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.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a, 1) as being anticipated by JP 126713.
Regarding claim 1, JP discloses a connector, comprising: a terminal module (near to the leadline 20) including a terminal fitting to be connected to a wire T; and a housing 21, 40 for accommodating the terminal module (near to the leadline 20), the housing 21, 40 including: a housing body 21 having an accommodation space 23 for accommodating the terminal module (near to the leadline 20); and a cover 40 for covering the accommodation space 23, the housing body 21 being provided with a lock portion 24 for restricting separation of the terminal module (near to the leadline 20) from the accommodation space 23, and the cover 40 being provided with a holding projection 43 for restricting deflection and deformation of the lock portion 24.
Regarding claim 2, JP discloses the lock portion 24 is provided with a tapered surface (near to the leadline 24B) inclined to protrude toward an entrance path for the holding projection 43 toward a front side in an assembly direction of the cover 40 with the housing body 21.
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP in view of Toba (U. S. Patent 5,356,308).
Regarding claim 6, JP discloses the claimed invention except for comprising a sealing ring to be held in close contact with a sealing surface of the cover with the housing body, wherein an outer side surface of the holding projection is flush and continuous with the scaling surface. Toba discloses seal at 390, 380. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify JP to provide such features as taught by Toba so as to provide for keep water out of housing or make waterproof.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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.
None of the references discloses the housing body is provided with a preventing wall for preventing separation of the holding projection from the lock portion by being located on a side opposite to the lock portion with respect to the holding projection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG K DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-2090. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Riyami A Abdullah 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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/PHUONG K DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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