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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1, 8, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liao US 11108183 B2.
In reference to claim 1, Liao teaches an electrical connector (100; fig. 3) comprising: a housing (1) defining a first face (top surface of 1) and a second face (bottom surface of 1) opposite to the first face, plural grooves (10; fig. 4) through the first face and the second face in an upper-lower direction, and plural positioning slots (101; fig. 4) corresponding to the grooves; and a plurality of terminals (2; fig. 3) arranged in a matrix and retained in the housing, each terminal comprising a main portion (20), a first elastic arm (top 23; fig. 3) extending toward the first face (i.e. extending towards 13; fig. 1, which is a part of the top surface of 1) from the main portion, and a connecting portion (bottom 23; fig. 3) extending towards the second face (i.e. extending towards 13; fig. 2, which is a part of the bottom surface of 1) from the main portion, the first elastic arm defining a first contact portion (233) protruding beyond the first face; wherein the main portions are received in the positioning slots (101), the housing defines a resisting portion (A; shown in the illustration below ) at the first face near each positioning slot, and the resisting portions restrict the main portions from moving toward the first face of the housing.
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In reference to claim 8, Liao teaches wherein the positioning slot (101) defines a bottom inside (i.e. the sidewall portion of 101), and the main portion sits on the bottom inside of the positioning slot.
In reference to claim 9, Liao teaches a method of making an electrical connector (100; fig. 3), comprising: providing a housing (1) having opposite first (top surface of 1) and second faces (bottom surface of 1), a plurality of grooves (10; fig. 4) through the first and second faces, and plural positioning slots (101; fig. 4) corresponding to the grooves and opening to the first face; providing a plurality of terminals (2; fig. 3) each having a main portion (20; fig. 3), a first elastic arm (top 23; fig. 3) with a first contact portion (233) extending toward the first face (i.e. extending towards 13; fig. 1, which is a part of the top surface of 1), and a connecting portion (bottom 23; fig. 3) extending toward the second face (i.e. extending towards 13; fig. 2, which is a part of the bottom surface of 1); installing the main portions of the terminals into the positioning slots; forming a resisting portion (A; shown in the illustration below) from the housing to cover on the main portion for restricting a movement of the main portion toward the first face.
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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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 7, 16, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Liao US 11108183 B2 or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Liao in view of JP 3428757 B2 (herein JP757).
In reference to claim 7, Liao the main portion defines a cutting face (upper distal end of 240; fig. 3), and the resisting portion (A) covers the cutting face.
Should the 102(a)(1) rejection of claim 7 be at issue, JP757 teaches main portion defines a cutting face (23; fig. 6), which is formed by cutting the terminal from a reel. Using the teachings of JP757 to modify Liao to arrive at the results of claim 7 is seen as an obvious modification.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of JP757 in order to allow the terminals to be organized and separated during assembly.
In reference to claim 16, Liao teaches an electrical connector (100; fig. 1) comprising: a housing (1) having opposite first face (top surface of 1) and second face (bottom surface of 1), plural grooves (10) through the first face and the second face in an upper-lower direction, and plural positioning slots (101; fig. 4) corresponding to the grooves; and a plurality of terminals (2; fig. 3) retained in the housing, each terminal comprising a main portion (20; fig. 3) which defines two top cutting faces (upper distal end of 240); a first elastic arm (23) extending toward the first face (i.e. extending towards 13; fig. 1, which is a part of the top surface of 1) from the main portion, and the first elastic arm defining a first contact portion (233; fig. 3) protruding beyond the first face; wherein the main portions are received in the positioning slots one by one, the housing defines plural resisting portions (A; shown in the illustration below) at the first face near to the positioning slots, and the resisting portions press against the top cutting faces of the main portions, thereby restricting the main portions from moving toward the first face of the housing.
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Should the 102(a)(1) rejection of claim 16 be at issue, JP757 teaches a cutting faces (23; fig. 6), which are formed by cutting the terminal from a reel. Using the teachings of JP757 to modify Liao to arrive at the results of claim 16 is seen as an obvious modification.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of JP757 in order to allow the terminals to be organized and separated during assembly.
In reference to claim 20, Liao teaches wherein the two top cutting faces are at two sides of the first elastic arm respectively.
Should the 102(a)(1) rejection of claim 20 be at issue, JP757 teaches a cutting faces (23; fig. 6), which are formed by cutting the terminal from a reel. Using the teachings of JP757 to modify Liao to arrive at the results of claim 20 is seen as an obvious modification.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of JP757 in order to allow the terminals to be organized and separated during assembly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 10-15, 17-19 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 TRAVIS SLOAN CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A 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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/TRAVIS S CHAMBERS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/04/2026