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 § 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 21 and 23-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (CN111342309A).
With regard to claim 21, Xu teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 2 lines 6-11 and page 3 last line - page 4 line 4 of the translation: “A shield of a connector system, comprising: an outer contact (outer shell of the plug connector taught on age 2 lines 6-11 of the translation); and a diecast 3 and 5 disposed around the outer contact, the diecast has a first diecast half 3 and a second diecast half 5 that are attached together around the outer contact and connected to the outer contact in a terminated position (where 3 and 5 are positioned in figure 1) of the diecast, the first diecast half 3 has a first bottoming surface (upper-left surface of 3 facing out of figure 3) and a first termination portion (where 3 contacts 5 in figure 1) on a first side of the first diecast half 3, the first termination portion has an arm 33 extending from the first bottoming surface of the first diecast half 3 and a first ledge (between where 32 and 34 are formed in figure 3) adjacent to the first bottoming surface, the second diecast half 5 has a second bottoming surface (surface of 5 facing out of figure 2) and a second termination portion (where 5 contacts 3 in figure 1) on a second side of the second diecast half 5, the second termination portion has a second ledge (between where 52 and 54 are formed in figure 2) adjacent to the second bottoming surface and an arm passageway 53 extending through the second bottoming surface and the second side of the second diecast half 5, the arm 33 extends through the arm passageway 53 in the terminated position, an end of the arm 33 is plastically deformed to an expanded dimension to attach the first diecast half 3 to the second diecast half 5 in the terminated position, the first ledge and the second ledge are spaced apart in the terminated position in which the first bottoming surface abuts the second bottoming surface”.
With regard to claim 23, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 21”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the end (bottom half of 33 in figure 3) of the arm 33 has an at least partially concave shape (formed above the tip of 33 in figure 3) prior to the plastic deformation”.
With regard to claim 24, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 21”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein the first diecast half 3 and the second diecast half 5 are identical”.
With regard to claim 25, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 24”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein the first diecast half 3 and the second diecast half 5 are attachable around the outer contact in a hermaphroditic manner (page 4 lines 36-38 teach the first and second diecast halves being attachable in a hermaphroditic manner)”.
With regard to claim 26, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 21”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein the first diecast half 3 has another second termination portion 32 identical to the second termination portion 53 of the second diecast half 5 on a second side of the first diecast half 3 (page 4 lines 36-38 teach the first and second diecast halves being identical and so those structures would be identical)”.
With regard to claim 27, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 26”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein the second diecast half 5 has another first termination portion 52 identical to the first termination portion 33 of the first diecast half 3 on a first side of the second diecast half 5 (page 4 lines 36-38 teach the first and second diecast halves being identical and so those structures would be identical)”.
With regard to claim 28, Xu teaches: “The shield of claim 27”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein an arm 52 of the another first termination portion 52 extends through an arm passageway 32 of the another second termination portion 32 in the terminated position and is plastically deformed to attach the first diecast half 3 to the second diecast half 5”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-4 and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (CN111342309A) in view of Droesbeke et al. (11,362,466).
With regard to claim 1, Xu teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 2 lines 6-11 and page 3 last line - page 4 line 4 of the translation: “A shield of a connector system, comprising: an outer contact (outer shell of the plug connector taught on age 2 lines 6-11 of the translation); and a diecast 3 and 5 disposed around the outer contact, the diecast has a first diecast half 3 and a second diecast half 5 that are attached together around the outer contact in a terminated position (where 3 and 5 are positioned in figure 1) of the diecast… a first bottoming surface (upper-left surface of 3 facing out of figure 3) of the first diecast half 3 abuts a second bottoming surface (surface of 5 facing out of figure 2) of the second diecast half 5 in the terminated position”.
Xu does not teach: “the first diecast half and the second diecast half deform a beam of the outer contact between the first diecast half and the second diecast half in the terminated position”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Droesbeke teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 deform a beam 70 of the outer contact 30 and 32 between the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 in the terminated position (shown in figure 2B)”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to combine the features of Droesbeke with the invention of Xu in order to hold the outer contact portions together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32).
