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 .
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 “a biasing element” and “an abutment” in claim 10 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0040], line 6, “an aperture 64” and “biasing elements 64”.
The Specification is objected because it has a same number with different elements.
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 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yuan et al. (9,614,325).
Regarding claim 1, Yuan et al. disclose an electrical connector, comprising:
a housing (6, Fig. 3A) with a terminal module (2) inserted in the housing in an axial direction;
an electrical terminal (not shown) fixed in the terminal module;
a cover (8) latched with the housing (By 13); and
a spring (15, Fig. 3A) that biases the terminal module in the axial direction (Fig. 2),
wherein the spring is provided between the cover and the terminal module and wherein the spring is configured to be compressed by the cover and to thereby urge the terminal module in the axial direction (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 3B shows the spring is integrally formed with the cover (integral by 13).
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 3A shows the spring is formed as an arc-shaped web.
Regarding claim 5, Yuan et al., Fig. 3A shows the spring has a Y-shaped cross-section.
Regarding claim 6, the spring is formed by a web spanning an aperture (an aperture that the screw (13) is inserted, Fig. 3B).
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 3B shows the spring urges the terminal module away from the cover.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 2 shows the spring urges the terminal module towards the cover.
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 3A shows the spring is a separate part.
Regarding claim 11, Fig. 5 shows an electrical cable (23).
Regarding claim 12, a mating connector (12, Fig. 2), wherein the electrical connector is fully inserted (1 and 3 are inserted into 9 and 10) and latched in the mating connector and wherein the spring urges the terminal module in the axial direction against an abutment (11) of the mating connector.
Regarding claim 13, a terminal mating module (10, Fig. 2) is inserted in a housing (12) of the mating connector and an electrical terminal (not shown) is fixed in the terminal mating module, wherein the abutment of the mating connector is provided on the terminal mating module of the mating connector.
Regarding claim 14, Fig. 5 shows an electrical cable (23).
Regarding claim 15, the spring biases the terminal module in the axial direction against an abutment (11, Fig. 2) of a mating connector (12) when the electrical connector is fully inserted (1 and 3 are inserted into 9 and 10).
Regarding claim 16, Fig. 2 shows the spring biases the terminal module in the axial direction to define a fixed axial position of the electrical terminal relative to a mating electrical terminal (12).
Regarding claim 17, Fig. 3B shows the spring comprises a web spanning an aperture (an aperture that the screw (13) is inserted into) and is configured to elastically deform in the axial direction.
Regarding claim 18, the spring is integrally formed with the cover (Fig. 2) and engages the terminal module to apply an axial force upon latching of the cover.
Regarding claim 19, Fig. 2 shows the spring is configured to reduce axial play of the terminal module after insertion into a mating connector.
Regarding claim 20, the spring biases the terminal module in the axial direction, and a biasing element (another 15, Fig. 3A) urges the electrical terminal in the same axial direction, such that both the terminal module and the electrical terminal are axially preloaded.
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan et al. in view of Jenkins (6,027,360).
Regarding claim 10, Yuan et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the terminal module has a biasing element that urges the electrical terminal in the axial direction against an abutment of the terminal module.
Jenkins, Fig. 2 shows a terminal module (18, Fig. 1) has a biasing element (64, Fig. 2) that urges the electrical terminal in the axial direction against an abutment (a protrusion from an inner wall of 18) of the terminal module. It would have been obvious to modify Yuan et al. to have the terminal module has a biasing element that urges the electrical terminal in the axial direction against an abutment of the terminal module, as taught by Jenkins for better engaging.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 3-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul 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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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 06/02/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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