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.
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)(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.
Claims 1 – 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No. 12,046,848 (“Sekino”).
Regarding claim 1, Sekino discloses a connector, comprising:
a terminal fitting (2) to be connected to an end part of a wire (11);
a housing (3) for accommodating the terminal fitting; and
a retainer (10) to be arranged movably between a temporary locking position (see Figs. 7, 8) and a complete locking position (see Figs. 9, 10) with respect to the housing,
the housing including a front surface portion facing forward (the portion of housing 3 facing along X1 direction in Fig. 4), an end surface portion (the portion of housing 3 facing downward along direction Z2 in Fig. 4, including at least surfaces on portions 312, 313) arranged to intersect the front surface portion and a body mounting portion (316) extending inside the housing and open in the end surface portion (see Fig. 8),
the retainer including a retainer body (6) to be arranged inside the body mounting portion, a front mask portion (51) to be arranged to cover the front surface portion and a coupling portion (7 and 55) coupling the retainer body and the front mask portion,
the retainer body including a body end part (body part 61) having a projection amount from the end surface portion reduced from the temporary locking position to the complete locking position (at temporary position seen in Fig. 8, the bottom of 61 projects out of the housing away from the end surface, and at the final position seen in Fig. 10 the bottom of the wall has moved upward and no longer projects from the end surface) and a retaining portion (wall portions 63) for locking the terminal fitting at the complete locking position (see Fig. 10),
the body end part (61) being arranged inside the housing at the complete locking position (see Fig. 10), and
the front mask portion (5) including a recess (the recess between projections A, running widthwise across surfaces 57) for allowing a front surface of the body end part to be open forward at the temporary locking position or a halfway position between the temporary locking position and the complete locking position (the body part 61 of 6 is visible through the aforementioned recess at the secondary locking position from a forward vantage point, Fig. 7).
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Marked up version of Fig. 3
Regarding claim 2, Sekino discloses:
the housing (3) includes a pair of side surface portions (the lateral facing surfaces, facing left and right along width direction Y in Fig. 2) intersecting each of the front surface portion and the end surface portion while facing in a width direction,
the coupling portion (7 and 55) includes a pair of side walls (portion 55 and the wall section 54 accompanying 55) for covering the pair of side surface portions (see Fig. 1), and
the end surface portion is exposed to a space portion formed between the pair of side walls (a section of the downward facing end surface is exposed to a space below, and portions 55 along with the wall area 54 surround that space).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 – 4 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:
Regarding Claim 3, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector, wherein an inner bottom surface of the recess and the end surface portion are arranged in a front-rear direction without any step when the retainer body interferes with the terminal fitting being inserted into the housing at the halfway position, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 4, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector, including a part of the front surface portion arranged to be exposed inside the recess when the retainer body is at the complete locking position, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Sekino discloses that the recess between portions A has a surface, including surface portions 57 as seen in Fig. 8, but does not disclose this surface and the end surface portion as arranged in a front-rear direction without any step at a halfway position as required by the claim. Furthermore, Sekino does not disclose any portion of the front surface portion of housing 3 exposed inside the recess between portions A in the locking position of Figure 10.
Tasaka also discloses a connector with a retainer having a front mask, but does not disclose a recess as required by the claims.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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