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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/24/2026 has been entered.
Drawings
The drawings remain objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched. All members shown in cross section should be properly crosshatched.
None of the members shown in the sectional drawings, Figures 3 and 4, have cross-hatching. The metallic members and the insulative members, including the board, carrier, contact element, and all other applicable structures, should be appropriately cross-hatched.
Furthermore, Figure 3 purports to show an opening 11 for the latch member, but no opening is delineated. In addition, the board 1 is shown as a solid line cross through member 9, thus the boundaries of the board, opening, and carrier are not clearly shown.
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.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 11, the hook is recited as extending through latching openings. The hook, as shown and described, extends through a single opening, and it will be assumed that the claim requires a hook through a latching opening.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 – 2, 4, 10 – 12, 18 – 19, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0235527 (“Eisfeld”) in view of U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,253 (“Fries”) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,897 (“Paul”).
Regarding claim 1, Eisfeld discloses an appliance socket for electrically contacting a printed circuit board without solder,
wherein the appliance socket has a plug connector housing (4), a contact carrier (32), an insulation body (2) and at least one contact element (33),
wherein the contact element is arranged in the contact carrier (see Fig. 3a) and is substantially cylindrical (see Figs. 3a and 3b, and see the cylindrical openings 23 for the socket contacts 33),
wherein the contact element has a contact area (the portion of 33 at the top end) for electrically contacting a mating contact element of a mating plug connector, and a connection area (the portion of 33 at the lower end) for electrically connecting to a conductor track of the printed circuit board (5).
Eisfeld does not disclose the connection area of the contact element has an axial gap with a cross-shaped cross section forming a spring element.
However, Fries discloses a terminal for connection to a circuit board (see claim 1 of Fries) with a connection area (10), and the connection area has an axial gap (see 16 and the central open area between portions 6, Fig. 3) forming a spring element (the connection area flexes which means the connection area acts as a spring). It would have been obvious to provide an axial gap as taught by Fries in the connection area of the terminals of Eisfeld, because this allows for the connection area to have resilient press-fit portions which flex into the gap as the terminal is press-fit into a circuit board mounting hole, with the connection area then being securely held in the hole.
Furthermore, Eisfeld discloses the carrier 2 as engaging an opening of the printed circuit board through extended portion 25. Eisfeld does not disclose this portion as a latching hook lead through a latching opening.
However, Paul teaches a connector housing structure which engages a circuit board, with an engaging portion 22, portion 22 is a latching hook (see Fig. 1) lead through a latching opening (see col. 4, lns. 5 – 14). It would have been obvious to make the engaging portion a latching hook as taught by Paul, because this structure helps ensure the carrier stays engaged to the board.
Regarding claim 2, Eisfeld discloses wherein the appliance socket has a connection side (lower side) and a plug-in side (upper side), and in that the connection area of the contact element projects out of the appliance socket on the connection side (see Fig. 4a).
Regarding claims 3 and 18, as discussed, Fries teaches the connection region of the contact element has an axial gap with a cross-shaped cross section (see Fig. 3 and see the discussion in the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claims 4 and 19, Eisfeld discloses wherein the appliance socket has at least one further contact element (1), which is designed as a protection earth contact element (1 is an earth shield element, see the abstract).
Regarding claim 10, Eisfeld discloses wherein the at least one contact element (33) is straight (see Fig. 3a).
Regarding claim 11, Eisfeld discloses an electrical appliance having an appliance socket as claimed in claim 1 (see above), wherein the electrical appliance has a housing (See Fig. 5b) with an appliance wall (6) and at least one printed circuit board (5) arranged within the housing,
wherein the contact carrier of the appliance socket is fixed on the printed circuit board and is located within the housing of the electrical appliance (see Fig. 5b),
and wherein the plug connector housing (4) is arranged on the outer side of the appliance wall and is located outside the housing of the electrical appliance (see Fig. 5b).
Regarding claim 12, Eisfeld discloses wherein the printed circuit board and the appliance wall are aligned parallel to each other (see Fig. 5b).
Regarding claim 21, Fries further teaches wherein spring element may be bent radially outward to stabilize the contact (the spring elements are flexibly resilient, and thus are able to bend in a radially outward direction, for instance while mounted within the circuit board in response to vibration or misalignment of the terminal the members 6 will bend radially inward and outward as the terminal is displaced off-axis). It would have been obvious to have the spring element allow radial outward bending as taught by Fries because this allows the elements to evenly disperse pressure and maintain the terminal within the board as they pass through the board, are arranged within board, and during operation of the connector.
Claims 5 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisfeld in view of Fries and Paul, and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,700 (“Keglewitsch”).
Regarding claims 5 and 20, Eisfeld does not disclose wherein the contact carrier has a latch which is configured to be mechanically fixed on the printed circuit board. However, Keglewitsch teaches including a latch member 24 to mechanically fix a contact carrier housing 31 on a circuit board 27. It would have been obvious to include a latch as taught by Keglewitsch, because this helps ensure that the housing structure holding the terminals is held in place on the circuit board.
Claims 6 – 9 and 13 – 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eisfeld in view of Fries and Paul, and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,416 (“Patwardhan”).
Regarding claims 6 – 7, 9, and 14¸ Eisfeld discloses the contacts 33 fixed to the carrier, but does not disclose wherein the contact carrier forms substantially cylindrical contact chambers, in each of which a contact element is arranged and mechanically fixed, and wherein the contact chambers have an inwardly directed radially circumferential web, and the web of the contact chamber is configured to engage in a groove of an associated contact element, by which the contact elements are fixed in the contact carrier.
However, Patwardhan teaches a contact carrier housing 24, in which cylindrical contacts 32/34/36 are fixed, where the carrier is molded to form substantially cylindrical contact chambers (see Fig. 3) in which the contacts are arranged and mechanically fixed, and wherein the contact chambers have an inwardly directed radially circumferential web (see the portion of 24 filling 102, Fig. 6), and the web of the contact chamber is configured to engage in a groove (102) of an associated contact element, by which the contact elements are fixed in the contact carrier (see Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to form the contact carrier of Eisfeld by molding and have the carrier mold around the terminals as taught by Patwardhan, because this ensures the terminals are securely located within the carrier.
Regarding claims 13 and 15, Eisfeld discloses wherein the at least one contact element (33) is straight (see Fig. 3a).
Regarding claims 8 and 16¸ Eisfeld discloses the contacts 33 fixed to the carrier, but does not disclose the contact element or contact elements has/have a radially circumferential groove, and the web of the contact chamber is configured to engage in the groove of an associated contact element, by which the contact elements are fixed in the contact carrier.
However, Patwardhan teaches a contact carrier housing 24, in which cylindrical contacts 32/34/36 are fixed, where the carrier is molded to form substantially cylindrical contact chambers (see Fig. 3) in which the contacts are arranged and mechanically fixed, wherein the contact element or contact elements has/have a radially circumferential groove (102), and the web of the contact chamber is configured to engage in the groove of an associated contact element (see 24 filling groove, Fig. 6), by which the contact elements are fixed in the contact carrier (see Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to form the contact carrier of Eisfeld by molding and have the carrier mold around the terminals as taught by Patwardhan, because this ensures the terminals are securely located within the carrier.
Regarding claim 17, Eisfeld discloses the contact element (33) is straight (Fig. 3a).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because they do not apply to the current rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/ Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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