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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Admitted Prior Art (APA) figure 11.
Regarding claim 1, APA, see figure 11, discloses a waterproof adapter (see figure 11) comprising: a main casing 91 being a hollow shell and comprising a first annular surface (see figure 11) ; an outer casing 90 sleeved on the main casing 91; an insulative component 93 mounted in the main casing 91 and comprising a second annular surface 93; the first annular surface (see figure 11) encircling the second annular surface 93; and first ring (near to the side of the leadline 95) a jacketing set 96 mounted in the main casing 91 and pushing the first ring (near to the left side of the leadline 95 at figure 11) toward the first annular surface (see figure 11) and the second annular surface 93; and a center pin set 94 mounted through the insulative component 93 and spaced apart from the first ring (near to the left side of the leadline 95 at figure 11) . APA discloses the claimed invention except for a first waterproof rubber ring abutting against the first annular surface and the second annular surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify APA to form the ring of rubber so as to provide for better sealing. Further it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify APA to form the parts so that the rubber ring presses against both first and second annular surface so as to provide for better sealing.
Regarding claim 7, APA, see figure 11 discloses further comprising a second waterproof rubber ring 95, the second waterproof rubber ring 95 sleeved on the main casing 91.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8 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.
None of the references discloses the center pin set comprises: two annular barbs tilted in opposite directions to each other, the insulative component comprises a ring groove; the second annular surface is formed in the ring groove; and the first waterproof rubber ring is mounted in the ring groove, the center pin set includes: a receiving segment mounted through the insulative component and comprising a connection hole; and a connection segment detachably and electrically connected to the connection hole.
Claims 9-10 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
None of the references discloses a waterproof adapter assembly comprising: a first waterproof adapter comprising: a first main casing being a hollow shell and comprising a first annular surface; a first outer casing sleeved on the first main casing; a first insulative component mounted in the first main casing and forming a second annular surface; the first annular surface encircling the second annular surface; a first waterproof rubber ring mounted on the first annular surface and the second annular surface; a first jacketing set mounted in the first main casing and pushing the first waterproof rubber ring toward the first annular surface and the second annular surface; a first center pin set mounted through the first insulative component, and being spaced apart from the first waterproof rubber ring; a second waterproof adapter detachably coupled to the first waterproof adapter and comprising: a second main casing being a hollow shell and comprising a third annular surface; a second outer casing set outside of the second main casing; a second insulative component mounted in the second main casing and forming a fourth annular surface; the third annular surface encircling the fourth annular surface; a second waterproof rubber ring mounted on the third annular surface and the fourth annular surface; a second jacketing set mounted in the second main casing and pushing the second waterproof rubber ring toward the third annular surface and the fourth annular surface; a second center pin set mounted through the second insulative component and being spaced apart from the second waterproof rubber ring; wherein, when the second waterproof adapter is coupled with the first waterproof adapter, the second center pin set forms an electrical connection with the first center pin set.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG K DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-2090. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Riyami A Abdullah 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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/PHUONG K DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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