Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/571,242

CONNECTOR

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Dec 17, 2023
Examiner
BAILLARGEON, PAUL D
Art Unit
2831
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 5m
To Grant
82%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allow Rate
389 granted / 502 resolved
+9.5% vs TC avg
Minimal +5% lift
Without
With
+4.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
24 currently pending
Career history
526
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
43.6%
+3.6% vs TC avg
§102
41.7%
+1.7% vs TC avg
§112
8.0%
-32.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 502 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. 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. Claim s 1 – 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by JP H05-258795 (“Yamamoto”) . Regarding claim 1 , Yamamoto discloses a connector, comprising: a housing ( A1 ) for accommodating a terminal fitting ( C ); and a retainer ( B ) attached to the housing, the retainer being relatively displaceable between a temporary locking position (the position seen in Figure 1) for enabling insertion of the terminal fitting into the housing and a complete locking position (the position seen in Figure 7 and 11D) for restricting separation of the terminal fitting from the housing, an outer surface of one member (upper face of A1 ) , out of the housing and the retainer, being formed with an accommodation recess for accommodating the other member, out of the housing and the retainer ( A1 is formed with a recess formed downward from the upper face of A1 , for accommodating B , see Fig. 4 ), and a displacement path of the retainer from the temporary locking position to the complete locking position being set in a two-dimensional plane parallel to an exposed surface of the other member in an opening of the accommodation recess ( B rotates in direction P, see in Figure 2, i n a path parallel to an exposed surface of portion 8 of member B from which portion 11 protrude, the surface being exposed at least in the position seen in Figure 1 ) . Regarding claim 2 , Yamamoto discloses wherein the exposed surface of the other member (the face of portion 8 ) is arranged at a position flush with the outer surface of the one member ( the face of portion 8 is flush with the upper face of A1 ) . Regarding claim 3 , Yamamoto discloses wherein: an inner peripheral surface of the accommodation recess and an outer peripheral surface of the other member have arcuate guide surfaces capable of sliding in contact with each other ( surface of 7 guides surface of 11, see Figs. 10A – D ) , and the retainer is displaced from the temporary locking position to the complete locking position while rotating by the guide surfaces sliding in contact with each other ( see Figs. 10A-D ) . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 4 – 5 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding Claim 4, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector, wherein the other member is formed with a resilient holding piece for holding the retainer at the temporary locking position, and the resilient holding piece is arranged along the exposed surface. Yamamoto does not disclose a resilient holding piece at the exposed face as required by the claims. Biermann discloses a connector with a retainer within a housing, the retainer has a displacement path parallel to a face of the housing (38 rotates), but does not disclose or teach a resilient holding piece as required by the claims. The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Pub. No. 20240322479 is cited as a pertinent related application. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-0676 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Renee Luebke can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 272-2009 . 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. /PAUL D BAILLARGEON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /EDWIN A. LEON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 17, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 24, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12597721
CONDUCTOR TERMINAL AND SET FORMED OF CONDUCTOR TERMINAL AND ACTUATING ELEMENT
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12592522
CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12580354
ADAPTER AND RAIL SOCKET
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12580343
HIGH SPEED, RUGGEDIZED CONNECTOR
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12567705
Electrical Terminal with Secondary Sacrificial Contact Beam
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 03, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
78%
Grant Probability
82%
With Interview (+4.6%)
2y 5m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 502 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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