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 Objections
Claims 3 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities: “the sub-connector” (both instances) and “the other sub-connector” lack proper antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
35 USC 102 Rejections
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) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyamura et al 10,615,532.
Regarding claim 1, Miyamura et al (Figures 2, 3 and 7) discloses a stacked connector, comprising: a holder 10; a plurality of sub-connectors 30 to be mounted in a stacked state into the holder, the plurality of sub-connectors being individually movable forward from an initial position to a connection position in the holder; a plurality of terminal fittings 49 to be mounted into the sub-connectors, the terminal fittings being connected to mating terminals when the sub-connectors are moved to the connection position; and a connection assurance member 20 mountable at a connection assurance position (Figure 3) in the holder only when all the sub-connectors are at the connection position.
Regarding claim 2, Miyamura et al discloses the connection assurance member 20 is mountable at a temporary locking position (Figure 4) in the holder 10 and movable from the temporary locking position to the connection assurance position, and the plurality of sub-connectors 30 are mountable into and removable from the holder when the connection assurance member 20 is at the temporary locking position.
Regarding claim 3, Miyamura et al discloses the connection assurance member 20 interferes with the sub-connector 30 at the initial position, thereby being restricted from moving from the temporary locking position to the connection assurance position, when at least one of the plurality of sub-connectors is at the initial position.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 4-6 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: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the stopper as recited; nor the connection assurance member being arrange to restrict resilient deformation of the lock arm when being moved to the connection assurance position; nor the temporary lock holding groove extends in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the connection assurance member from the temporary locking position to the connection assurance position and is open in a rear end surface of the holder, and the connection assurance holding groove is closed on the rear end surface of the holder; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the independent claim.
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