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 § 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 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)(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) 14-16, 18 and 20-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsumoto et al. (US Patent 9017090 B2).
As per claim 14, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, in particular for high-voltage on- board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29), comprising: a first connecting part 131 arranged in a first housing part (along 100); a second connecting part (along 430) which is congruent with the first connecting part 131 and is arranged in a second housing part 200; and a spring element 140 mounted on one of the two housing parts (along 100, 200), wherein, in a connected state (shown in figure 12) of the on-board connector (along 310), the two housing parts (along 100, 200) are fixed relative to one another in such a way that the spring element 140 exerts a spring force (along 140, shown in figure 3) from a first of the two housing parts (along 100, 200) onto the second of the two housing parts (along 100, 200) in a spring direction (along 140), so that the spring force (along 140, shown in figure 3) causes a contact pressure between the first connecting part 131 and the second connecting part (along 430).
As per claim 15, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, further comprising a fixing element 110 which mechanically connects the spring element 140 to the first and/or the second housing part 200 in the connected state (shown in figure 12) of the on-board connector (along 310), wherein the fixing element 110 is arranged in a captive manner (seen figure 1 and 3) on a housing part and/or the spring element 140 is arranged between a housing part and a part of the fixing element 110, in particular a cover 127, and in particular is encased in a captive manner (seen figure 1 and 3).
As per claim 16, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein the fixing element 110 comprises a slide, in particular as the cover 127, which is arranged in a captive manner (seen figure 1 and 3) on one of the housing parts (along 100, 200), in particular the first housing part (along 100), and/or is guided and/or displaceably mounted on one of the two housing parts (along 100, 200), in particular the first housing part (along 100), in particular is displaceably mounted substantially parallel to the spring direction (along 140) and/or has a stop on one of the housing parts (along 100, 200), in particular the first housing part (along 100).
As per claim 18, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein the spring element 140 is arranged in a captive manner (seen figure 1 and 3) on one of the two housing parts (along 100, 200), in particular the first housing part (along 100), and/or on the fixing element 110.
As per claim 20, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein the first housing part (along 100) has an opening 210 and/or the second housing part 200 has an opening 210 and/or in the connected state (shown in figure 12), at least one of the housing parts (along 100, 200) is at least partially inserted into the opening 210 of the other of the housing parts (along 100, 200), in particular in the connected state (shown in figure 12) the first housing part (along 100) is inserted into the opening 210 of the second housing part 200 and/or in the connected state (shown in figure 12), the second housing part 200 is inserted into the opening 210 of the first housing part (along 100).
As per claim 21, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein at least one circumferential seal 122a is arranged on a lateral surface of one of the housing parts (along 100, 200) which faces the respective other housing part, in particular on an outer and/or on an inner lateral surface, in particular in the region of the opening 210 of the housing part, which seal 122a is in contact with an inner lateral surface of the other housing part in the connected state (shown in figure 12).
As per claim 22, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein one of the connecting parts is attached to an electrical conductor 500, in particular to a stranded conductor, and/or one of the housing parts (along 100, 200) has a conductor receptacle (along 200) for receiving the conductor, in particular an axial extension of the conductor receptacle (along 200) runs at an angle (shown in figure 4), in particular essentially perpendicular to the spring direction (along 140) and/or the conductor receptacle (along 200) has at least one seal 122a surrounding the electrical conductor 500.
As per claim 23, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein the electrical conductor 500 has a shielding (see column 9, lines 1-20) which is at least partially electrically connected to at least one sleeve (along 122a) surrounding at least one connecting part in the connected state (shown in figure 12) and/or one of the housing parts (along 100, 200) is embedded in an electrically conductive housing 500 which, in the connected state (shown in figure 12), is connected in particular to the shielding (see column 9, lines 1-20) of the conductor 500.
As per claim 24, Matsumoto teaches an On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector, of On-board power supply (see column 6, lines 4-29) connector of wherein at least two first connecting parts 131 are arranged in the first of the two housing parts (along 100, 200) and/or at least two second connecting parts (along 430) are arranged in the second of the two housing parts (along 100, 200) and/or a respective spring element 140 is assigned to one of the connecting parts in each case (100 or 200).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17, 19 and 25-26 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As per claim 17, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein the fixing element has a retaining element, wherein the retaining element, in particular in the connected state is engaged with a fastening means on one of the housing parts, in particular the second housing part, and/or is mounted on one of the two housing parts, in particular the first housing part, and/or on the slide and/or comprises a fastening lever mounted on one of the two housing parts, in particular the first housing part, and/or on the slide so as to be pivotable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the spring direction, wherein in particular a lever holder locks the fastening lever in the connected state.
As per claim 19, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein one of the connecting parts has a sleeve-shaped receptacle and one of the connecting parts has a rod-shaped plug-in element which is congruent with the receptacle, in particular, the connected state, the plug-in element is inserted into the receptacle and/or the receptacle tapers from an opening on the front face towards a base, in particular tapers conically and/or that the plug-in element tapers towards its front face, in particular tapers conically and/or in the connected state, an inner lateral surface of the receptacle and an outer lateral surface of the plug-in element are in direct contact with one another, in particular that a gap is arranged between the front face of the plug-in element and the base of the receptacle and/or a front faced end piece, in particular made of an insulating material, is arranged on the plug-in element and/or an insulator is arranged on the front face of one of the connecting parts and at least partially covers the front face.
As per claim 25, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein a first of the two housing parts has a securing channel, through which in particular a part of the fixing element is guided, in particular into the second of the two housing parts, in particular in the plug-in direction, wherein in particular a seal is arranged circumferentially on an outer circumferential surface of the fixing element, which seal is circumferentially in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the securing channel, in particular in the connected state and/or a seal is arranged circumferentially on an inner circumferential surface of the securing channel, which seal is circumferentially in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fixing element, in particular in the connected state and/or the fixing element actuates a fuse element in the connected state, in particular closes a fuse switch, the fuse element being arranged in particular in the second of the two housing parts and/or the fuse element is aligned with the fuse channel, in particular in the plug-in direction.
As per claim 26, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein a temperature sensor is arranged in one of the housing parts, in particular in the second housing part, in particular between at least two connecting parts, in particular second connecting parts.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (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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/Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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