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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 10, line 26, “the first row” lacks an antecedent basis or should be --a first row--;
Claim 10, line 26, “the second row” lacks an antecedent basis or should be --a second row--;
Claim 11, lines 2-3, “a first row” should be --the first row--;
Claim 11, line 5, “a second row” should be --the second row--;
Claim 12, line 5 and claim 15, line 3, “intermediate portions” should be --intermediate portions--;
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 20, line 11, “the shielding member” is confusing? Is it referred to the first, second or third shielding member?
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.
Claims 1-2, 9 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xu (10,389,067).
Regarding claim 1, Xu discloses a card edge connector (100, Fig. 1) comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 3) comprising a base portion (12, Fig. 1) extending in a longitudinal direction and a socket (not labeled, Fig. 3) recessed into the base portion in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
a plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in a row extending in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of conductive elements each comprising a first contact portion (FIGURE A below) curving into the socket, a second contact portion (22, Fig. 2) opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion, and an intermediate portion (FIUGRE A below) extending between the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a plurality of pairs of signal terminals and a plurality of ground terminals between the pairs (column 2, lines 14-17), wherein each intermediate portion of the plurality of ground terminals and the plurality of pairs of signal terminals comprises a first section (FIGURE A below) joining the first contact portion, a second section (FIGURE A below) joining the second contact portion, and a third section joining the first section and the second section; and
a shielding member (40, Fig. 3) comprising:
a body (41, Fig. 4) at least partially inside a wall (FIGURE A below) of the base portion of the housing and separated from the socket by the plurality of conductive elements,
a plurality of connection portions (413, Fig. 4) extending from the body and towards respective ones (21, Fig. 5) of the plurality of ground terminals,
a plurality of extensions (42 of both sides, Fig. 4) extending from the body and out of the housing (Fig. 5), each of the plurality of extensions extending in parallel to one pair of the plurality of pairs of signal terminals (Fig. 5), wherein each of the plurality of extensions extend in parallel to the second sections (FIGURE A below) of the intermediate portions of one pair of the plurality of pairs of signal terminals; and
the shielding member configured to overlap at least the intermediate portions of the plurality of pairs of signal terminals (FIGURE A below) and to electrically connect the plurality of ground terminals (Fig. 5).
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Regarding claim 9, one or more signal terminals disposed in the row (column 2, lines 14-17).
Regarding claim 17, Xu discloses an electrical connector comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 3) comprising a base portion (12, Fig. 1) extending in a longitudinal direction, a socket (not labeled, Fig. 5) recessed into the base portion in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and
a pair of guide members (11, Fig. 1 and 51, Fig. 3) extending from the base portion in the mating direction;
a plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in a row extending in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of conductive elements each comprising a first contact portion (FIGURE A above) curving into the socket, a second contact portion (22, Fig. 2) opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion and between the pair of guide members (Fig. 5), and an intermediate portion (FIGURE A above) between the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the intermediate portion comprising a first section (FIGURE A above) joining the first contact portion, a second section (FIGURE A above) joining the second contact portion, and a third section joining the first section and the second section; and
a shielding member (40, Fig. 3) at least partially retained in a wall (FIGURE A above) of the base portion of the housing and extending at least from the first contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements to the second contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 2, the shielding member comprises a body (41, Fig. 4), and
a plurality of connection portions (413) extending from the body and towards respective ones (21, Fig. 5) of a plurality of ground terminals of the plurality of conductive elements.
Regarding claim 18, the plurality of conductive elements comprise a plurality of pairs of signal terminals and a plurality of ground terminals dispersed between the pairs (column 2, lines 14-17),
the shielding member comprises a body (42, Fig. 4), a plurality of first extensions (FIGURE B below) extending from the body and each disposed to overlap one pair of the plurality of pairs of signal terminals, and a plurality of second extensions (FIGURE B below) extending from the body and each disposed corresponding to one of the plurality of ground terminals (Fig. 5), and
the plurality of second extensions each comprises a slot (FIGURE B below) disposed to overlap a respective one of the plurality of ground terminals (Fig. 5).
