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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because a bracket ([]) should embrace the illustrations of Figures 2C, 4A-B and 7C. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20140062080, Battisti.
In regards to claim 1, in Figures 4-8 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Battisti discloses a female connector (14) configured to receive and be fixedly connected to a male connector (12) which comprises a male connector recess (19) in an outer side of the male connector, the female connector comprising: a female connector shell defining a receiving channel (32) extending in an axial direction of the female connector shell to receive the male connector in the axial direction, and comprising a retaining channel (holding 17) and a locking channel (holding 16) which are in communication with the receiving channel and are located on opposite sides of the receiving channel; and a snap-fit fastener (16, 17) movably connected to the female connector shell and comprising a retaining portion (17) and a locking portion (16), the retaining portion being elastically deformable, and the retaining portion and the locking portion being configured to enter the receiving channel through the retaining channel and the locking channel, respectively, wherein the snap-fit fastener has a first position and a second position, and is movable between the first position and the second position in a radial direction of the female connector shell; wherein the retaining portion is configured to elastically deform under an action of the male connector to provide a force that drives the snap-fit fastener to move from the first position to the second position.
In regards to claim 4, in Figures 4-8 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Battisti discloses the retaining portion comprises a connecting end and a free end (60), the free end of the retaining portion being movable around the connecting end in a direction away from the receiving channel to elastically deform the retaining portion, and the free end of the retaining portion extending into the receiving channel through the retaining channel.
In regards to claim 13, in Figures 4-8 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Battisti discloses a connector assembly, comprising: a male connector; and a female connector according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3 and 5-12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at 571-270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679