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 § 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 2 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 2, ln. 5-9 recites, “the cover has at least one structure of a structure in which the opening face of the opening portion is inclined so as to approach a sealing face of the lid-shaped portion in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft, and a structure in which the sealing face of the lid-shaped portion is inclined so as to approach the opening face in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft.”
It is unclear how the cover may have at least one structure of a structure in which the opening face of the opening portion is inclined so as to approach a sealing face of the lid-shaped portion in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft because the lid-shaped portion is not part of the cover, and how the cover may have a structure in which the sealing face of the lid-shaped portion is inclined so as to approach the opening face in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft because it is unclear what is separated from the rotating shaft. It is further unclear how the three structures are differentiated in the claim. For examination purposes, lines 5-9 will be interpreted as,
“the opening face of the opening portion is inclined with respect to a sealing face of the lid-shaped portion such that the opening face receives the sealing face in an inclined direction separate from the rotating direction when the cover moves from the open position to the closed position,”
which appears to be in line with the scope of applicant’s disclosure, i.e., figures 5-7.
Specification
The specification is objected to because paragraph [0048] has the same or similar clarity issues found in claim 2, as discussed above. Paragraph [0048] should likely be corrected in line with the suggestions for claim 2.
Furthermore, 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: Connector Having a Displaceable and Deformable Packing for Sealing the Connector.
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 and 3-7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1)(a2) as being anticipated by Kameda (JP2021155081).
Regarding claim 1: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6 (reproduced below)) teaches a connector comprising: a housing (i.e. 30) including an accommodating chamber (i.e. 32) that is configured to accommodate a terminal and having an opening portion (i.e. top of 30) that is configured to open to receive a counterpart terminal; a packing (i.e. 20) configured to seal the opening portion by closing the opening portion; and a cover (i.e. 10) configured to, while holding the packing, move between a closed position (i.e. position of figure 6) where the packing is pressed into contact with the opening portion and an open position (i.e. position of figures 3 and 5) where the packing is separated from the opening portion, wherein: the packing includes a lid-shaped portion (i.e. 21) that closes the opening portion when the cover is at the closed position, and a support portion (i.e. 22, 21B, and 27) that supports the lid-shaped portion so as to define a space (i.e. between 11 and 21) between the lid-shaped portion and the cover when the cover is at the open position; and the packing is configured such that as the cover moves from the open position to the closed position, the lid-shaped portion comes into contact with the opening portion and is displaced toward the space, and the support portion is elastically deformed as the lid-shaped portion is displaced.
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Regarding claim 3: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6) teaches the connector according to claim 1, wherein the accommodating chamber has a tube shape having the opening portion at a tube end portion (i.e. 37 and 38); the packing further includes a tubular projecting portion (i.e. 21B) having a tubular diameter larger than that of the tube end portion and projecting so as to surround the lid-shaped portion; and when the cover is at the closed position, the tubular projecting portion is configured to be displaced so as to approach an outer peripheral face (i.e. outer face of 37 and 38) of the tube end portion as the lid-shaped portion is displaced.
Regarding claim 4: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6) teaches the connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the packing has a tube shape (i.e. 27) extending from the lid-shaped portion toward the cover, and has a bent shape (i.e. between 27 and 22) narrowing in a direction in which a tubular diameter decreases after widening in a direction in which the tubular diameter increases as being separated from the lid-shaped portion.
Regarding claim 5: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6) teaches the connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the packing includes a small-diameter portion (i.e. 27) having a tube shape extending from the lid-shaped portion toward the cover and connected to the lid-shaped portion, a large-diameter portion (i.e. 22) located at a position farther from the lid-shaped portion than the small-diameter portion and having a larger tubular diameter than the small-diameter portion, and a connecting portion (i.e. 21B) connecting the small-diameter portion to the large-diameter portion.
Regarding claim 6: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6) teaches the connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the packing has a tube shape extending from the lid-shaped portion toward the cover, and has a bellows shape (i.e. diameters of 22, 21B, and 27 have no discontinuities) in which increase and decrease of a tubular diameter are continuous as the support portion is separated from the lid-shaped portion.
Regarding claim 7: Kameda (Figures 3 and 5-6) teaches the connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the packing has a tube shape extending from the lid-shaped portion toward the cover, and an opening end (i.e. 22) of the support portion is held by the cover so as to be covered with the cover.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 2 (as interpreted), the prior art of record does not fairly teach or suggest the cover has at least one structure of a structure in which the opening face of the opening portion is inclined so as to approach a sealing face of the lid-shaped portion in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft, and a structure in which the sealing face of the lid-shaped portion is inclined so as to approach the opening face in the rotating direction as being separated from the rotating shaft.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory Mangot whose telephone number is 703-756-5737. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
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/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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