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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 3839728 C2.
In regard to claim 1, DE 3839728 C2 discloses a connector assembly (fig. 6), comprising:
a connector 21; and
a counter-connector 31 mated to each other parallel to a mating direction, wherein the counter-connector 31 comprises primary locking means 33 comprising a coupling aid lever 32 which is rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the mating direction between an open position (fig. 6) and a closed position (fig. 8(C)), wherein the lever 32 is in the closed position when the connector 21 and counter-connector 31 are fully coupled, wherein the connector 21 comprises secondary locking means 26 movable between a locking position (fig. 8(C)) and an unlocking position (fig. 6) and configured to cooperate, while in the locking position, with the primary locking means 33 to lock the lever 32 in the closed position (fig. 8(C)), and wherein the secondary locking means 26 comprises a latch 26c rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to the mating direction, between the unlocking position and the locking position.
In regard to claim 10, DE 3839728 C2 discloses a connector 21 comprising:
a housing defining at least one cavity;
a terminal accommodated in the at least one cavity, the terminal having a contact portion extending in a mating direction; and
a secondary locking means 26 rotatably mounted on the housing and rotatable between a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein a secondary locking means 26 comprises a latch 26c rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to the mating direction between the unlocking position and the locking position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
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Tdt
6/13/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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