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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/17/2024 was filed on the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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(s) 1, 7, 9-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2013/031201 in view of Murao et al. US 2016/0027553.
Regarding claim 1, WO ‘201 discloses a connector bracket for holding a connector provided on an end part of a wire on a bracket body, comprising: a strip-like connector holding portion (fig. 6d; 3) for holding the connector (fig. 6d; 1) on the bracket body (fig. 5; body of 2) by surrounding the connector (1, 3 wraps around 1); an engaging portion (fig. 5; 32) to be engaged with a tip (engaged with a tip of 3 when 3 passes through 23) of the connector holding portion (3) closed to hold the connector (1).
WO ‘201 does not disclose a restricting portion for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion in a second direction intersecting a first direction if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion with the engaging portion is the first direction.
However, Murao teaches a restricting portion (fig. 5; 23) for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion (fig. 5; 20) in a second direction (left/right) intersecting a first direction (forward/backward) if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion (20) with the engaging portion (24) is the first direction (forward/backward).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to incorporate a restricting portion for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion in a second direction intersecting a first direction if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion with the engaging portion is the first direction as suggested by Murao for the benefit of improving the mechanical retention strength between a strap and connector.
Regarding claim 7, WO ‘201 modified by Murao has been discussed above. WO ‘201 discloses wherein at least one of the connector holding portion (3), the engaging portion (32) and the restricting portion is integrally formed to the bracket body (body of 2, once everything is assembly 3, 32 and 2 are integral).
Regarding claim 9, WO ‘201 modified by Murao has been discussed above. WO ‘201 discloses a rail-like holding portion (fig. 5; side edges of 2) for mounting and holding the connector (1) by a rail structure (fig. 2; interior of 72, 74).
Regarding claim 10, WO ‘201 modified by Murao has been discussed above. WO ‘201 discloses a lock mechanism (fig. 2; 85) for fixing the connector (1) to the bracket body (body of 2) by hooking a projection (87) formed on one of the connector (1) and the bracket body to the other when the connector (1) is mounted on the rail-like holding portion (side edges of 2) along a guiding rail (fig. 2; 72, 74) having the rail structure (interior of 72, 74).
Regarding claim 11, WO ‘201 modified by Murao has been discussed above. WO ‘201 discloses wherein: the rail-like holding portion (side edges of 2) holds the connector (1) on a first surface (bottom of 1) of the connector (1), and the connector holding portion (3) holds the connector (1) on a second surface (fig. 6d; top surface of 1) opposite to the first surface (bottom of 1) in the connector (1).
Regarding claim 12, WO ‘201 modified by Murao has been discussed above. WO ‘201 discloses wherein the rail-like holding portion (side edges of 2) and the connector holding portion (3) are respectively arranged at positions near one end (side edges of 2 are arranged on the bottom of 1) and the other end (top of 3 is arranged on the top of 1) of the connector in the second direction (fig. 3; z direction).
Regarding claim 14, WO ‘201 discloses a wiring harness, comprising: a wire (fig. 5; wires extending into 1) including a connector (1) on an end part (end of wire); and a connector bracket (2) for holding the connector (1) on a bracket body (body of 2), the connector bracket (2) including: a strip-like connector holding portion (3) for holding the connector (1) on the bracket body (body of 2) by surrounding the connector (area that 3 covers of 1); an engaging portion (32) to be engaged with a tip (engaged with a tip of 3 when 3 passes through 23) of the connector holding portion (3) closed to hold the connector (1).
WO ‘201 does not disclose a restricting portion for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion in a second direction intersecting a first direction if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion with the engaging portion is the first direction.
However, Murao teaches a restricting portion (fig. 5; 23) for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion (fig. 5; 20) in a second direction (left/right) intersecting a first direction (forward/backward) if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion (20) with the engaging portion (24) is the first direction (forward/backward).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to incorporate a restricting portion for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion in a second direction intersecting a first direction if an engaging direction of the connector holding portion with the engaging portion is the first direction as suggested by Murao for the benefit of improving the mechanical retention strength between a strap and connector.
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2013/031201 and Murao et al. US 2016/0027553 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chang et al. US 2019/0190204.
WO ‘201 and Murao disclose all of the claim limitations except wherein the restricting portion is formed to be resiliently deformable by an operation load applied from a worker in attaching and detaching the connector holding portion to and from the engaging portion.
However, Chang teaches the restricting portion (fig. 2b; 245) is formed to be resiliently deformable by an operation load (force applied to 245) applied from a worker in attaching and detaching the connector holding portion (fig. 2b; 210) to and from the engaging portion (fig. 2b; 223).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to incorporate the restricting portion is formed to be resiliently deformable by an operation load applied from a worker in attaching and detaching the connector holding portion to and from the engaging portion as suggested by Chang for the benefit of improving the release between a connector and bracket.
Claim(s) 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2013/031201 and Murao et al. US 2016/0027553 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ning et al. US 2015/0093932.
Regarding claim 8, WO ‘201 and Murao disclose all of the claim limitations except wherein the connector holding portion supports a part to be connected to a mating connector in the connector.
However, Chang teaches the connector holding portion (fig. 1; 30) supports a part (fig. 1; 200 of 20) to be connected to a mating connector (fig. 1; 21) in the connector (20).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to incorporate the connector holding portion supports a part to be connected to a mating connector in the connector as suggested by Ning for the benefit of improving the structural integrity once two connectors are mated in order to prevent unwanted disconnection.
Regarding claim 13, WO ‘201 and Murao disclose all of the claim limitations except wherein, if the wire is a first wire and the connector is a first connector, a second connector connected to a second wire different from the first wire is mounted in the bracket body.
However, Chang teaches if the wire (fig. 1; 202) is a first wire and the connector (20) is a first connector, a second connector (fig. 1; 21) connected to a second wire (fig. 1; 212) different from the first wire (202) is mounted in the bracket body (fig. 1; 40).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to incorporate if the wire is a first wire and the connector is a first connector, a second connector connected to a second wire different from the first wire is mounted in the bracket body for the benefit of optimizing a mechanical connection between two connectors attached to a bracket assembly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest the engaging portion includes an opening in one side surface in the second direction, and the restricting portion includes a first restricting portion for restricting a movement of the connector holding portion toward one side in the second direction by being formed on an end edge of the opening to contact an outer side surface on the tip of the connector holding portion and a second restricting portion formed in the engaging portion to restrict a movement of the connector holding portion toward the other side in the second direction combined with the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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