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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/09/2024 was filed on the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 1 recites, “wherein the lock feature,” claim should be amended to recite –wherein a lock feature--. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 10-12, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wi et al. US 2023/0238729.
Regarding claim 1, Wi discloses an electrical connector comprising: a faceplate (figs. 6 and 9; 50) with a primary lock (57) that secures the faceplate to a connector body (fig. 5; 40); a terminal position assurance (TPA) feature (fig. 6; 52) rotatably coupled to the faceplate (50); and the faceplate (50) is configured to rotatably seat the TPA feature (52) into the connector body (40; 52a extends into 41 see fig. 3) to secure one or more terminals (fig. 4; 20) in the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 3, Wi discloses wherein the faceplate (50) includes a hinge (fig. 6; 51) that couples the TPA feature (52) to the faceplate (50) to rotatably seat the TPA feature (52) into the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 4, Wi discloses wherein the faceplate (50) is configured to rotatably seat the TPA feature (52) in an opening (41) in the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 10, Wi discloses wherein the TPA feature (52) is a first TPA feature (figs. 6-10; top 52) coupled to the faceplate (50) via a first hinge (figs. 6-10; top 51) and configured to be rotatably seated in an opening (fig. 8; top 41) in a first side (top row of 41) of the connector body (40) to secure at least one terminal (20) carried in the connector body (40), and further comprising: a second TPA feature (bottom 52) coupled to the faceplate (50) via a second hinge (bottom 51) and configured to be rotatably seated in a second opening (bottom 41) on a second side (bottom row of 41) of the connector body (40) to secure at least one other terminal (20) carried in the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 11, Wi discloses wherein the TPA feature (52) comprises an elongate TPA feature (fig. 6; 52 is extended in the x direction) coupled to the faceplate (50) by an elongate hinge (fig. 6; 51 is extended in the x direction) and rotatably seated in an opening (41) that extends across a width (41 is arranged in the x direction) of the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 12, Wi discloses visual inspection windows (fig. 5; 42) formed through the TPA feature and/or the connector body (40) to enable visual inspection of one or more terminals (20) carried by the connector body (40) without disengaging the TPA feature (52) from the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 15, Wi discloses a method, comprising: securing a faceplate (50) to a connector body (40) that carries a plurality of terminals (20) using a primary lock (57); moving a terminal position assurance (TPA) feature (52) rotatably coupled to the faceplate (50) towards the connector body (40); and seating the TPA feature (52) into the connector body (40) to secure one or more of the plurality of terminals (20) in the connector body (40).
Regarding claim 19, Wi discloses a removeable faceplate, comprising: a primary lock (57) configured to secure the faceplate (50) to a connector body (40) that carries a plurality of terminals (20); and a terminal position assurance (TPA) feature (52) rotatably coupled to the faceplate (50) to be seated into the connector body (40) to secure one or more of the plurality of terminals (20) in the connector body (40).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2, 5-7, 9, 16, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wi et al. US 2023/0238729 in view of Iwasaki et al. US 11791853.
Regarding claims 2, 5-7, 16, 17 and 20, Wi discloses all of the claim limitations except wherein the TPA feature is configured to reinforce the primary lock [claim 2]; wherein the TPA feature includes an engagement end configured to be inserted in the opening to secure the TPA feature in the connector body [claim 5]; wherein the TPA feature includes a lip opposed to the engagement end that reinforces the primary lock [claim 6]; wherein the opening includes a lock feature that secures the engagement end in a fully staged position in which the TPA feature interacts with a surface of a terminal carried by the connector body to lock the terminal in the connector body [claim 7]; wherein seating the TPA feature into the connector body comprises causing an engagement end of the TPA feature to interact with an opening in the connector body [claim 16]; wherein seating the TPA feature in the opening includes causing the engagement end to interact with a first lock feature in a fully staged position in which the TPA feature interacts with a surface of a terminal carried by the connector body to lock the terminal in the connector body [claim 17]; wherein the TPA feature seated into the connector body reinforces the primary lock [claim 20].
