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 (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)(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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kao et al. (2016/0156136).
With regard to claim 1, Kao teaches, as shown in figures 1-9 and taught in paragraph 4: “An electrical connector (shown in figure 1), comprising: a shell 40, 50, and 60 having an insertion space 100 and comprising an inner shell 42 and 52 and an outer shell 60, wherein the inner shell comprises two inner shell components 42 and 52, and another electrical connector (corresponding electrical connector described in paragraph 4) is adapted to be inserted into the insertion space 100 along an insertion axis (running from the lower-left to the upper right through the middle of 10 in figure 2); two insulating bodies (upper and lower halves of 10 in figure 3), respectively disposed on upper and lower external surfaces of the inner shell, sandwiching the inner shell in a vertical arrangement (as shown in figure 8); a plurality of terminals 20 arranged on the two insulating bodies along an alignment axis (running upper-left to lower-right in figure 3); and a grounding piece 30, sandwiched between the two inner shell components, wherein the grounding piece 30 includes a fixed portion 32, two first connecting portions (portions of 30 where 33 extends from in figure 3), two second connecting portions (portions of 30 opposite where 33 extends from in figure 3), two clamp arms 35, and two grounding legs 36, wherein the two first connecting portions respectively extend from the fixed portion 32 and extending directions of the two first connecting portions are opposite to each other, and the two second connecting portions respectively extend from the fixed portion 32 and extending directions of the two second connecting portions are opposite to each other, wherein the two clamp arms 35 respectively extend from the two first connecting portions towards the insertion space 100, the two grounding legs 36 respectively extend from the two second connecting portions, and an extending direction of each of the two clamp arms 35 is opposite to an extending direction of each of the two grounding legs 36”.
With regard to claim 2, Kao teaches: “The electrical connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kao also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9 and taught in paragraph 36: “wherein along the alignment axis, the plurality of terminals 20 are located between the two clamp arms 35, and the two clamp arms 35 respectively have clamp heads (upper-left ends of 35 in figure 4) to clamp the another electrical connector”.
With regard to claim 3, Kao teaches: “The electrical connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kao also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein the fixed portion 32, the two first connecting portions, and the two clamp arms 35 are connected to one another to form a U-shaped structure, and an opening of the U-shaped structure faces the insertion space 100”.
With regard to claim 4, Kao teaches: “The electrical connector according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kao also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein the fixed portion 32, the two second connecting portions, and the two grounding legs 36 are connected to one another to form an inverted U-shaped structure, and an opening of the inverted U-shaped structure faces away from the insertion space 100”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kao et al. (2016/0156136) in view of Kao et al. ‘9348 (2016/0149348).
With regard to claim 19, Kao teaches, as shown in figures 1-9 and taught in paragraph 4: “An electrical connector (shown in figure 1), comprising: a shell 60 having an insertion space 100 and comprising an insulative housing 10 and a metallic shell 60, wherein another electrical connector (corresponding electrical connector described in paragraph 4) is adapted to be inserted into the insertion space 100 along an insertion axis (running from the lower-left to the upper right through the middle of 10 in figure 2); a plurality of terminals 20 arranged on the insulative housing 10 along an alignment axis (running upper-left to lower-right in figure 3); and a grounding piece 30 located inside the insulative housing 10, wherein the grounding piece 30 includes a fixed portion 32, two first connecting portions (portions of 30 where 33 extend from in figure 3), two second connecting portions (portions of 30 opposite where 33 extends from in figure 3), two clamp arms 35, and two grounding legs 36, wherein the two first connecting portions respectively extend from the fixed portion 32 and extending directions of the two first connecting portions are opposite to each other, and the two second connecting portions respectively extend from the fixed portion 32 and extending directions of the two second connecting portions are opposite to each other, wherein the two clamp arms 35 respectively extend from the two first connecting portions towards the insertion space 100, the two grounding legs 36 respectively extend from the two second connecting portions, and an extending direction of each of the two clamp arms 35 is opposite to an extending direction of each of the two grounding legs 36”.
Kao does not teach: “wherein a portion of the terminals located between the metallic shell and the insulative housing extend along an exterior upper surface of the insulative housing and are inserted into the insulative housing through upper openings of the insulative housing, wherein another portion of the terminals located between the metallic shell and the insulative housing extend along an exterior lower surface of the insulative housing and are inserted into the insulative housing through lower openings of the insulative housing”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Kao ‘9348 teaches, as shown in figures 3-8: “wherein a portion (portion of the terminals 5 exposed to 4 in figure 5) of the terminals 5 and 8 located between the metallic shell 1 and the insulative housing D extend along an exterior upper surface of the insulative housing D and are inserted into the insulative housing D through upper openings (where 5 are inserted in to D in figure 5) of the insulative housing D, wherein another portion (portion of the terminals 8 exposed to 7 in figure 5) of the terminals 8 located between the metallic shell 1 and the insulative housing D extend along an exterior lower surface of the insulative housing D and are inserted into the insulative housing D through lower openings (where 8 are inserted in to D in figure 5) of the insulative housing D”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kao ‘9348 with the invention of Kao in order to be able to ground the shielding members to reduce electromagnetic interference (Kao ‘9348, paragraph 43).
With regard to claim 20, Kao as modified by Kao ‘9348 teaches: “The electrical connector according to claim 19”, as shown above.
Kao also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein the fixed portion 32, the two first connecting portions, and the two clamp arms 35 are connected to one another to form a U-shaped structure, and an opening of the U-shaped structure faces the insertion space 100, and wherein the fixed portion 32, the two second connecting portions, and the two grounding legs 36 are connected to one another to form an inverted U-shaped structure, and an opening of the inverted U-shaped structure faces away from the insertion space 100”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-18 are allowed.
Claims 5-10 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 filed 1/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. With regard to claim 1, the Applicant argues that the primary reference Kao does not teach the “two insulating bodies, respectively disposed on upper and lower external surfaces of the inner shell, sandwiching the inner shell in a vertical arrangement”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees, since figure 8 shows two surfaces of the inner shell sandwiched by the cited insulating bodies.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 19 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 JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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/JUSTIN M KRATT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831