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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by UGB 2061371 to Borja et al. (hereinafter “Borja”).
-From Claim 1: Borja discloses a connector assembly for connecting a first article 16 to a second article 22, said connector assembly 10 comprising:
a female connector 12 defining a receiving channel 38;
a male connector 14 having a first connecting portion 60, 62, 64, 70 insertable into said receiving channel of said female connector
said female connector being adapted to be located in a first receiving recess 92 formed, in a face of the first article 16, the first receiving recess comprising at least one blind bore;
wherein outer regions of said female connector include end portions 34 adapted to engage opposing inner faces of the first receiving recess;
said end portions of the female connector configured to be acted upon by said male connector to be displaced outwardly to engage the opposing inner faces of the first receiving recess when said male connector is inserted into said receiving channel of said female connector. (p. 2, ll. 82-85)
-From Claim 8: Borja discloses wherein said male connector 14 has at least one second connecting portion 50 adapted to be received within at least one second receiving recess 90 formed, in use, in a face of the second article 22, wherein the at least one second receiving recess comprises at least one blind bore formed by a drilling in the face of the second article.
-From Claim 9: Borja discloses a furniture subassembly comprising:
a first article 16 and a second article 22;
a connector assembly 10 for connecting said first and second articles said connector assembly comprises comprising:
a female connector 12 defining a receiving channel 38;
a male connector 14 having a first connecting portion 60, 62, 64, 70 insertable into said receiving channel defined by said female connector
said female connector being adapted to be located in a first receiving recess 92 formed in a face of said first article 16, said first receiving recess comprising at least one blind bore in said face of said first article;
wherein outer regions of said female connector include end portions 34 adapted to engage opposing inner faces of said first receiving recess;
said end portions of said female connector configured to be acted upon by said male connector to be displaced outwardly to engage said opposing inner faces of said first receiving recess when said male connector is inserted into said receiving channel of said female connector. (p. 2, ll. 82-85)
-From Claim 12: Borja discloses an article of furniture (a box for a speaker) incorporating the furniture subassembly of claim 9.
-From Claim 13: Borja discloses a method of assembling first and second articles 16, 22 using a connector assembly 10 comprising a male connector 14 having a first connecting portion 60, 62, 64, 70 insertable into a receiving channel 38 defined by a respective female connector 12, said method comprising the steps of:
drilling at least one blind bore 92 in the face of the first article to form a first receiving recess;
locating said the female connector 12 into said first receiving recess whereby outer portions 34 of the female connector engage opposing inner faces of the receiving recess; and
inserting the first connecting portion of the male connector 14 into the receiving channel of the female connector, whereby the connecting portion of the male connector acts against moveable end portions of the female connector such that the end portions are displaced outwardly to engage opposing inner faces of the first receiving recess to retain the female connector within the first receiving recess. (p. 2, ll. 82-85)
-From Claim 16: Borja discloses drilling at least one blind bore 90 in a face of the second article to define at least one second receiving recess; and
inserting at least one second connecting portion 50 of the male connector into the at least one second receiving recess to secure the male connector to the second article.
-From Claim 17: Borja discloses wherein the at least one second connecting portion of the male connector is provided with barbs 52 or other formations adapted to retain the at least one second connecting portion of the male connector within the at least one second receiving recess.
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.
Claim(s) 2-7, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Borja in view of US 2004/0020016 to Yoneoka (hereinafter “Yoneoka”)
-From Claim 2: Yoneoka teaches a connector assembly comprising a male connector 10 and female connector 20 wherein end portions of the female connector comprise integrally formed cantilevered arms 22, each having an outer face and an inner face, the said inner face of each said cantilevered arm defining a ramped surface engaged by said first connecting portion of the male connector as it is inserted into said receiving channel of said female connector, thereby deflecting said cantilevered arms outwardly against the inner faces of the first receiving recess. (Figs. 6-7)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by forming the female connector with cantilever arms as taught by Yoneoka in order to provide greater grip between the female connector and the receiving recess.