Regarding claims 2, 5-7, 16, 17 and 20, Iwasaki teaches the TPA feature (fig. 1; 16) is configured to reinforce the primary lock (fig. 1; 54); wherein the TPA feature (16) includes an engagement end (fig. 1; 53) configured to be inserted in the opening (fig. 1; 34) to secure the TPA feature (16) in the connector body (fig. 1; 14); the TPA feature (16) includes a lip (fig. 1; 43) opposed to the engagement end (53) that reinforces the primary lock (54); the opening (34) includes a lock feature (35) that secures the engagement end (53) in a fully staged position (fig. 5) in which the TPA feature (16) interacts with a surface (fig. 5; front surface) of a terminal (fig. 4; 12) carried by the connector body (14) to lock the terminal (12) in the connector body (14); seating the TPA feature (16) into the connector body (14) comprises causing an engagement end (53) of the TPA feature (16) to interact with an opening (34) in the connector body (14); seating the TPA feature (16) in the opening (34) includes causing the engagement end (53) to interact with a first lock feature (35) in a fully staged position (fig. 5) in which the TPA feature (16) interacts with a surface (front surface) of a terminal (12) carried by the connector body (14) to lock the terminal (12) in the connector body (14); the TPA feature (fig. 1; 16) seated into the connector body (14) to reinforces the primary lock (54).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the TPA feature being configured to reinforce the primary lock, the TPA feature including an engagement end configured to be inserted in the opening to secure the TPA feature in the connector body, the TPA feature including a lip opposed to the engagement end that reinforces the primary lock, the opening including a lock feature that secures the engagement end in a fully staged position in which the TPA feature interacts with a surface of a terminal carried by the connector body to lock the terminal in the connector body, seating the TPA feature into the connector body comprises causing an engagement end of the TPA feature to interact with an opening in the connector body, seating the TPA feature in the opening includes causing the engagement end to interact with a first lock feature in a fully staged position in which the TPA feature interacts with a surface of a terminal carried by the connector body to lock the terminal in the connector body as suggested by Iwasaki for the benefit of improving the retention between the faceplate/retainer and housing.
Regarding claim 9, Wi discloses wherein the TPA feature (52) comprises a pair of TPA features (top and bottom 52) coupled to the faceplate (50) by a pair of hinges (51), wherein the pair of TPA features (52) are each independently configured to be rotatably seated into the connector body (40) and seated in a one of a pair of openings (top and bottom 41) in the connector body (40) to secure the respective terminals (20) in the connector body (40).
Wi does not disclose the pair of TPA features to engage with respective terminals carried in the connector body.
However, Iwasaki teaches the pair of TPA features (top and bottom 16) to engage with respective terminals (fig. 5; 12) carried in the connector body (14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the pair of TPA features to engage with respective terminals carried in the connector body as suggested by Iwasaki for the benefit of improving the retention between the faceplate/retainer and housing.
Claim(s) 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wi et al. US 2023/0238729 and Iwasaki et al. US 11791853 as applied to claim 5 and 17 above, and further in view of Miyamura et al. US 12021326.
Regarding claim 8, Wi and Iwasaki disclose (Iwasaki) wherein the opening (34) lock feature (35) is a first lock feature (35).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Wi and Iwasaki do not disclose the opening includes: a second lock feature that secures the engagement end in a pre-staged position of the TPA feature in which one or more terminals carried in the connector body are insertable or removeable from the connector body [claim 8]; wherein seating the TPA feature in the opening includes causing the engagement end to interact with a second lock feature in a pre-staged position of the TPA feature in which one or more terminals carried in the connector body are insertable and/or removeable from the connector body [claim 18].
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Miyamura teaches the opening (fig. 1; 13) includes: a second lock feature (fig. 1; 14) that secures the engagement end (fig. 1; 35) in a pre-staged position (fig. 2) of the TPA feature (fig. 1; 30) in which one or more terminals (fig. 1; 20) carried in the connector body (fig. 1; 10) are insertable or removeable from the connector body (10, see Col 7 Ln 22-29); seating the TPA feature (30) in the opening (13) includes causing the engagement end (35) to interact with a second lock feature (14) in a pre-staged position (fig. 2) of the TPA feature (30) in which one or more terminals (20) carried in the connector body (10) are insertable and/or removeable from the connector body (10, see Col 7 Ln 22-29).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the opening includes: a second lock feature that secures the engagement end in a pre-staged position of the TPA feature in which one or more terminals carried in the connector body are insertable or removeable from the connector body as suggested by Miyamura for the benefit of optimizing assembling terminals to and from a connector housing when certain situations call for it.
Claim(s) 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wi et al. US 2023/0238729.
Regarding claim 13, Wi discloses wherein the connector body (40) includes a plurality of terminal windows (fig. 5; 42) that enable visual inspection and/or probing (fig. 3) of ends (fig. 3; front end) of one or more terminals (20) carried in the connector body (40).
Wi does not disclose the faceplate including the plurality of terminal windows.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the faceplate including the plurality of terminal windows because it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have the plurality of terminal windows included in the faceplate instead of the connector body, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art, In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70, and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the connector body including the plurality of terminal windows; and it also obvious for the benefit of improving the manufacturing cost of a faceplate because less material is being used to produce the faceplate/retainer.
Regarding claim 14, Wi discloses wherein the TPA feature (52) is arranged at an angle (fig. 8; angle of 52) relative to the connector body (40) when the faceplate (50) is secured to the connector body (40) in a pre-seated position (fig. 8) of the TPA feature (52).
Wi does not explicitly disclose the angle being substantially 90 degrees.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the angle being substantially 90 degrees because it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have the angle being substantially 90 degrees since applicant has not disclosed that the angle being 90 degrees is critical to the invention functionality or that the 90 degree angle solves any disclosed problem and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the angle being another value beside 90 degrees; also it would have been obvious for the benefit of improving the loading process of the terminals and connector body.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah 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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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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