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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The applicant disclosed holes 15 which is in fact a slot rather than a hole.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Little et al. (US 8,152,566).
Regarding claim 1, Little et al. disclose a plug connector, comprising:
an outer member (3) having a receiving groove (310), wherein one of two ends of the outer member has a mating side, and the other end of the outer member has an assembling side, the outer member comprises a mating ring portion (31), at least one extension portion, and at least one elastic piece (32), the mating ring portion is at the mating side, the at least one extension portion, the at least one elastic piece, and the mating ring portion are integrally formed as a one-piece structure, the at least one extension portion extends toward the assembling side from a side end of one side of the mating ring portion, and the at least one elastic piece is bent at an end portion of the at least one extension portion and arranged at a side portion of the at least one extension portion; and
an insulated member (1) in the receiving groove.
[AltContent: textbox (slit)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Contact protrusion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (guiding portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (hole)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Extension portion)]
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Regarding claim 2, Little et al. disclose the at least one elastic piece comprises a guiding portion and a contact protrusion, the guiding portion is bent toward the mating ring portion, and the contact protrusion is adjacent to the guiding portion.
Regarding claim 3, Little et al. disclose wherein the outer member has a hole formed around the at least one extension portion and the at least one elastic piece.
Regarding claim 6, Little et al. disclose the outer member has a slit at one side of the mating ring portion and at a middle portion of the at least one extension portion.
Regarding claim 7, Little et al. disclose comprising a plurality of terminals (2) , wherein the insulated member has a plurality of terminal grooves (120) for being assembled with the terminals.
Regarding claim 8, Little et al. disclose comprising a tail cap (4), wherein the outer member is fitted over the tail cap and the tail cap is fitted over the insulated member.
Regarding claim 9, Little et al. disclose the outer member comprises a buckling portion, the tail cap has an engaging portion, and the buckling portion is engaged with the engaging portion.
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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.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Little et al. (US 8,152,566).
Regarding claim 4, Little et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the outer member comprises a plurality of the extension portions and a plurality of the elastic pieces.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to duplicate the elastic piece and the extension portion, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Regarding claim 5, Little et al. disclose the insulated member has a plurality of leaning portions, and each of the leaning portions leans against one end of a corresponding one of the elastic pieces.
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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