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Regarding claim 19, Fig. 4 shows the shielding member comprises a plurality of connection portions (413) configured to make contact with portions (21, Fig. 5) of the plurality of ground terminals in the base portion of the housing.
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 10-16 and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Feng et al. (10,651,602).
Regarding claim 16, Xu discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board.
Feng et al., Figs. 2 and 3 show a first receiving portion (an upper, Fig. 3) and a second receiving portion (a lower 12, Fig. 2) extending from the base portion (pointed at 100) in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a printed circuit board (300, Fig. 3). It would be obvious to provide Xu to have a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board, as taught by Feng et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 10, a card edge connector, comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 3) comprising a base portion (12, Fig. 1) extending in a longitudinal direction and a socket (not labeled, Fig. 3) recessed into the base portion in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
a plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in a row extending in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of conductive elements each comprising a first contact portion (FIGURE A above) curving into the socket, a second contact portion (22, Fig. 2) opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion, and an intermediate portion (FIGURE A above) joining the first contact portion and the second contact portion;
a first shielding member (50a, Fig. 3) comprising a body (51 and 52, Fig. 3) at least partially enclosed in the base portion of the housing (Fig. 5); and a plurality of extensions (53, Fig. 3) extending from and transverse to the body and out of the base portion and closer to the second contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 2);
a second shielding member (40, Fig. 3) comprising a body (41, Fig. 4) at least partially held in the base portion (Fig. 5); and a plurality of extensions (42 of both sides, Fig. 4) extending from and transverse to the body and out of the base portion (Fig. 2); and
a third shielding member (50b, Fig. 3) disposed in the base portion (disposed in a part of the base portion, FIGURE C below) and electrically connected to the first shielding member and the second shielding member.
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Xu discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a second printed circuit board, and when the edges of the second printed circuit board are received in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, a portion of the second printed circuit board is disposed between the second contact portions of a first row and a second row.
Feng et al., Figs. 2 and 3 show a first receiving portion (an upper, Fig. 3) and a second receiving portion (a lower 12, Fig. 2) extending from the base portion (pointed at 100) in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a printed circuit board (300, Fig. 3); and when the edges of the second printed circuit board are received in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, a portion of the second printed circuit board is disposed between the second contact portions of a first row and a second row. It would be obvious to provide Xu to have a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board, as taught by Feng et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 11, Xu discloses the plurality of conductive elements are a first plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) disposed in the first row,
the card edge connector comprises a second plurality of conductive elements (20b, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in the second row in the longitudinal direction and separated from the first row by the socket, the second plurality of conductive elements each comprising (will have similar structure as the first conductive element as shown in FIGURE A above) a first contact portion curving into the socket, a second contact portion opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion, and an intermediate portion joining the first contact portion and the second contact portion (similar to the first conductive element), the second plurality of conductive elements comprising a plurality of pairs of signal terminals and a plurality of ground terminals dispersed between the pairs (column 2, lines 14-17),
the second shielding member is separated from the socket by the second plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 5), and
the plurality of extensions of the second shielding member extends closer to the second contact portions of the second plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, the second shielding member (40, Fig. 3) comprises a plurality of connection portions (414, Fig. 4), each of the plurality of connection portions extends from the body of the second shielding member towards a corresponding one ground terminal of the plurality of ground terminals and is electrically connected to the corresponding one ground terminal at an intermediate portions (FIGURE C above (no structures of the intermediate portions are disclosed)), and the plurality of connection portions of the second shielding member are offset from a plurality of connection portions (52, Fig. 3) of the first shielding member in the longitudinal direction.
Regarding claim 20, Xu discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a first printed circuit board inserted into the socket of the electrical connector, the first printed circuit board comprising a first plurality of contact pads configured to make contact with the first contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements.
