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
Specification
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.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “comprises”, “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1-20 are grammatically incorrect. It appears that Line 1 of Claims 1 and 13 should begin with “A” and Line 1 of Claims 2-12 and 14-20 should begin with “The”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aoshima et al. (JP 2020009614). Regarding Claim 1, Aoshima discloses a connector (2, 3) configured to be coupled in a mating direction with a mating connector (5), the connector comprising: an inner shell (3), an outer shell (2), and a gear wheel (6), wherein: the outer shell envelops the inner shell at least partially and is configured to be moved in the mating direction relative to the inner shell, the outer shell comprising a first linear gear (23) arranged along the mating direction on an inner surface of the outer shell, the gear wheel is arranged in a rack-and-pinion configuration with the first linear gear, the gear wheel being hinged (32) on the inner shell rotatably with respect to a hinge axis orthogonal to the mating direction, and the gear wheel comprising a first set of external gear teeth (63) configured to engage with the first linear gear in the rack-and-pinion configuration and a second set of external gear teeth (65) configured to engage with a second linear gear (53) of the mating connector, wherein the first set and the second set of external gear teeth are arranged in a same plane.
Regarding Claim 2, Aoshima discloses the first pitch radius of the first set of external gear teeth being different from the second pitch radius of the second set of external gear teeth (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Aoshima discloses the first pitch radius being between 1.2 and five times greater than the second pitch radius (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 4, Aoshima discloses the external gear teeth of the first set and the external gear teeth of the second set having at least one of the same pitch angle and/or the same circular thickness and/or the same face width (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 5, Aoshima discloses the external gear teeth of the first set and the external gear teeth of the second set having the same dimensions (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Aoshima discloses the gear wheel comprising at least one cut-out region (Fig. 2), wherein the cut-out region is comprised in an angular region of the gear wheel between the first set of external gear teeth and the second set of external gear teeth.
Regarding Claim 7, Aoshima discloses the inner shell being configured to mate to a housing element (51) of the mating connector, the inner shell comprising a recess (Fig. 1) extending along the mating direction, the recess being configured to receive the second linear gear of the mating connector when the inner shell is mated with the housing element such that the second set of external gear teeth engage with the second linear gear.
Regarding Claim 8, Aoshima discloses the gear wheel comprising at least one gear teeth flap (Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 9, Aoshima discloses the gear wheel comprising a first flap (Fig. 2) in an angular region of the gear wheel corresponding to the first set of external gear teeth and a second flap (Fig. 2) in the angular region of the gear wheel corresponding to the second set of external gear teeth on an opposing side with respect to the first flap.
Regarding Claim 10, Aoshima discloses the outer shell being configured to be moved relative to the inner shell from a first, uncoupled position (Fig. 1) to a second position (Fig. 6), in which the connector is coupled to the mating connector, and the inner shell comprises a protrusion (32) formed on an outer surface of the inner shell on which the gear wheel is hinged, and the gear wheel comprises a depression matching (Fig. 1) the protrusion and configured to receive the protrusion in the first position.
Regarding Claim 11, Aoshima discloses the ratio of the first pitch radius over the second pitch radius corresponding to the ratio of the number of external gear teeth in the first set over the number of external gear teeth in the second set (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 12, Aoshima discloses the inner shell or the outer shell comprising a linear cam (30) extending along the mating direction, and wherein the other one of the inner shell and the outer shell further comprises a projection (55) configured as a corresponding cam follower for the linear cam, and wherein the moving of the outer shell relative to inner shell comprises a sliding of the projection along the linear cam.
Regarding Claim 13, Aoshima discloses a connector system (1) comprising: a connector (2, 3) including an inner shell (3), an outer shell (2), and a gear wheel (6), wherein the outer shell envelops the inner shell at least partially and is configured to be moved in a mating direction relative to the inner shell, the outer shell comprising a first linear gear (23) arranged along the mating direction on an inner surface of the outer shell, the gear wheel being arranged in a rack-and-pinion configuration with the first linear gear, the gear wheel being hinged (32) on the inner shell rotatably with respect to a hinge axis orthogonal to the mating direction, and the gear wheel comprising a first set of external gear teeth (63) configured to engage with the first linear gear in the rack-and-pinion configuration and a second set of external gear teeth (65), wherein the first set and the second set of external gear teeth are arranged in a same plane; and a mating connector (5) configured to be coupled to the connector in the mating direction, the mating connector comprising a housing element (51) configured to mate to the inner shell, the housing element comprising a second linear gear (53) formed on an outer surface of the housing element, the second linear gear being configured to engage with the second set of external gear teeth of the gear wheel when the connector and the mating connector are coupled.
Regarding Claim 14, Aoshima discloses the first pitch radius of the first set of external gear teeth being different from the second pitch radius of the second set of external gear teeth (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 15, Aoshima discloses the external gear teeth of the first set and the external gear teeth of the second set having at least one of the same pitch angle and/or the same circular thickness and/or the same face width (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 16, Aoshima discloses the gear wheel comprising at least one cut-out region (Fig. 2), wherein the cut-out region is comprised in an angular region of the gear wheel between the first set of external gear teeth and the second set of external gear teeth.
Regarding Claim 17, Aoshima discloses the inner shell comprising a recess (Fig. 1) extending along the mating direction, the recess being configured to receive the second linear gear of the mating connector when the inner shell is mated with the housing element such that the second set of external gear teeth engage with the second linear gear.
Regarding Claim 18, Aoshima discloses the gear wheel comprising a first flap (Fig. 2) in an angular region of the gear wheel corresponding to the first set of external gear teeth and a second flap (Fig. 2) in the angular region of the gear wheel corresponding to the second set of external gear teeth on an opposing side with respect to the first flap.
Regarding Claim 19, Aoshima discloses the outer shell being configured to be moved relative to the inner shell from a first, uncoupled position (Fig. 1) to a second position (Fig. 6), in which the connector is coupled to the mating connector, and the inner shell comprises a protrusion (32) formed on an outer surface of the inner shell on which the gear wheel is hinged, and the gear wheel comprises a depression matching the protrusion and configured to receive the protrusion in the first position.
Regarding Claim 20, Aoshima discloses the inner shell or the outer shell comprising a linear cam extending along the mating direction, and wherein the other one of the inner shell and the outer shell further comprises a projection (Fig. 1) configured as a corresponding cam follower for the linear cam, and wherein the moving of the outer shell relative to inner shell comprises a sliding of the projection along the linear cam.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses connector, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having inner and outer shells and gear wheels.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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