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 § 112
Claims 25-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 25, what is a difference between “a plurality of slots” in claim 1, line 5 and “one or more apertures” in claim 25?
Claim 26, what is a difference between “a plurality of slots” in claim 11, line 5 and “one or more apertures” in claim 26?
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, 4-5, 7-8, 10-16 and 25-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohtani et al. (9,653,853).
Regarding claims 1, 11 and 16, Ohtani et al. disclose a connector assembly comprising:
a housing (2 and 5, Fig. 3) comprising an inner wall (FIGURE A below (from Fig. 2)) and an abutment surface (FIGURE A below) protruding from the inner wall toward a center of the housing; and
a terminal assembly (4, Fig. 3) received within the housing, the terminal assembly comprising:
an adapter plate (43, Fig. 4) comprising a plurality of slots, the adapter plate configurable in a first configuration and a second configuration based on an electrical loading threshold a maximum loading threshold of an application of the connector assembly;
one or more terminals (41, Fig. 5) positionable within the plurality of slots of the adapter plate, the one or more terminals comprising:
a blade extending from a first side of the adapter plate; and one or more pins (41, Fig. 2) extending outward from a second side of the adapter plate opposite the first side;
wherein the one or more terminals positionable in a first subset of the plurality of slots to provide the first configuration, and positionable in a second subset of the plurality of slots to provide the second configuration, wherein the first and second configurations differ by at least one of terminal count or terminal size, based on the electrical loading threshold (Figs. 5 and 7); and
wherein the terminal assembly is selectively coupled between a connected position and an unconnected position, and wherein the terminal assembly abuts the abutment surface of the inner wall of the housing when the terminal assembly is in the connected position to fix the terminal assembly relative to the housing in at least one direction (FIGURE A below or Fig. 2).
PNG
media_image1.png
380
453
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Fig. 3 shows the adapter plate is configured to secure the one or more terminals in a rigid orientation to prohibit rotational movement of the one or more terminals within the adapter plate.
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Fig. 2 shows a printed circuit board (3) received within the housing (2) opposite the terminal assembly and comprising one or more apertures (31) positioned therein; wherein the one or more pins are coupled to the printed circuit board through the one or more apertures to permit a flow of energy from the blade through the one or more pins to the printed circuit board.
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 2 shows the one or more pins are spaced apart by a first distance, and wherein the one or more apertures are spaced apart by the first distance.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 2 shows the one or more pins and the one or more apertures are aligned along a contact plane.
Regarding claim 10, Fig. 5 shows the plurality of slots are arranged in a grid pattern.
Regarding claim 14, Fig. 2 shows the one or more apertures are spaced apart at a first distance and the one or more pins are spaced apart at the first distance.
Regarding claim 15, Fig. 2 shows the one or more pins and the one or more apertures are aligned along a contact plane.
Regarding claims 25-26, Fig. 2 shows in the connected position, one or more apertures of the adapter plate are configured to receive the one or more pins.
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohtani et al. in view of Kocher (5,630,720).
Regarding claim 9, Ohtani et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for the one or more terminals comprises at least one of a first terminal having a single pin, a second terminal having four pins.
Kocher, Fig. 5 shows the one or more terminals comprises at least one of a first terminal (70) having a single pin, a second terminal (10) having four pins. It would have been obvious to modify Ohtani et al to have the one or more terminals comprises at least one of a first terminal having a single pin, a second terminal having four pins, as taught by Kocher for better connection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 19 is allowed.
Claims 6 and 22-24 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 with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-5, 7-16 and 25-26 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 THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 05/14/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
Prosecution Insights