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 Objection
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: at the end of lines 7 and 10 a comma should be inserted. Appropriate correction is required.
35 USC 102 Rejections
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, 3-5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katsuma et al 5876225.
Regarding claim 1, Katsuma et al discloses a housing assembly 20,31 for an electrical connector 20 that is intermateable with a mating connector 10, the housing assembly comprising: a connector housing 21 and a lever 30 for assisting a mating process between the electrical connector and the mating connector, wherein the connector housing comprises a receptacle 24 for at least sectionally receiving the mating connector wherein the lever is arranged on the connector housing movable between an initial position (Figure 5) and a pre-lock position (Figure 6) and comprises at least one lever arm 30 with a blocking section 35 wherein the blocking section is located within the receptacle (Figure 5) when the lever is in the initial position and wherein the blocking section is located outside of the receptacle (Figure 6) when the lever is in the pre-lock position.
Regarding claim 3, Katsuma et al discloses the blocking section 35 projects towards the connector housing 21.
Regarding claim 4, Katsuma et al (Figures 5 and 6) discloses the blocking section 35 is formed by a protrusion that extends into the receptacle when the lever is in the initial position, and that clears the receptacle 24 when the lever is in the pre-lock position.
Regarding claim 5, Katsuma et al discloses the blocking section 35 travels along an arcuate trajectory when the lever 30 is moved from the initial position to the pre-lock position.
Regarding claim 8, Katsuma et al discloses the lever 30 is pivotable about a pivot axis, and wherein the blocking section 35 is spaced apart from the pivoting axis.
Regarding claim 9, Katsuma et al discloses the blocking section 35 is located on opposite sides of the pivot axis when the lever 30 is in the pre-lock position and when the lever is in the initial position.
Regarding claim 10, Katsuma et al discloses an electrical connector with a housing assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one electrical contact element (not shown) for contacting a mating contact (not shown) of the mating connector 10 is positioned in the connector housing.
Regarding claim 11, Katsuma et al discloses a connection assembly comprising an electrical connector 20 according to claim 10 and a mating connector 10 that is configured to be insertable into the receptacle 24 of the electrical connector, wherein the mating connector is provided with at least one driven element 12 that is arranged to be engageable with the lever 30.
Regarding claim 12, Katsuma et al discloses the connection assembly comprises a first state, in which the mating connector 10 is inserted into the receptacle 24 of the electrical connector 20, the lever 30 is in the initial position (Figure 5), and the blocking section 35 abuts against the mating connector.
Regarding claim 13, Katsuma et al discloses the connection assembly comprises a second state, in which the lever 30 is in the pre-lock position (Figure 6) and the blocking section 35 is moved out of the abutment with the mating connector 10.
Regarding claim 14, Katsuma et al discloses the connection assembly comprises a third state, in which the mating connector 10 is inserted further into the receptacle 24 of the electrical connector 20 compared to the first state, the lever 30 is in the pre-lock position, and a movement of the lever into the initial position is blocked by the mating connector.
Regarding claim 15, Katsuma et al discloses the lever 30 comprises at least one drive element 34 that is arranged to be engageable with the at least one driven element 12 of the mating connector 10, wherein the connection assembly comprises a fourth state (Figure 4), in which the mating connector is inserted further into the receptacle 24 of the electrical connector 20 compared to the third state, the at least one drive element 34 is in engagement with the at least one driven element 12, and the lever is movable from the pre-lock position to the initial position.
35 USC 103 Rejection
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Katsuma et al as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hirota 2022/0320797.
Hirota (Figure 4) discloses an abutment surface 26B, and to provide Katsuma et al with same thus would have been obvious, to prevent undesired lever movement.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 6-7 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the blocking section being located within the housing pociet when the lever is in the pre-lock position; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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