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 § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 4-19 and 89-92 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Sciarretta et al. (WO 00/04604) in view of Richmond, II et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0007132). Regarding Claims 1, 4-7, 16 and 89-91, Sciarretta discloses an electrical connector (100) comprising: a connector housing (104) including a connector base (128); and a first conductor (134) that is carried by the connector housing and that includes a compression end (160).
Sciarretta discloses substantially the claimed invention except for the connector base defining at least one aligner, other than a connector fastener hole, that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial to properly align the electrical connector on a mounting surface of a substrate.
Richmond, II teaches a similar electrical connector comprising a connector base (110) defining at least one aligner (132), other than a connector fastener hole (where 124 is inserted), that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial (130) to properly align the electrical connector on a mounting surface (Fig. 15) of a substrate (26); the at least one aligner being an open-ended notch, a closed notch, a cutout, or a hole (Paragraph 0053) in the connector base, the connector base defines at least two aligners (Fig. 13B), neither of which is the connector fastener hole, that are each configured to cooperate with the corresponding fiducial to properly align the electrical connector on the mounting surface of the substrate, the at least two aligners being positioned only on a first side (Fig. 15) of the connector base, only on a second side (Fig. 15) of the connector base, or on both the first and the second sides of the connector base, each of the at least two aligners being any one of an open-ended notch, a closed notch, a cutout, or a hole (Paragraph 0053) in the connector base, the at least one aligner includes first and second aligners (Paragraph 0053); and the first and the second aligners are located on opposite sides (Fig. 15) of an X-axis extending along a length of the connector base and/or a Y-axis (Fig. 15) extending along a width of the connector based, the at least one aligner is a recess, a concavity, a protrusion, or a cavity (Paragraph 0053) in the connector base, each of the at least two aligners (Paragraph 0053) is any one of a recess, a concavity, a protrusion, or a cavity (Paragraph 0053) in the connector base.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the electrical connector of Sciarretta by including the connector base defining at least one aligner, other than a connector fastener hole, that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial to properly align the electrical connector on a mounting surface of a substrate as taught in Richmond, II in order to facilitate the alignment of the assembly.
Regarding Claim 8, Sciarretta discloses the connector base defining a grounding ring (146) on a second base side of the connector base, and the grounding ring has a first material thickness (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 9, Sciarretta discloses the first material thickness being less than a second material (122) thickness of either a second part configured to be positioned on or removably positioned on a substrate (108) or an exposed ground plane (122) positioned on a substrate (108) that is configured to electrically connect, physically connect, or both electrically and physically connect to the grounding ring.
Regarding Claim 10, Sciarretta discloses a substrate (108), and wherein the first material thickness being less than a second material (122) thickness of either a second part positioned on or removably positioned on the substrate or an exposed ground plane (122) positioned on the substrate.
Regarding Claim 11, Sciarretta discloses the first conductor including a coaxial or RF compression conductor (134).
Regarding Claim 12, Sciarretta discloses the compression end including a separate elastomeric material (154).
Regarding Claim 13, Sciarretta discloses the compression end including a fuzz button (154).
Regarding Claim 14, Sciarretta discloses the connector housing including an electrically conductive material (140).
Regarding Claim 15, Sciarretta discloses the first conductor including an electrically conductive material (134).
Regarding Claim 17, Sciarretta discloses a vertically mounted RF compression connector (100) comprising: the electrical connector; a grounding ring (146) carried by a second base side of the connector base.
Regarding Claim 18, Sciarretta discloses the compression end including a pogo pin (256).
Regarding Claim 19, Sciarretta discloses the compression end including a fuzz button (154).
Regarding Claim 92, Sciarretta discloses an electrical connector (100) comprising: a connector housing (104) including a connector base (128); and a first conductor (134) that is carried by the connector housing and that includes a compression end (160) and a corresponding signal pad (122).
Sciarretta discloses substantially the claimed invention except for wherein the connector base defines at least one aligner, other than a connector fastener hole, that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial to properly align the first conductor with the corresponding signal pad.
Richmond, II teaches a similar electrical connector comprising a connector base (110) defines at least one aligner (132), other than a connector fastener hole (where 124 is inserted), that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial (130) to properly align a first conductor (118.2) with a corresponding signal conductor (120).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the electrical connector of Sciarretta by including the connector base defines at least one aligner, other than a connector fastener hole, that is configured to cooperate with a corresponding fiducial to properly align the first conductor as taught in Richmond, II in order to facilitate the alignment of the assembly.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses electrical connectors, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having housings, conductors, aligners and fasteners.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833