-From Claim 3: Borja, as modified according to Yoneoka, teaches a face of each said cantilevered arm is barbed to grip the inner faces of the first receiving recess. (i.e., the barbs are disclosed at 34 in Borja on an exterior surface of the female connector)
-From Claim 4: Borja discloses wherein side surfaces 34 of said female connector are shaped to correspond to the shape of the first receiving recess 92.
-From Claim 5: Yoneoka teaches wherein said first connecting portion of the said male connector includes ramped end regions 55 adapted to engage said inner faces of the said cantilevered arms of said female connector as said male connector is inserted therein.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by forming the female connector with cantilever arms as taught by Yoneoka in order to provide greater grip between the female connector and the receiving recess.
-From Claim 6: Borja discloses wherein opposing inner faces of said receiving channel 38 of said female connector and cooperating outer faces of said first connecting portion of said male connector are provided with cooperating formations 80, 82 to retain said male connector within said female connector when said first connecting portion of the said male connector is inserted into said receiving channel of said female connector.
-From Claim 7: Borja discloses wherein inner sides of said receiving channel 38 defined by said female connector comprise a pair of opposing shoulders (the inwardly protruding portions of 38 that engage 80 and 82, in Fig. 3) and narrowed neck region (the space between those two protrusions), said first connecting portion of said male connector comprising a central rib 60 extending outwardly from a base region and terminating in a head region, a pair of symmetrically arranged outwardly flared resilient wings 80, 82 having a substantially arrow head shaped cross section extending from said head region towards said base region on either side of said central rib, whereby said resilient wings of said first connecting portion of said male connector are adapted to engage said opposing shoulders of the said female connector when the male connector is inserted into said female connector to retain said male connector in engagement with said female connector. (p. 2, ll. 82-85)
-From Claim 18: Yoneoka teaches a connector assembly comprising a male connector 10 and female connector 20 wherein end portions of the female connector comprise integrally formed cantilevered arms 22, each having an outer face and an inner face, the said inner face of each said cantilevered arm defining a ramped surface engaged by said first connecting portion of the male connector as it is inserted into said receiving channel of said female connector, thereby deflecting said cantilevered arms outwardly against the inner faces of the first receiving recess. (Figs. 6-7)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by forming the female connector with cantilever arms as taught by Yoneoka in order to provide greater grip between the female connector and the receiving recess.
-From Claim 19: Borja, as modified according to Yoneoka, teaches a face of each said cantilevered arm is barbed to grip the inner faces of the first receiving recess. (i.e., the barbs are disclosed at 34 in Borja on an exterior surface of the female connector)
Claim(s) 10, 11, 14, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Borja in view of FR1546888 to Durand (hereinafter “Durand”).
-From Claim 10: Durand teaches a male-female connector assembly (see Figs 1 and 2, the screw being the male connector) wherein the first receiving recess comprises two or more intersecting and parallel blind bores. (Fig. 2)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by duplicating the male and female connectors in a row as taught by Durand in order to provide more clamping force between the two articles.
-From Claim 11: Durand teaches wherein said blind bores of said first receiving recess have equal radii, the spacing of the centres of said blind bores being less than the radius of each bore.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by duplicating the male and female connectors in a row as taught by Durand in order to provide more clamping force between the two articles.
-From Claim 14: Durand teaches wherein said forming the first receiving recess comprises drilling two or more intersecting and parallel blind bores in the face of the first article.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by duplicating the male and female connectors in a row as taught by Durand in order to provide more clamping force between the two articles.
-From Claim 15: Durand teaches wherein said the blind bores of-said the first receiving recess have equal radius, the spacing of the centres of the blind bores being less than the radius of each bore.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Borja by duplicating the male and female connectors in a row as taught by Durand in order to provide more clamping force between the two articles.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, as the cited references include structure similar to that of the presently claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J WILEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7324. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm PST.
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/DANIEL J WILEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678 1/6/2026