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 (NOTE: applicants have not responded to this objection from the previous Office Action)..
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.
Claim(s) 29-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gaul et al. (US 20120071017 A1).
Regarding claim 29, Gaul et al. discloses a connector 4, comprising:
a housing 4a that defines a recess (see annotated drawing below) that is configured to receive a retaining structure 14 of a corresponding connector 2 of a device to mate the connector 4 to the corresponding connector 2;
a release 8, 10, wherein, when the connector 4 is mated with the corresponding connector 2 of the device, operation of the release is configured to displace the retaining structure 14 from the recess; and
electrical contacts 16 that are located on an exterior surface of the housing 4a and are configured for conductive engagement with the corresponding connector 2 of the device when the connector 4 is mated with the corresponding connector 2 of the device.
Regarding claim 30, Gaul et al. discloses when the connector 4 is mated with the corresponding connector 2 of the device, the recess is configured to engage the retaining structure 14 of the corresponding connector 2 of the device to prevent removal of the connector 4 from the corresponding connector 2 of the device.
Regarding claim 31, Gaul et al. discloses the recess extends transverse to an insertion direction in which the connector 4 is inserted into the corresponding connector 2 of the device.
Regarding claim 32, Gaul et al. discloses the housing 4a includes an end surface (see annotated drawing below) that is configured to engage the retaining structure 14 of the corresponding connector 2 of the device to allow insertion of the connector 4 into the corresponding connector 2 of the device.
Regarding claim 33, Gaul et al. discloses the release 8 is a button.
[AltContent: textbox (end surface)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (recess)][AltContent: connector]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 10, 21-23, 25 are allowed.
Claims 34-36 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 29-33 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdt
9/20/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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