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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 15 July 2024 has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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, 2, and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakashima et al. (US 2019/0044257; hereafter ‘Nakashima’).
Regarding claim 1, Nakashima, in at least figs. 1-5, discloses an electrical connection device, comprising:
a resin base (at least 20; as seen in at least figs. 1-3);
a terminal (at least 3; as seen in at least figs. 1-5) including an insert part (at least; as seen in at least fig. 3; as disclosed in at least paragraph [0036]) located in the resin base (20; as seen in at least fig. 3); and
a sealing portion (at least 4; as seen in at least fig. 3; as disclosed in at least paragraphs [0039-0041] interposed between the insert part (30) and the resin base (as seen in at least fig. 3), the sealing portion (4) being a thermally shrunk heat shrink tube in a state covering the insert part (as disclosed in at least paragraph [0045]).
Regarding claim 2, Nakashima discloses the electrical connection device of claim 1, wherein: the terminal (3) includes a first end part (31; fig. 3; at least paragraph [0036]) and a second end part (also 31, but at the opposite end of the terminal 3; as disclosed in at least paragraph [0036]; as seen in at least fig. 3) and the insert part (30) is located between the first and second end parts (as seen in at least fig. 3), and the insert part (30) is located in the resin base with the first and second end parts exposed from the resin base (as seen in at least fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Nakashima discloses the electrical connection device of claim 1, wherein the entire sealing portion (4) is covered in the resin base (20) (as seen in at least fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakashima as modified by Hirooka (US 2023/0275369; hereinafter ‘Hirooka’).
Regarding claim 3, Nakashima discloses the claimed invention as indicated above, and the terminal is so supported in the resin base that the first end part is facing outward of the device case and the second end part is facing inward of the device case through the connection opening with the resin base mounted on the device case (as seen in at least figs. 1-3).
Nakashima does not specifically disclose the electrical connection device of claim 2 with a mounting portion.
Hirooka teaches a similar electrical connector device including a mounting portion (22) formed in the base (as seen in at least fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to make Nakashima’s resin base (20) with Hirooka’s mounting portion to be mounted on Hirooka’s device case to close a connection opening of the device case.
One would have been motivated to do so to secure Nakashima’s device in place preventing undesired movement.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and are cited as teaching similar electronic connection devices including at least resin and/or heat shrinking materials.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEAH S MACCHIAROLO whose telephone number is (571)272-2719. The examiner can normally be reached M-F approx 8:30am to 4:30pm.
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, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at (571) 270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LEAH MACCHIAROLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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