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 .
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.
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 1-5 & 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ikegami (US 2022/0320800).
Regarding Claim 1, Ikegami discloses a contact guiding device [10] for being contacted with at least one electric contact [50], the contact guiding device [10] (FIG. 2-4) comprising:
a mounting frame [20] (FIG. 2-4);
a chip module [30] comprising a substrate [31] connected with the mounting frame [20 – as shown in FIG. 2], and at least one terminal [32 a] mounted to the substrate [31] (FIG. 6A-6B, ¶ [0045]); and
a guiding structure [32] provided at the mounting frame [20] or the terminal [32 a] for guiding the electric contact [50] into contact with the terminal [32 a] when the terminal approaches the electric contact [50] (FIG. 11, ¶ [0092]; The pair of pullout-preventing portions 55 b of each of the contacts 50 is located immediately above the corresponding one of the pullout prevention target portions 32 a of the second insulator 30).
Regarding Claim 2, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the guiding structure [32] comprises at least one guide groove [32s are shown as “grooves”] provided at the mounting frame [20] (FIG. 11);
the guide groove includes a groove body [32 is a “groove body” for 55 c], into which the terminal extends [32a], and an opening having a wide end [“wide end” by on the surface of 33] facing the electric contact [50], and a narrow end [“narrow end” below 33] connected with the groove body [32] (FIG. 11).
Regarding Claim 3, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 2 [see rejected Claim 2],
wherein the opening of the guide groove [32] has a width gradually reduced from the wide end [starting at the top of 32] to the narrow end in a continuous or stepwise manner [below the top to the bottom of 32] (FIG. 11 shows the recited claim from top to bottom. ¶ [0045]; The base 31 of the second insulator 30 includes first accommodating portions 32, which are arranged in two rows lying side by side in the front-and-rear direction).
Regarding Claim 4, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the guiding structure [32] comprises a left branch extending leftward [left side branch of 32 on the left arrow pointing for 32] from an end edge of the terminal [55c], and a right branch [right side branch of 32 on the left arrow pointing for 32] extending rightward from the end edge of the terminal [55c] in a way that a distance between the left branch and the right branch increases in a direction away from the end edge of the terminal (FIG. 11. ¶ [0045]; The base 31 of the second insulator 30 includes first accommodating portions 32, which are arranged in two rows lying side by side in the front-and-rear direction).
Regarding Claim 5, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 4 (see rejected Claim 4),
wherein the distance between the left branch and the right branch gradually increases in the direction away from the end edge of the terminal in a continuous or stepwise manner (FIG. 11 shows the recited claims from the shown element 32 on the left side and right side. Also refer to rejected Claim 4).
Regarding Claim 9, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the mounting frame [20] comprises a receiving groove [32] accommodating the substrate of the chip module [30] (FIG. 1-3, [0028]; The circuit board CB may be a rigid substrate or any other desired circuit board, such as a flexible printed circuit board).
Regarding Claim 10, Ikegami discloses the contact guiding device as claimed in claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the contact guiding device [10] is provided at a toner cartridge, and the electric contact [50] is provided at an electronic image-forming apparatus (¶ [0133]; Still alternatively, the electronic device may be an information device, such as a personal computer, a copier, a printer, a fax machine, or a multifunction peripheral).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okhikawa (US 2015/0118890) discloses a communication connector arranged on an image-forming apparatus body to provide communications with an information storage device including a guide portion and installed on a detachable device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH ORTEGA whose telephone number is (469)295-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TULSIDAS C. PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH ORTEGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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