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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over D1 (WO 2018/220180).
Regarding claim 1: D1 (Figures 1a and 2-3d) teaches an electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector body (i.e. body of 200) including a CPA engagement recess (i.e. receiving 230); a slider (i.e. 205) including spaced apart side walls (i.e. having 209a-d) configured to operatively engage and telescopically slide longitudinally relative to the connector body and an end wall (i.e. wall of 205 receiving 230) operatively engaging the side walls so that the end wall is slidable toward the connector body, with the end wall including a CPA cavity (i.e. cavity receiving 230) configured to be aligned with and located adjacent to the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is located in a fully seated position (i.e. figure 3b) adjacent to the connector body; and a CPA element (i.e. 230) retained by and longitudinally slidable with the slider and telescopically slidable in a lateral direction relative to the CPA cavity, the CPA element including a catch (i.e. 239) configured to operatively engage the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is in the fully seated position and the CPA element is laterally slid into the CPA cavity into a final lock position (i.e. figure 3d).
Regarding claim 2: D1 (Figure 3b-3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the CPA element includes a retainer (i.e. 232) on an elastically flexible engagement leg (i.e. 235) configured to engage a retention notch on a second connector to hold the second connector in engagement with the connector body.
Regarding claim 3: D1 (See marked version of figure 2 below) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 2 wherein the CPA element includes a pair of flexible legs (i.e. 237), each having a barb (i.e. B) extending therefrom configured to operatively engage corresponding barb catches (i.e. C) extending within the CPA cavity to retain the CPA element within the CPA cavity,
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Regarding claim 4: D1 (Figure 1a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 3 wherein each of the side walls of the slider include a cam slot (i.e. 209a-d) configured to mate with the second connector to pull the second connector into engagement with the connector body when the slider is moved longitudinally toward the connector body.
Regarding claim 5: D1 (Figure 1a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 2 wherein each of the side walls of the slider includes a cam slot (i.e. 209a-d) configured to mate with the second connector to pull the second connector into engagement with the connector body when the slider is moved longitudinally toward the connector body.
Regarding claim 6: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 5 wherein the CPA element includes a main body (i.e. 236) that is flush with an outer surface (i.e. bottom of 236 flush with 211) of the connector body when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 7: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 2 wherein the CPA element includes a main body (i.e. 236) that is flush with an outer surface (i.e. 211) of the connector body when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 8: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 2 wherein the CPA engagement recess includes a retention wall (i.e. 211) configured to operatively engage the catch of the CPA element when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 9: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the CPA engagement recess includes a retention wall (i.e. 211) configured to operatively engage the catch of the CPA element when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 10: D1 (Marked version of figure 2 above) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the CPA element includes a pair of flexible legs (i.e. 237), each having a barb (i.e. B) extending therefrom configured to operatively engage corresponding barb catches (i.e. C) extending within the CPA cavity to retain the CPA element within the CPA cavity.
Regarding claim 11: D1 (Figure 1a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the side walls of the slider include a cam slot (i.e. 209a-d) configured to mate with a second connector to pull the second connector into engagement with the connector body when the slider is moved longitudinally toward the connector body.
Regarding claim 12: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the CPA element includes a main body (i.e. 236) that is flush with an outer surface (i.e. 211) of the connector body when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 13: D1 (Figures 1a, marked version of figure 2 above, and 3a-3d) teaches an electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector body (i.e. body of 200) including a CPA engagement recess (i.e. receiving 230); a slider (i.e. 205) including spaced apart side walls (i.e. having 209a-d) configured to operatively engage and telescopically slide longitudinally relative to the connector body and an end wall (i.e. wall of 205 receiving 230) operatively engaging the side walls so that the end wall is slidable toward the connector body, with the end wall including a CPA cavity (i.e. cavity receiving 230) configured to be aligned with and located adjacent to the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is located in a fully seated position (i.e. figure 3b) adjacent to the connector body, the CPA cavity including barb catches (i.e. C) extending within the CPA cavity; and a CPA element (i.e. 230) retained by and longitudinally slidable with the slider, the CPA element including a catch (i.e. 239) configured to operatively engage the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is in the fully seated position and the CPA element is slid into the CPA cavity into a final lock position (i.e. figure 3d) and a pair of flexible legs (i.e. 237), each having a barb (i.e. B) extending therefrom configured to operatively engage the corresponding barb catches extending within the CPA cavity to retain the CPA element within the CPA cavity when the CPA element is in a pre-lock position (i.e. figure 2).
Regarding claim 14: D1 (Figure 3a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein the CPA element includes a retainer (i.e. 234) on an elastically flexible engagement leg (i.e. 235) configured to engage a retention notch on a second connector to hold the second connector in engagement with the connector body.
Regarding claim 15: D1 (Figure 3a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein the CPA engagement recess includes a retention wall (i.e. 211) configured to operatively engage the catch of the CPA element when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 16: D1 (Figure ) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein each of the side walls of the slider include a cam slot (i.e. 209a-d) configured to mate with a second connector to pull the second connector into engagement with the connector body when the slider is moved longitudinally toward the connector body.
Regarding claim 17: D1 (Figure 3d) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 13 wherein the CPA element includes a main body (i.e. 236) that is flush with an outer surface (i.e. 211) of the connector body when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 18: D1 (Figures 1a and 2-3d) teaches an electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector body (i.e. body of 200) including a CPA engagement recess (i.e. receiving 230), the CPA engagement recess including a retention wall (i.e. 211); a slider (i.e. 205) including spaced apart side walls (i.e. having 209a-d) configured to operatively engage and telescopically slide longitudinally relative to the connector body and an end wall (i.e. wall of 205 receiving 230) operatively engaging the side walls so that the end wall is slidable toward the connector body, with the end wall including a CPA cavity (i.e. cavity receiving 230) configured to be aligned with and located adjacent to the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is located in a fully seated position (i.e. figure 3b) adjacent to the connector body; and a CPA element (i.e. 230) retained by and longitudinally slidable with the slider and telescopically slidable in a lateral direction relative to the CPA cavity, the CPA element including a catch (i.e. 239) configured to operatively engage the CPA engagement recess when the end wall is in the fully seated position and the CPA element is laterally slid into the CPA cavity into a final lock position (i.e. figure 3d), the CPA element including a main body (i.e. 236) that is flush with an outer surface (i.e. same as 211) of the connector body when the CPA element is in the final lock position; wherein the retention wall is configured to operatively engage the catch of the CPA element when the CPA element is in the final lock position.
Regarding claim 19: D1 (Figure 3a) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 18 wherein the CPA element includes a retainer (i.e. 234) on an elastically flexible engagement leg (i.e. 235) configured to engage a retention notch on a second connector to hold the second connector in engagement with the connector body.
Regarding claim 20: D1 (Marked version of figure 2 above) teaches the electrical connector assembly of claim 18 wherein the CPA element includes a pair of flexible legs (i.e. 237), each having a barb (i.e. B) extending therefrom configured to operatively engage corresponding barb catches (i.e. C) extending within the CPA cavity to retain the CPA element within the CPA cavity.
Conclusion
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/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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