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 Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 1-20 are grammatically incorrect. It appears that Line 1 should begin with “An” in Claim 1, 17 and 20, and “The” in Claims 2-16 and 18-19.
Claim 13 seems to be incomplete and is missing a period.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pade (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0200487). Regarding Claim 1, Pade discloses an assembly for a connector (10), the assembly comprising: a housing part (16); a cover (20) adapted to be mounted to the housing part; a lever (22) adapted to be attached to the housing part and that can be rotated from a starting position (Figs. 2-3) to a final position (Fig. 1) relative to the housing part when attached; and a lever lock (36, 72) that blocks the rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in a locking position (Figs. 8-9), and that allows a rotation of the lever when the lever lock is in a release position (Figs. 6-7); wherein the lever lock can only be moved from the release position to the locking position when the lever is in the final position and the cover is mounted on the housing part.
Regarding Claim 2, Pade discloses a movement of the lever lock into the locking position being blocked by a pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever and the lever lock, respectively.
Regarding Claim 3, Pade discloses the cover comprising a release element (78) for disengaging the two translational blocking members when the lever is in the final position and the cover is mounted on the housing part.
Regarding Claim 4, Pade discloses the release element being elongated in a connection direction of the connector (Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 5, Pade discloses the cover comprising a further release element (22).
Regarding Claim 6, Pade discloses the translational blocking member of the lever lock being located at a free end (Fig. 6) of the lever lock.
Regarding Claim 7, Pade discloses a movement of the lever lock into the locking position being blocked by a further pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever lock and the housing part, respectively, when the lever is close to but not in the final position, wherein the further pair is spaced from the first pair in a radial direction.
Regarding Claim 8, Pade discloses the blocking by the further pair of translational blocking members being independent of the status of the cover (Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 9, Pade discloses the cover being configured to be mounted when the lever is in the final position and the lever is configured to be moved into the final position when the cover is mounted (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding Claim 10, Pade discloses a distance (Figs. 3-4) of the lever lock to the rotation axis of the lever being shorter in the locking position than in the release position.
Regarding Claim 11, Pade discloses the lever lock acting as an extension part (Figs. 3-4) for the lever when in the release position.
Regarding Claim 12, Pade discloses the lever lock and the housing part comprising a pair of engaging rotational blocking members (74, 76) for blocking a rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in the locking position.
Regarding Claim 13, Pade discloses a movement of the lever lock into the locking position being blocked by a pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever and the lever lock, respectively; wherein a movement of the lever lock into the locking position is blocked by a further pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever lock and the housing part, respectively, when the lever is close to but not in the final position, wherein the further pair is spaced from the first pair in a radial direction; and wherein the lever lock and the housing part comprise a pair of engaging rotational blocking members (74, 76) for blocking a rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in the locking position.
Regarding Claim 14, Pade discloses the lever lock comprising a blocking member (74, 76) that forms one of the further pair of engaging translational blocking members and one of the engaging rotational blocking members.
Regarding Claim 15, Pade discloses the assembly comprising at least one further lever lock (36, 72) for blocking a movement of the lever out of the final position.
Regarding Claim 16, Pade discloses the further lever lock being adapted to block mating of the connector with a mating connector when in a locking position (Figs. 8-9).
Regarding Claim 17, Pade discloses an assembly for a connector (10), the assembly comprising: a housing part (16); a cover (20) adapted to be mounted to the housing part; a lever (22) adapted to be attached to the housing part and that can be rotated from a starting position (Figs. 2-3) to a final position (Fig. 1) relative to the housing part when attached; and a lever lock (36, 72) that blocks the rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in a locking position (Figs. 8-9), and that allows a rotation of the lever when the lever lock is in a release position (Figs. 6-7); wherein the lever lock can only be moved from the release position to the locking position when the lever is in the final position and the cover is mounted on the housing part; and wherein a movement of the lever lock into the locking position is blocked by a first pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever and the lever lock, respectively; and wherein a movement of the lever lock into the locking position is blocked by a second pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever lock and the housing part, respectively, when the lever is close to but not in the final position.
Regarding Claim 18, Pade discloses the second pair of engaging translational blocking members being spaced from the first pair of engaging translational blocking members in a radial direction (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding Claim 19, Pade discloses the lever lock and the housing part comprising a pair of engaging rotational blocking members (74, 76) for blocking a rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in the locking position.
Regarding Claim 20, Pade discloses an assembly for a connector (10), the assembly comprising: a housing part (16); a cover (20) adapted to be mounted to the housing part; a lever (22) adapted to be attached to the housing part and that can be rotated from a starting position (Figs. 2-3) to a final position (Fig. 1) relative to the housing part when attached; and a lever lock (36, 72) that blocks the rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in a locking position (Figs. 8-9), and that allows a rotation of the lever when the lever lock is in a release position (Figs. 6-7); wherein the lever lock can only be moved from the release position to the locking position when the lever is in the final position and the cover is mounted on the housing part; and wherein a movement of the lever lock into the locking position is blocked by a pair of engaging translational blocking members (74, 76) on the lever and the lever lock, respectively; and wherein the lever lock and the housing part comprise a pair of engaging rotational blocking members for blocking a rotation of the lever out of the final position when the lever lock is in the locking position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses connector assemblies, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having covers, levers and lever locks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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