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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched. Insulating members shown in cross section should be properly crosshatched. See Figures 6 – 7 and 9 - 10. It is brought to applicant’s attention that the conventional crosshatch for insulating members shown in cross section consists of lines of two different thicknesses alternatively disposed. See MPEP 608.02.
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 111430963 A (“Yu”)
Regarding claim 1, Yu discloses an electrical connector (1) for mating with a mating connector (2), comprising:
a first connection terminal (4) having a first end (right portion of 4, Fig. 4) and a second end (left portion of 4, Fig. 4) opposite the first end, the first end is electrically connectable to a mating end of a second connection terminal of the mating connector (4 connects to socket 5);
an outer housing (3) within which the first connection terminal is at least partially installed (see Fig. 4); and
an inner housing (the housing near the lead line of numeral 1 in Fig. 1) at least partially arranged within the outer housing (see Fig. 4), the inner housing is rotatable relative to the outer housing (3 is a rotating sleeve, see at least the abstract), the first end of the first connection terminal is positioned within the inner housing see Fig. 4) and electrically contacts the mating end of the second connection terminal (4 connects to 5) with the mating end rotatable relative to the first end (1 and 2 have cylindrical mating structures and thus are rotatable relative to each other at least until 1 is locked to 2 through 21 locking to 23).
Regarding claim 15, Yu discloses a connector assembly, comprising:
an electrical connector (1) including a first connection terminal (4) having a first end (right portion, Fig. 4) and a second end (left portion, Fig. 4) opposite the first end, an outer housing (3) within which the first connection terminal is at least partially installed, and an inner housing (housing near the lead line of numeral 1 in Fig. 1) at least partially arranged within the outer housing, the inner housing is rotatable relative to the outer housing (3 is a rotatable sleeve, see at least the abstract), the first end of the first connection terminal is positioned within the inner housing (see Fig. 4); and
a mating connector (2) matable with the electrical connector in a first direction (see Fig. 1), the first end of the first connection terminal is electrically connectable to a mating end of a second connection terminal (5) of the mating connector, the first end electrically contacts the mating end of the second connection terminal with the mating end rotatable relative to the first end (1 and 2 have cylindrical mating structures and thus are rotatable relative to each other at least until 1 is locked to 2 through 21 locking to 23).
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.
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of U.S. Pat. No. 12,322,903 (“Hung”).
Regarding claims 16 and 17, Yu discloses the mating connector (2) has a shell within which the second connection terminal is installed (5 is within a housing structure as in Fig. 2).
Yu does not clearly disclose the second connection terminal is connectable to a cable, and Yu does not disclose wherein the shell extends at least partially in a second direction different from the first direction, an extension direction of the cable is different from the first direction.
However, Hung teaches a socket connector (100), with a mating socket terminal (2) installed within a shell (1), the mating socket terminal is connectable to a cable (5), and wherein the shell extends at least partially in a second direction different from the first direction (the housing extends upward in a top direction and rightward in a rear direction, as seen in Fig. 1, and also see Fig. 8), an extension direction of the cable is different from the first direction (the cable extends laterally while the socket extends vertically).
It would have been obvious to provide the shell connectable to a cable as taught by Hung, because this allows the connector to fit within installation spaces where space along the mating direction of the connector is limited and a connection to the socket through the cable needs to be directed along a different direction in order to accommodate the installation space requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 14 and 18 – 20 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 2, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed electrical connector, wherein the first connection terminal is fixedly positioned relative to the outer housing and the inner housing is rotatable relative to both the first connection terminal and the outer housing, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 18, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed connector assembly wherein the shell has a hollow plug-in portion extending in the first direction, the mating end of the second connection terminal is positioned at least partially in the hollow plug-in portion, the inner housing is positionable at least partially in the hollow plug-in portion with the mating end of the second connection terminal in electrical contact with the first end of the first connection terminal and the shell and the inner housing rotatable together relative to the outer housing, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Yu teaches the terminal 4 within the housing, but the terminal is not fixedly positioned relative to the outer housing 3 because 4 is set to extend during rotation of housing 3, and furthermore the inner housing of Yu is not rotatable relative to terminal 4. In addition, neither Yu nor Hung teach the inner housing within a hollow plug-in portion of the mating connector shell, with the first end of the connection terminal, shell, and inner housing rotatable together relative to the outer housing.
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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