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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2018-147817.
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘817 discloses a shield terminal comprising a first outer conductor 38, a second outer conductor 39 connected to the first outer conductor, and a module 22,30 housed in the first outer conductor, wherein the first outer conductor has one wall facing one side intersecting a front-rear direction, and an opening portion open to the one side at a position rearward of the one wall, the second outer conductor has a cover wall covering the opening portion, the module has an inner conductor 16 to be connected to a front end portion of a shielded electric wire 20, and a dielectric 22,30 housing the inner conductor, and is disposed facing the opening portion, and the cover wall has a second edge portion covering, from the one side, a first edge portion of the one wall facing the opening portion.
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘817 discloses the second outer conductor 39 has a barrel portion 40 to be connected by crimping to a shield portion 41 of the shielded electric wire 20, and the first outer conductor 38 has an insertion opening, through which the module 22,30 is insertable, open at a position rearward of a housing space housing the module.
Regarding claim 3, JP ‘817 discloses the first outer conductor 38 has a pair of first side walls disposed one first side wall on each of left and right sides of the housing space and facing in a direction intersecting the one wall, the first side walls each have an elastically deformable locking portion inclined inward of the first outer conductor from forward of a supporting point portion, and a cutout portion open around each locking portion, the module 22,30 has a lock portion locked to each locking portion while the module is housed in the first outer conductor, the second outer conductor has a pair of second side walls protruding one second side wall from each of left and right end portions of the cover wall, and the second side walls are disposed to respectively cover the first side walls from outside the first outer conductor.
35 USC 103 Rejection
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) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2018-147817.
JP ‘817 discloses the second edge portion has a shape bending inward of the second outer conductor 39 from rearward of a joint portion of the second edge portion, and the second edge portion is disposed facing the first edge portion from behind. It would have been an obvious reversal of parts to make the first edge portion of ‘817 bending inward instead of the second edge portion as this would not substantially affect the function thereof.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834