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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 1-3, 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2022157238 (herein WO238).
In reference to claim 1, WO238 teaches a securing device (shown in figure 10) for securing a locking of a locking element (7; fig. 10), comprising: the locking element that is configured to move from a first locking position (shown in figure 11) into a second locking position (shown in figure 12) and the locking element is configured to lock in the second locking position; and an indicator element (9a, 9b; fig. 12) including an identifying feature configured to indicate an item of information, in the first locking position (shown in figure 11) of the locking element, the identifying feature is part of a second identifying feature and is not discernible (for the purpose of examination, the limitation “not discernable” is understood to mean not being seen as two separate code patterns; the code pattern appears as one pattern) separately in the first locking position (see fig. 11) and in the second locking position (shown in figure 12) of the locking element, the identifying feature is not part of the second identifying feature, and the identifying feature is configured to be discerned (for the purpose of examination, the limitation “discerned” is understood to mean being seen as two separate code patterns) separately when the locking element is in the second locking position (see fig. 12).
In reference to claim 2, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 1, wherein, in both the first locking position and the second locking position of the locking element, the identifying feature is not concealed and remains visible.
In reference to claim 3, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 1, wherein the identifying feature is configured to slide out of the second identifying feature based on a movement of the locking element from the first locking position into the second locking position, and the identifying feature is discerned separately in the second locking position.
In reference to claim 9, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 1, wherein the identifying feature includes a one-dimensional code (see the NPL Machine translation of WO238, page 4, lines 22-25 which mention a one-dimensional barcode).
In reference to claim 10, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 1, wherein the identifying feature includes a multi-dimensional code (see the NPL Machine translation of WO238, page 4, lines 22-25 which mention a two-dimensional data matrix code).
In reference to claim 11, WO238 teaches wherein the identifying feature is discernible when the identifying feature is not part of the second identifying feature (when in the position of fig. 12).
In reference to claim 12, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 1, wherein the securing device is configured to perform connector position assurance (CPA) to secure a lock between a connector housing and a mating connector housing.
In reference to claim 13, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 12, further comprising: a clamping element (3; fig. 1) configured to clamp the connector housing into the mating connector housing (see fig. 1), the clamping element configured to move from an open clamping-element position, in which the connector housing is insertable into the mating connector housing, into a closed clamping-element position, in which the connector housing is fastened to the mating connector housing with electrical contact; and wherein the locking element (pertaining to 7) is placed on the clamping element and configured to lock or to unlock the clamping element.
In reference to claim 14, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 13, wherein, in the closed clamping-element position, the locking element is configured to move from the first locking position into the second locking position and is configured, in the second locking position, to lock the clamping element in the closed clamping-element position and, in the first locking position, to unlock the clamping element for a movement into the open clamping-element position.
In reference to claim 15, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 14, wherein the identifying feature and the second identifying feature are placed on the clamping element; and a movement of the locking element from the first locking position into the second locking position slides the identifying feature out of the second identifying feature, and the identifying feature is discernible separately in the second locking position.
In reference to claim 16, WO238 teaches the securing device according to Claim 13, wherein the identifying feature and the second identifying feature are placed on the clamping element, a movement of the locking element from the first locking position into the second locking position slides the identifying feature out of the second identifying feature, and the identifying feature is discernible separately in the second locking position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS SLOAN CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami 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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/TRAVIS S CHAMBERS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 06/26/2026
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