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 .
Drawing Objections
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the cross sectional shape of the tails and openings; nor the openings of the third conductor; nor the notches (very poorly shown) and protrusions; nor the reference numeral of the second slot; nor the reference numeral of the power tap off interface; nor the registration feature; must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gieski et al 12,176,637 in view of Avitia et al 2007/0184688.
Regarding claim 1, Gieski et al (Figure 7A) substantially discloses the claimed invention, including a power connector comprising a terminal, the terminal comprising: a first conductor (rightmost 822) comprising one or more tails 882; and a second conductor (combination of leftmost 822 and the circuit board (not shown) into which tails 882 are inserted) comprising one or more openings (circuit board vias). Avitia et al (Figures 5 and 6) discloses a cross sectional shape of the one or more tails 90 and a shape of the one or more openings (vias of board 38) are different; and the one or more tails pass through and engage the one or more openings such that the first and second conductors are electrically coupled, and to provide Gieski et al with same thus would have been obvious, for good electrical contact.
Regarding claim 2, Gieski et al discloses the first conductor further comprises a first (upper) mating contact portion 822; the second conductor further comprises a second mating contact portion 812; and the one or more tails, the first mating contact portion, and the second mating contact portion are electrically connected (via the circuit board).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Avitia et al discloses the cross sectional shape of the one or more tails 90 is rectangular and the cross sectional shape of the one or more openings of circuit board 38 is circular; and the one or more tails and the one or more openings are sized to make an interference fit between each of the one or more tails and a respective opening of the one or more openings.
Regarding claim 12, Gieski et al (Figure 4) substantially discloses the claimed invention, including a power connector, the power connector comprising: a housing comprising a first slot (receiving board 470), a second slot (receiving 436) and a mounting face (seated on board 480). Gieski et al (as modified by Avitia et al) are further applied as above.
Regarding claim 13, Gieski et al discloses the second slot comprises a card edge connector mating interface.
Regarding claim 14, Gieski et al (as modified by Avitia et al) are further applied as above.
Regarding claim 15, Gieski et al discloses the plurality of second conductors comprise alignment features (leftmost tails 82) that engage with one another to align the one or more openings (circuit board vias (not shown)) in each of the plurality of second conductors.
Regarding claim 16, Avitia et al discloses the one or more tails and the one or more openings are configured to fit together via an interference fit, as noted above.
Regarding claim 17, Gieski et al discloses the first slot is orthogonal to the second slot.
Claims Defining Over Prior Art
Claims 18-30 are allowed.
Claims 4-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches a third conductor comprising one or more openings aligned with the one or more openings of the second conductor; and the one or more tails pass through and engage the one or more openings of the third conductor such that the first, second and third conductors are electrically coupled; nor the first and second terminal assemblies as recited, wherein the tails of the plurality of first conductive members pass through respective holes of the plurality of second conductive members, making an electrical connection between the plurality of first conductive members and the plurality of second conductive members; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834