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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 8, 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, line 2, the limitations “a FFC/FPC connector”, “at least one electric terminals array” and “a connector cover” were already mentioned in claim 1. Therefore, the limitations should be changed to - - the FFC/FPC connector - -, - - the at least one electric terminals array - - and - - the connector cover - -.
Claim 18, line 2, the limitation “a connector device according to claim 8” should be changed to - -the connector device according to claim 8 - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 2280465 A1 (herein EP465).
In reference to claim 1, EP465 teaches a connector cover (661, 662; fig. 5A) for a flexible flat cable or a flexible printed circuit connector (600) comprising at least one electric terminals array (655; fig. 5D), said cover is slidable along a sliding direction from a fixed pre-lock position (shown in figure 5A), in which at least one FFC/FPC can be inserted into said FFC/FPC connector along an insertion direction, to a fixed lock-position, in which said at least one FFC/FPC is blocked into said connector.
In reference to claim 2, EP465 teaches the connector cover according to claim 1, wherein said connector cover comprises a main body (body of 660) and cover pins (679 fig. 5B) protruding from said main body, wherein said cover pins ex- tend along said sliding direction.
In reference to claim 3, EP465 teaches the connector cover according to claim 2, wherein said cover pins comprise protruding hooks (lower distal ends of 679) suitable to engage into said connector so as to fix said connector cover in said pre-lock position or in said lock-position.
In reference to claim 4, EP465 teaches the connector cover according to claim 2, wherein said cover pins (679) are elastically movable (movable with the movement of cover 662) from an engaged position to an unengaged position.
In reference to claim 5, EP465 teaches the connector cover according to claim 2, wherein said main body comprises though holes (680; fig. 5A) for reaching said cover pins so as to move said cover pins from an engaged position to an unengaged position (see [0134], lines 5-10 which mentions using inserting screwdriver into opening 680 to release hooks 679).
In reference to claim 8, EP465 teaches a connector device (shown in figure 12A) comprising a FFC/FPC connector comprising at least one electric terminals array, and a connector cover according to claim 1.
In reference to claim 9, EP465 teaches the connector device according to claim 8, wherein said FFC/FPC connector comprises guiding holes (near lead line 679; fig. 5B) suitable to receive cover pins protruding from a main body of said connector cover, the cover pins protruding from said main body, wherein said cover pins extend along said sliding direction.
In reference to claim 11, EP465 teaches the connector device according to claim 8, wherein said FFC/FPC connector is a double row connector (see 621, 622; fig. 5A) and said connector device comprises a second connector cover according to claim 1.
In reference to claim 12, EP465 teaches the connector device according to claim 11, wherein the two connector covers are identical (see fig. 5A).
In reference to claim 14, EP465 teaches a connector kit comprising a connector device according to claim 8 and a locking tool (1200; fig. 10) suitable to allow the sliding of said cover along a sliding direction from said fixed pre-lock position to said fixed lock-position.
In reference to claim 15, EP465 teaches the connector kit according to claim 14, wherein said locking tool comprises a locking tool main body (body of 1200) and locking tool pins (1207; fig. 10), wherein said locking tool pins are configured to allow the elastic movement of said cover pins from said engaged position to said unengaged position.
In reference to claim 16, EP465 teaches the connector kit according to claim 15, wherein said locking pins are configured to allow said protruding hooks (i.e. the lower distal ends of 679) of said cover to slide from said pre-lock recess of said connector to said locking recess of said connector.
In reference to claim 17, EP465 teaches the connector kit according to claim 14, wherein said locking tool further comprises a pressing tool (1206; fig. 10) suitable to push said connector cover so as to slide said connector cover along a sliding direction to said fixed lock-position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, 10, 13, 18-20 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.
Conclusion
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/TRAVIS S CHAMBERS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 06/26/2026
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