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.
The following title is suggested: A CONNECTOR WITH PRESSING MEMBER MOUNTED IN A ROUTING SPACE.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5, line 1, recites, “a plurality of cables having the wires embedded therein”. It is not clear where and how these wires are mounted. It is also not clear the real meaning of “embedded”. Are they molded or just mounted or laid in the routing space? Hence it is vague and indefinite. For further examination, “emended”, is considered as -mounted or positioned-.
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, 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated
by Nakada et al. (JP 2006 114288A) hereafter Nakada (Sumitomo Wiring System).
Regarding claim 1, Nakada discloses a connector, comprising: a housing body 11 formed with a module accommodation chamber (terminal accommodation part) 13 and a routing space (wire supporting part) 27; a cover (wire pressing member) 28 for closing an opening of the routing space in an outer surface of the housing body; a pressing member (shock absorbing member) 37 mounted in the routing space; and a terminal module including a terminal fitting connected to a wire 12, the terminal module (female terminal fitting) 10 being inserted in the module accommodation chamber, the wire 12 drawn out into the routing space from the module accommodation chamber being routed while being sandwiched and bent between the cover and the pressing member (see fig. 1, it can be said that wire 12 is curved sandwiched between cover and right most protrusion 33 of the wire pressing member 28 in the vicinity of the left-side end of a cylindrical section 39 of the shock absorbing member 37), and a mounting direction (attachment direction) of the pressing member into the routing space being a direction approaching the module accommodation chamber (see fig. 1, a direction right to left).
Regarding claim 4, Nakada discloses the wires include a power supply wire and a ground wire (as there is no particular structure of power supply wire and ground wire structure is defined, and all wires are conductive wires, they are capable to carry power supply and ground signal, therefore they can be designated as power supply wire and ground wire ), the power supply wire and the ground wire constitute one multi-core cable by being in an insulation coating, and parts embedded in the insulation coating, out of the power supply wire and the ground wire, are sandwiched and bent between the cover and the pressing member.
Regarding claim 5, Nakada discloses a plurality of cables (fig. 3) having the wires mounted therein, wherein: the plurality of cables are routed side by side in a width direction intersecting a routing direction of the plurality of cables in the routing space, and the pressing member 37 includes a partition wall (see fig. 2) for partitioning between the plurality of cables.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 3 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.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record does not disclose a connector comprising a pressing member has a pressing surface facing the module accommodation chamber, the cover includes a protrusion projecting in a direction intersecting the mounting direction of the pressing member, the protrusion being arranged in the routing space, the protrusion is formed with a receiving surface for sandwiching the wire between the pressing surface and the receiving surface, and a mounting direction of the cover on the housing body is the same direction as the projecting direction of the protrusion as required in combination with other limitations of this claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attachment.
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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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