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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the Abstract does not indicate that the invention is an electrical connector. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
The following title is suggested: --ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH SEALED COVER--.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 5 line 3, the phrase “a annular” should read --an annular--. In claim 5 line 7, the phrase “the first protrusion” should read –a first protrusion--. In claim 5 line 9, the phrase “the second protrusion” should read –a first protrusion--. 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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kosaka et al. (2020/0274288).
With regard to claim 1, Kosaka teaches, as shown in figures 1-9 and taught in paragraphs 2, 4: “A connector 19 comprising: a housing 10 including an accommodating portion 17 that accommodates a connection terminal 16 and a tubular portion 32 having an opening (opening described in paragraph 2) into which a mating connector (taught in paragraph 4) is to be inserted; a cover 12 configured to cover the opening in an openable (shown in figure 2) and closable (shown in figure 3) manner; and an annular packing 13 configured to be attached to the cover 12 and to seal a gap between the tubular portion 15 and the cover 12 at a closed position where the cover 12 closes the opening, wherein an outer surface of the packing 13 includes a first lip portion (upper 57 in figure 9) that covers an end surface of the tubular portion 32 from a side in a direction (right-to-left direction in figure 9) opposite to an insertion direction (left-to-right direction in figure 9) of the mating connector, and a second lip portion (lower 57 in figure 9) provided on an insertion direction side of the first lip portion and press-fitted between the cover 12 and an inner surface of the tubular portion 32, at the closed position”.
With regard to claim 4, Kosaka teaches: “The connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kosaka also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein the first lip portion and the second lip portion have shapes approaching each other toward tip ends (right ends of 57 in figure 9)”.
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 2-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kosaka et al. (2020/0274288) in view of ‘6673 (JP3126673U).
With regard to claim 2, Kosaka teaches: “The connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kosaka does not teach: “wherein the first lip portion is provided such that a tip end thereof comes into contact with the end surface of the tubular portion at the closed position”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, ‘6673 teaches, as shown in figures 1-5: “wherein the first lip portion 233 is provided such that a tip end thereof comes into contact with the end surface 8b of the tubular portion 8 at the closed position (shown in figure 2)”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of ‘6673 with the invention of Kosaka in order to seal the tubular portion (‘6673, page 4 lines 11-12).
With regard to claim 3, Kosaka as modified by ‘6673 teaches: “The connector according to claim 2”, as shown above.
Kosaka also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein: the end surface of the tubular portion 32 includes an inclined surface (shown below) that is continuous with the inner surface of the tubular portion 32 and has a slope that approaches an outer surface of the tubular portion 32 as the slopes goes in the opposite direction, and an orthogonal surface (shown below) that is continuous with the inclined surface and is orthogonal to the insertion direction; and the first lip portion is provided such that the tip end thereof comes into contact with the inclined surface at the closed position”.
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With regard to claim 5, Kosaka teaches: “The connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kosaka also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9 and taught in paragraph 42: “wherein: the packing 13 has a first recess 59 formed in a surface on one side in a central axis direction (left-right direction in figure in figure 1) of a annular shape and a second recess 59 formed in a surface on the other side in the central axis direction; the cover 12 includes a first member 53 and a second member 53 that are separately provided to… hold the packing 13 therebetween; the first member 53 includes the first protrusion (claw taught in paragraph 42) to be inserted into… the first recess 59; and the second member 53 includes the second protrusion (claw taught in paragraph 42) to be inserted into… the second recess 59”.
Kosaka does not teach the first and second members provided to sandwich the packing therebetween or the first and second protrusions held by the first recess.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, '6673 teaches, as shown in figures 1-4, the first 223 and second 224 members provided to sandwich the packing 23 therebetween and the first 226 and second 227 protrusions held by the first recess (where 226 and 227 are received by 23 in figure 1). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of '6673 with the invention of Kosaka in order to mount the seal ('6673, page 4 lines 8-10).
With regard to claim 6, Kosaka as modified by ‘6673 teaches: “The connector according to claim 5”, as shown above.
Kosaka also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein: side surfaces of the first protrusion and the second protrusion close to the first lip portion and the second lip portion are respectively provided on first inclined surfaces (shown below in figure 7) that are away from tip ends (right ends of 57 in figure 9) of the first lip portion and the second lip portion as approaching each other; surfaces (outer surfaces of 59 in figure 7), facing the side surfaces of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, of the first recess and the second recess are respectively provided on second inclined surfaces (shown below in figure 7) that are away from the tip ends of the first lip portion and the second lip portion as approaching each other; and the first lip portion and the second lip portion include first inclined portions (shown below in figure 9) that are inclined along the second inclined surfaces, and second inclined portions (shown below in figure 9) that are continuous with tip ends of the first inclined portions and approach each other toward the tip ends”.
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami 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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/JUSTIN M KRATT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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