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.
Furthermore, description of unlocking/locking states consistent with the claim objections below should be rectified. See at least [0006], [0007], [0010], and [0013].
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 5, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In each of claims 1 and 2, it appears that the terminology of “unlocking state” and “locking state” are presented in reverse order. In other words, in each claim the structure and actions presented as “unlocking” are actually related to locking, and vice versa.
For instance, in claim 1 it is represented that moving from unlocking to locking has the action of each connecting arm is moved and abuts against the stopping surface. This is opposite of the disclosed locking/unlocking action described in [0057] and seen in the Figures. The locking state is best seen in Figures 1, 7 – 8, and 12, while unlocking and the corresponding abutment with the stopping surface is seen in Figures 9 and 11 and described as unlocking in at least [0034], [0036], and [0057].
Furthermore, in claim 5, line 2 “a locked state” lacks antecedent basis. In line 4, “the unlocked state” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 8, line 3, “the a locked state” lacks antecedent basis and has unnecessary language. In line 4, “the unlocked state” lacks antecedent basis.
In both claim 5 and 8, it will be assumed that the locking and unlocking states introduced in claim 1 are being referenced.
Appropriate corrections are 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 – 2, 4, 7, and 9 – 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,666 (“Wu”).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a connector, comprising:
a base (10/20/60) comprising a front surface (leading surface at front end of 10), an upper surface (the upward facing surface of 10, including at least surfaces 11 and 19 which face upward), and two side surfaces (wall surfaces 121);
two barriers (portions 191/192 and 12) connected to the upper surface (see Fig. 2), each of the barriers having a first stopping surface (191) perpendicular to the upper surface; and
a latch (Fig. 4) comprising a pull handle (81) connecting with two snapping plates (portions 70 and the portion of 82 between 85 and 70) via two connecting arms (the left and right portions extending between 81 and up to and including 85) respectively, each of the snapping plates covering at least a portion of the two side surfaces of the base respectively (see Fig. 8), both of the snapping plates being substantially perpendicular to the connecting arms respectively (portion 85 is perpendicular to the identified snapping plate), at least a portion of the connecting arms being located on the upper surface (see Fig. 8), at least one of the snapping plates having a first hook (70) protruding away from the base (70 protrudes away from portions of base 10),
wherein when the pull handle of the latch is pulled away from the base along a pulling direction, the latch switches from a locking state to an unlocking state (see Figs. 9 and 10), meanwhile, each of the connecting arms is moved and abuts against the stopping surface and control movement of the first hook via the at least one of the snapping plates (see Figs. 9 – 10).
Regarding claim 2, Wu discloses wherein when the latch switches from a locking state to an unlocking state, each of the connecting arms is deformed and abuts against the stopping surface (see Figs. 9 – 10).
Regarding claim 4, Wu discloses wherein both of the connecting arms extend away from the base along the pulling direction via a tunnel formed between the two barriers (the arms extend rearward through a space between barrier members 22).
Regarding claim 7, Wu discloses wherein the base further comprises a rear surface (the surface near portion 14, Fig. 2) connected to the upper surface (see Fig. 2), the barrier is located on a side of the upper surface close to the rear surface (see Fig. 2), the first stopping surface (191) is an inclined surface (see Fig. 2), and the inclined surface gradually extends toward the rear surface along a direction away from the two snapping plates (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Wu discloses wherein the base (10/20) further comprises a bottom surface (surface of 20 opposed to the upward facing surface of 10) opposite to the upper surface, the latch further comprises a second hook (832), the second hook is connected to at least one of the two snapping plates (see Fig. 4), and the second hook is engaged with a recess (212) on the bottom surface for preventing the latch from separating from the base (832 is constrained in 212 during pulling).
Regarding claim 10, Wu discloses wherein each of the connecting arms has a notch along an outer edge thereof (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Wu discloses wherein the connecting arms and the snapping plates are one piece formed (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Wu discloses wherein the base has an inserting section (60) and a latching section (10), and all of the upper surface and the two side surfaces of the base are on a rear section side (the identified surfaces are to rear of 60).
