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 § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 13, 14, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pao et al. (US 11329431 B2) in view of Shiraishi et al. (US 10630021 B2).
In regard to claim 1, Pao et al. discloses a connector housing assembly 1000, comprising:
a housing 121 including a flange portion (see fig. 7) formed with mounting holes 1216;
a connecting member 22 passing through the mounting hole 1216 and adapted to connect the flange portion to a mounting panel 200; and
the flange portion is movable axially and radially relative to the connecting member 22 such that the housing 121 is floatable axially and radially relative to the mounting panel 200 (see figures 8-10).
However, Pao et al. does not disclose a sealing ring provided on the flange portion and adapted to form a seal between the flange portion and the mounting panel, the connecting member adapted such that, when the flange portion is connected to the mounting panel, the sealing ring is axially compressed between the flange portion and the mounting panel.
Shiraishi et al. discloses a sealing ring 4 provided on the flange portion (adjacent 33) and adapted to form a seal between the flange portion and the mounting panel 81, the connecting member 6 adapted such that, when the flange portion is connected to the mounting panel 81, the sealing ring 4 is axially compressed between the flange portion and the mounting panel 81.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of Pao et al. by constructing the sealing ring as disclosed by Shiraishi et al. in order to provide a waterproof connector.
In regard to claim 13, Pao et al. discloses the housing 121 of the connector housing assembly 1000 comprises a terminal opening 112 adapted to receive a terminal.
In regard to claims 14, 19, Pao et al. discloses a connector assembly, comprising:
a connector housing assembly 1000, including:
a housing 121 including a flange portion (see fig. 7) formed with mounting holes 1216;
a connecting member 22 passing through the mounting hole 1216 and adapted to connect the flange portion to a mounting panel 200; and
the flange portion is movable axially and radially relative to the connecting member 22 such that the housing 121 is floatable axially and radially relative to the mounting panel 200 (see figures 8-10).
However, Pao et al. does not disclose a sealing ring provided on the flange portion and adapted to form a seal between the flange portion and the mounting panel, the connecting member adapted such that, when the flange portion is connected to the mounting panel, the sealing ring is axially compressed between the flange portion and the mounting panel; and a mounting panel 200 on which the housing 121 of the connector housing assembly 1000 is floatable installed.
Shiraishi et al. discloses a sealing ring 4 provided on the flange portion (adjacent 33) and adapted to form a seal between the flange portion and the mounting panel 81, the connecting member 6 adapted such that, when the flange portion is connected to the mounting panel 81, the sealing ring 4 is axially compressed between the flange portion and the mounting panel 81. 19; wherein an opening 82 is formed on the mounting panel 81 and is in communication with the inner cavity of the housing 3, and the sealing ring 4 of the connector surrounds the opening 82.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of Pao et al. by constructing the sealing ring as disclosed by Shiraishi et al. in order to provide a waterproof connector.
In regard to claim 20, Pao et al. discloses the housing 121 of the connector housing assembly 1000 is adapted to receive a portion of a mating connector though the opening 201 on the mounting panel 200.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12, 15-18 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
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Tdt
7/9/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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