Feng et al., Fig. 1 shows a first printed circuit board (200) inserted into the socket of the electrical connector, the first printed circuit board comprising a first plurality of contact pads configured to make contact with the first contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements. It would have been obvious to provide Xu to have a first printed circuit board inserted into the socket of the electrical connector, the first printed circuit board comprising a first plurality of contact pads configured to make contact with the first contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements, as taught by Feng et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 10, a card edge connector, comprising:
a housing (10, Fig. 3) comprising a base portion (12, Fig. 1) extending in a longitudinal direction and a socket (not labeled, Fig. 3) recessed into the base portion in a mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
a plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in a row extending in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of conductive elements each comprising a first contact portion (FIGURE A above) curving into the socket, a second contact portion (22, Fig. 2) opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion, and an intermediate portion (FIGURE A above) joining the first contact portion and the second contact portion;
a first shielding member (50a, Fig. 3) comprising a body (51 and 52, Fig. 3) at least partially enclosed in the base portion of the housing (Fig. 5); and a plurality of extensions (53, Fig. 3) extending from and transverse to the body and out of the base portion and closer to the second contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 2);
a second shielding member (50b, Fig. 3) comprising a body at least partially held in the base portion (held in a part of the base portion, FIGURE C above); and a plurality of extensions (53, Fig. 3) extending from and transverse to the body and out of the base portion (Fig. 2); and
a third shielding member (40, Fig. 3) disposed in the base portion (Fig. 5) and electrically connected to the first shielding member and the second shielding member.
Xu discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a second printed circuit board, and when the edges of the second printed circuit board are received in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, a portion of the second printed circuit board is disposed between the second contact portions of a first row and a second row.
Feng et al., Figs. 2 and 3 show a first receiving portion (an upper, Fig. 3) and a second receiving portion (a lower 12, Fig. 2) extending from the base portion (pointed at 100) in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a printed circuit board (300, Fig. 3); and when the edges of the second printed circuit board are received in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, a portion of the second printed circuit board is disposed between the second contact portions of a first row and a second row. It would be obvious to provide Xu to have a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board, as taught by Feng et al. for better connection.
Regarding claim 11, Xu discloses the plurality of conductive elements are a first plurality of conductive elements (20a, Fig. 2) disposed in the first row,
the card edge connector comprises a second plurality of conductive elements (20b, Fig. 2) held in the housing and disposed in the second row in the longitudinal direction and separated from the first row by the socket, the second plurality of conductive elements each comprising (will have similar structure as the first conductive element as shown in FIGURE A above) a first contact portion curving into the socket, a second contact portion opposite the first contact portion and disposed outside the base portion, and an intermediate portion joining the first contact portion and the second contact portion (similar to the first conductive element), the second plurality of conductive elements comprising a plurality of pairs of signal terminals and a plurality of ground terminals dispersed between the pairs (column 2, lines 14-17),
the second shielding member is separated from the socket by the second plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 5), and
the plurality of extensions of the second shielding member extends closer to the second contact portions of the second plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, Xu discloses the third shielding member (40, Fig. 3) is disposed between the first row and the second row (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 14, Xu discloses the third shielding member is made of a lossy material.
Regarding claim 15, FIGURE C above shows the third shielding member is electrically connected to the plurality of ground terminals at intermediate portions.
Regarding claim 16, Xu discloses the claimed invention as described above except for a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board.
Feng et al., Figs. 2 and 3 show a first receiving portion (an upper, Fig. 3) and a second receiving portion (a lower 12, Fig. 2) extending from the base portion (pointed at 100) in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive edges of a printed circuit board (300, Fig. 3). It would be obvious to provide Xu to have a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion extending from the base portion in the mating direction and at opposite ends of the base portion, respectively, the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are configured to guide, receive and/or retain edges of a printed circuit board, as taught by Feng et al. for better connection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 and 9-20 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
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 03/30/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
Prosecution Insights