Regarding claim 13, Wu discloses a connector, comprising:
a base (10/20/60) comprising an upper surface (the upward facing surface of 10, including at least surfaces 11 and 19 which face upward) and two positioning grooves (spaces between wall 12 and portions 124, 132), the two positioning grooves being respectively connected to opposite sides of the upper surface (the grooves are at left and right sides of the upper surface); at least one barrier (portions near 191/192 and also wall 12) connected to the upper surface,
wherein the at least one barrier has a first stopping surface (191);
a plugging terminal (64) connected to the base;
a cable electrically connected to the plugging terminal in the base (col. 4, lns. 64 – 66); and
a latch (Fig. 4) comprising a pull handle (81), two connecting straps (the left and right portions extending between 81 up to and including 85), and two snapping plates (portions 70 and the portion of 82 between 85 and 70), the two snapping plates being connected to the base and respectively disposed in the two positioning grooves (see Fig. 8), wherein the two connecting straps are respectively connected to the two snapping plates (see Fig. 4), and at least one of the two connecting straps faces the first stopping surface (portion 85 faces 191/192),
wherein the latch is configured to be located at a locked state (Fig. 9) and an unlocked state (Fig. 10) relative to the base, when the latch is at the locked state, a gap between the two connecting straps has a first distance (width between distal ends of portions 85, as seen in Fig. 9), when the latch is at the unlocked state (Fig. 10), the gap has a second distance (width between distal ends of portions 85 as seen in Fig. 10), and the first distance is greater than the second distance (the width is larger in the unlocked state of Figure 10 due to the pivoting of each of 85).
Regarding claim 14, Wu discloses wherein one of the two connecting straps has a notch, and the notch is located on a side of the one of the two connecting straps away from another of the two connecting straps (see the angled notch at bottom side of portion 81/82 in Fig. 7, which faces downward).
Regarding claim 15, Wu discloses wherein each of the two connecting straps has an arc edge (edge A, see below), and the arc edges are located on adjacent sides of the two connecting straps (the arc edges are on inner sides of the straps which are adjacent to each other).
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Marked up version of Fig. 9
Regarding claim 16, Wu discloses wherein a number of the at least one barrier is two, the two barriers respectively comprise two first stopping surfaces, and the two first stopping surfaces are located on a side of the barriers away from the pull handle and configured to be abutted by the connecting straps (see Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 6, 8, and 17 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 and if all applicable claim objections are remedied.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 3, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector, wherein both of the barriers are located on an edge of the front surface of the base and define a tunnel therebetween, and both of the connecting arms extend away from the base via the tunnel, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 5, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector wherein each of the side surfaces of the base has a second stopping surface, when the latch is in the locking state, majority portions of the two snapping plates are separated from the two second stopping surfaces, and when the connecting arms are at the unlocking state, the majority portions the two snapping plates respectively abut against the two second stopping surfaces, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 8, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector wherein the one of the two snapping plates has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the first hook is connected to the distal end portion, wherein when the latch switches from the locking state to the unlocking state, at least one of the two snapping plates rotates relative to the base with the proximal end portion as a fulcrum, so that the first hook is moved closer to the base, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 17, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector wherein a distance between the two first stopping surfaces gradually decreases along a direction toward the pull handle, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Wu discloses the arms extending out of the base between barrier portions, but does not disclose the barrier portions defining a tunnel where the barrier portions extend from an edge of the front surface. Furthermore, Wu does not disclose a second stopping surface on each side surface as required by the claims, or the snapping plate rotates with the proximal end portion as a fulcrum so that the first hook is moved closer to the base, or the distance between the first stopping surfaces gradually decreases in a direction toward the pull handle as required by the claims. Yang, Hisamatsu, and Liu disclose connectors with a pull strap and multiple connecting arms, but each do not disclose or teach the above-mentioned features.
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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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