CTNF 18/570,247 CTNF 76634 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions The election made on 4/27/26 for examination of group 1, claims 1-8, has been acknowledged. Drawings 06-36-01 AIA Figure s 1-4 should be designated by a legend such as -- Prior Art -- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a1 ) as being anticipated by Rapoza (US 5,110,307) . The recitation that “battery packs” has not been given patentable weight because it has been held that a preamble is denied the effect of a limitation where the claim is drawn to a structure and the portion of the claim following the preamble is a self-contained description of the structure not depending for completeness upon the introductory clause. Kropa v. Robie, 88 USPQ 478 (CCPA 1951). Regarding claim 1, Rapoza discloses a connector (10), the connector comprising: a terminal pin (20) configured to serve as an electrical connection path; a housing (1) comprising a main body portion (at portion 36) and a lower end portion (below the portion 36) , the housing comprising a high heat resistant material (Kovar Alloy, Col. 6, L. 7-9) , the terminal pin being mounted to the lower end portion, the lower end portion being disposed in the main body portion; and an assembly portion (33) disposed within the lower end portion of the housing, the assembly portion comprising a highly moldable material (46) extending around a part of an outer surface of the terminal pin. Regarding claim 3, Rapoza discloses the highly moldable material is an electrically insulating material. Regarding claim 4 , Rapoza discloses the high heat resistant material is a ceramic or a metal (Kovar alloy). Regarding claim 5, Rapoza disloses the high heat resistant material comprises a material having a melting point of 1,000° C. or higher. (Kovar alloy melting point is 1,450° C). Regarding claim 6, Rapoza discloses the lower end portion has a through-holes extending therein, to which the terminal pin is coupled, and an outer shape of the assembly portion conforms to an inner shape of through-holes (see Fig. 4). Regarding claim 7, Rapoza substantially disclosed the claim invention except the assembly portion is molded around the terminal pin. Regarding claim 8, Rapoza discloses the housing further comprises a partition portion (32) configured to prevent deformation of the terminal pin during coupling of an external terminal to the connector, the partition portion is disposed above the lower end portion, and the partition portion comprises a high heat resistant material . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rapoza (US 5,110,307) . Rapoza substantially disclosed the claimed invention except for the material of the highly moldable material is a thermoplastic resin. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the thermoplastic resin material for insulating the terminal, since it has been held that to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. 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). 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, 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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /TRUC T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/570,247 Page 2 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/570,247 Page 4 Art Unit: 2834
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