four or seven pins. A four pin connector may be implemented with a connector, manufactured and sold by Pollak)
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Burlak's teaching of the use of the 4-pin connector and 7-pin connector as a modification in the Cummings connector in order to trailer tow connector that may detect and prevent electrical problems that create driving hazards, or that may immediately alert a driver of a potentially hazardous condition in the electrical system of a trailer towed by a motor vehicle. (Burlak, paragraph 12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9-11, and 16-18 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 of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitation as substantially described in claims 5-7, 9-11, and 16-18, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claims 5-7, 9-11, and 16-18, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NADER J ALHAWAMDEH whose telephone number is (571)270-0571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9Am - 6Pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NADER J ALHAWAMDEH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831