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
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 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Little (10,680,389).
Regarding claim 26, Little discloses a subassembly, comprising:
a support (300, Fig. 1A);
an organizer (126 and 128);
a first plurality of connectors (200, Fig. 11A) held to the organizer such that the first plurality of connectors are configured to be mounted to mounting locations (102, Fig. 8A) different than the organizer,
wherein the organizer comprises a plurality of openings (26, Fig. 8A); the first plurality of connectors are held within the plurality of openings; and
each of the first plurality of connectors comprises a plurality of electrical contacts (215, Fig. 12A) exposed at a mounting interface separable from the organizer;
a second plurality of connectors (310, Fig. 5A) attached to the support;
a plurality of cables (400) electrically connecting the first plurality of connectors to the second plurality of connectors (Fig. 1B).
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Little (10,680,389) in view of Tsai (10,886,651).
Regarding claim 1, Little discloses a subassembly, comprising:
a support (300, Fig. 1B);
an organizer (120, 126 and 128, Fig. 8A);
a first plurality of connectors (200, Fig. 21) held to the organizer such that the first plurality of connectors are configured to be mounted to mounting locations (102, Fig. 8A) different than the organizer,
wherein the first plurality of connectors includes one or more pressure mount connectors (202, Fig. 13A) comprising a plurality of compliant electrical contacts (215, Fig. 13A);
a second plurality of connectors (310, Fig. 5A) attached to the support;
a plurality of cables (400, Fig. 5A) electrically connecting the first plurality of connectors to the second plurality of connectors (Fig. 1A).
Little discloses the claimed invention as described above except for each compliant contact comprising a beam and a contact surface arranged at an end of the beam, each beam configured to deflect when the contact surface is pressed against one of a plurality of conductive pads on a surface disposed at the mounting locations.
Tsai discloses each compliant contact (510, Fig. 7) comprising a beam (512) and a contact surface (513) arranged at an end of the beam, each beam configured to deflect when the contact surface is pressed against one of a plurality of conductive pads (30, Fig. 4) on a surface disposed at the mounting locations (10). It would have been obvious to modify Little to have each compliant contact comprising a beam and a contact surface arranged at an end of the beam, each beam configured to deflect when the contact surface is pressed against one of a plurality of conductive pads on a surface disposed at the mounting locations, as taught by Tsai for better connection.
Regarding claim 2, Little, Fig. 4 shows the first plurality of connectors are releasably held to the organizer.
Regarding claim 3, Little, Fig. 8A shows the organizer comprises a plurality of openings (a slot between 126 and 128); and
the first plurality of connectors are disposed within the plurality of openings.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3 and 26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul 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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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/20/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov