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
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 ASSEMBLY WITH ATTRACTION AND RETENTION FEATURES BETWEEN MATING CONNECTORS--.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-12 objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 1 line 10, a second insulator is introduced without a first insulator. In is suggested that a first insulator be introduced in line 5 corresponding to the insulator of the first connector. Claims 2-12 include all the limitations of claim 1 and are objected to for the same reasons. In claim 2 lines 18-19, the phrase “a sheet type connection object having a flexible conductor” should read –a sheet type conductive member--, in order to have consistent terminology with the Drawings and the Specification. Claims 3-8 include all the limitations of claim 2 and are objected to for the same reasons. 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 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hashiguchi (2016/0181728).
With regard to claim 1, Hashiguchi teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “A connector assembly in which a first connector 50 and a second connector 20 are fitted together along a fitting direction Z , the first connector 50 including: a first contact 600 having electrical conductivity and having a first contact portion 620; and a first retention member 510 joined to the first contact 600, and the second connector 20 including: a second insulator 200; a second contact 300 having electrical conductivity, retained by the second insulator 200, and having a second contact portion 320 that faces the first contact portion 620 of the first contact 600 along the fitting direction Z; and a second retention member 210 retained by the second insulator 200, the second retention member 210 attracting and being attracted to the first retention member 510 by a magnetic force, wherein one of the first contact portion 620 and the second contact portion 320 has a flat shape extending in a predetermined direction Y perpendicular to the fitting direction Z, one of the first retention member 510 and the second retention member 210 has a lock portion (230 and 240), and the other thereof has a lock receiving portion (530 and 540) into which the lock portion is fitted from the predetermined direction Y, when the second connector 20 is relatively moved to a predetermined fitting start position (shown in figure 6) with respect to the first connector 50 along the fitting direction Z, the second retention member 210 is attracted to the first retention member 510 along the fitting direction Z, and the second contact portion 320 makes contact with the first contact portion 620, whereby the second contact 300 is electrically connected to the first contact 600, and when the second connector 20 is relatively slid from the predetermined fitting start position to a predetermined fitting completed position (shown in figure 8) with respect to the first connector 50 along the predetermined direction Y, the second contact portion 320 is relatively slid with respect to the first contact portion 620 in the predetermined direction Y while maintaining contact with the first contact portion 320, and the lock portion is fitted into the lock receiving portion, whereby the second connector 20 is fitted to the first connector 50”.
With regard to claim 9, Hashiguchi teaches: “The connector assembly according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Hashiguchi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “the second insulator 200 including: a second retention member accommodating portion 52 of recess shape in which the second retention member is accommodated; and a first contact accommodating portion 52 of recess shape in which at least a part of the first contact 600 is accommodated, wherein the second retention member accommodating portion 52 and the first contact accommodating portion 52 communicate with each other and open in the fitting direction Z toward the first connector 50, and the second contact 300 is retained by the second insulator 200 such that at least a part of the second contact 300 protrudes in the first contact accommodating portion 52”.
With regard to claim 10, Hashiguchi teaches: “The connector assembly according to claim 9”, as shown above.
Hashiguchi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “wherein the second contact 300 has a plunger 310 disposed to be elastically movable forward and backward along the fitting direction Z, and the second contact portion 320 disposed at a tip of the plunger 310 protrudes in the first contact accommodating portion 52”.
With regard to claim 11, Hashiguchi teaches: “The connector assembly according to claim 9”, as shown above.
Hashiguchi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “wherein the first contact accommodating portion 52 has an elliptical shape elongated in the predetermined direction Y as viewed from the fitting direction Z, and when the second connector 20 is in the predetermined fitting start position, the first contact 600 is situated at one end of the first contact accommodating portion 52 in the predetermined direction Y, and when the second connector 20 is in the predetermined fitting completed position, the first contact 600 is situated at the other end of the first contact accommodating portion 52 in the predetermined direction Y”.
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashiguchi (2016/0181728).
With regard to claim 12, Hashiguchi teaches: “The connector assembly according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Hashiguchi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “wherein the first connector 50 includes a plurality of the first contacts 600 and a plurality of the first retention members 510 corresponding to the plurality of the first contacts 600… one 230 of either the plurality of the first retention members or the plurality of the second retention members has a plurality of the lock portions, and the other 530 of either the plurality of the first retention members or the plurality of the second retention members has a plurality of the lock receiving portions, and when the second connector 20 is in the predetermined fitting completed position and fitted to the first connector 50, the plurality of the second contacts 300 are separately electrically connected to the plurality of the first contacts 600, and the plurality of the lock portions are separately fitted into the plurality of the lock receiving portions”.
Hashimoto does not specifically teach: “the second connector includes a plurality of the second insulators, a plurality of the second contacts retained separately by the plurality of the second insulators, and a plurality of the second retention members retained separately by the plurality of the second insulators and corresponding to the plurality of the second contacts”. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the second insulator by separate insulators for each second contact and second retention members in order to allow replacement of the second contacts and second retention members without reforming the other second contacts and retention members. Also, it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlicnrnan, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashiguchi (2016/0181728) in view of Komoto et al. (2021/0021069).
With regard to claim 2, Hashiguchi teaches: “The connector assembly according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Hashiguchi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-8: “wherein the first connector 50 includes a first insulator 500 having a projection 520 projecting in the fitting direction Z, the first contact 600 has a tubular shape extending along the fitting direction Z… and is provided with the first contact portion 620 having the flat shape at one end of the first contact 600 on a side closer to the second contact 300 along the fitting direction Z”.
Hashiguchi does not teach the first contact “having a recess portion in its inside… the first retention member is disposed on a side of the other end of the first contact along the fitting direction and has a through-hole penetrating the first retention member in the fitting direction, and the projection of the first insulator is sequentially inserted into the through-hole of the first retention member and the recess portion of the first contact while pushing, into the through-hole and the recess portion, a sheet type connection object having a flexible conductor exposed at least on a surface of the sheet type connection object, whereby the first contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor, and also the first retention member is joined to the first contact”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Komoto teaches, as shown in figures 1-7, the first contact 13A “having a recess portion (interior of 13A in figure 6) in its inside… the first retention member 13B is disposed on a side of the other end of the first contact 13A along the fitting direction Z and has a through-hole 13D penetrating the first retention member 13B in the fitting direction Z, and the projection 15 of the first insulator 12 is sequentially inserted into the through-hole 13D of the first retention member 13B and the recess portion of the first contact 13A while pushing, into the through-hole 13D and the recess portion, a sheet type connection object 22 having a flexible conductor 23 exposed at least on a surface of the sheet type connection object 22, whereby the first contact 13A is electrically connected to the flexible conductor 23, and also the first retention member 13B is joined to the first contact 13A”. 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 Komoto with the invention of Hashiguchi in order to be able to smoothly mount the connector to a flexible conductor (Komoto, paragraph 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3-8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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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