With regard to claim 2, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 1”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation: “wherein the first diecast half 3 and the second diecast half 5 are identical and can be attached around the outer contact in a plurality of different orientations (page 4 lines 36-38 of the translation teaches reorienting the first or second diecast halves to assume the position of the other half)”.
With regard to claim 3, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 1”, as shown above.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “wherein the first diecast half 56 has a first termination portion (upper portion of 56 in figure 2B) on a first side of the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 has a second termination portion (upper portion of 58 in figure 2B) on a second side of the second diecast half 58, the beam 70 of the outer contact 30 is deformed between the first termination portion and the second termination portion in the terminated position”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to combine the features of Droesbeke with the invention of Xu as modified by Droesbeke in order to hold the outer contact portions together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32).
With regard to claim 4, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 3”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the first termination portion has a first ledge (where 32 is formed in figure 3) positioned adjacent to the first bottoming surface of the first diecast half 3”.
With regard to claim 8, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 3”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the first termination portion (lower-left end of the first bottoming surface in figure 3) has an arm 33 extending from the first bottoming surface of the first diecast half 3”.
With regard to claim 9, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 8”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the second termination portion (upper-right portion of the second bottoming portion in figure 2) has an arm passageway 53 extending through the second bottoming surface and the second side of the second diecast half 5”.
With regard to claim 10, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 9”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the arm 33 is positioned to extend through the arm passageway 53 in the terminated position”.
With regard to claim 11, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 10”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein an end of the arm 33 is plastically deformed to an expanded dimension to attach the first diecast half 3 to the second diecast half 5 in the terminated position”.
With regard to claim 12, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 3”, as shown above.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “wherein the first termination portion and the second termination portion abut on opposite surfaces of the beam 70 and deform the beam 70”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to combine the features of Droesbeke with the invention of Xu as modified by Droesbeke in order to hold the outer contact portions together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32).
With regard to claim 13, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 1”, as shown above.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “wherein the beam 70 is one of a pair of beams 70 of the outer contact, the beams are positioned on a pair of opposite sides of the outer contact and are both deformed between the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 in the terminated position”.
With regard to claim 14, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 1”, as shown above.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “wherein the first bottoming surface (surface of 56 that contacts 58 in figure 2B) abuts the second bottoming surface (surface of 58 contacting 56 in figure 2B) in a lateral plane that extends approximately centrally through the beam 70”.
With regard to claim 15, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 1”, as shown above.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “wherein the beam 70 is positioned between a pair of openings (to the left and right of 70 in figure 2A) that extend through the outer contact”.
With regard to claim 16, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The shield of claim 3”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the first diecast half 3 has a keyway 32 extending into the first bottoming surface and the second diecast half 5 has a key 52 extending from the second bottoming surface and positioned in the keyway 32 in the terminated position”.
With regard to claim 17, Xu teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 2 lines 6-11 and page 3 last line - page 4 line 4 of the translation: “A connector system, comprising: a dielectric 21; and a shield (3, 5, and outer shell of the plug connector taught on age 2 lines 6-11 of the translation) disposed around the dielectric 21, the shield including an outer contact (outer shell of the plug connector taught on age 2 lines 6-11 of the translation) and a diecast 3 and 5 disposed around the outer contact, the diecast has a first diecast half 3 and a second diecast half 5 that are attached together around the outer contact in a terminated position (where 3 and 5 are positioned in figure 1) of the diecast… a first bottoming surface (upper-left surface of 3 facing out of figure 3) of the first diecast half 3 abuts a second bottoming surface (surface of 5 facing out of figure 2) of the second diecast half 5 in the terminated position”.
Xu does not teach: “the first diecast half and the second diecast half deform a beam of the outer contact between the first diecast half and the second diecast half in the terminated position”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Droesbeke teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 deform a beam 70 of the outer contact 30 and 32 between the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58 in the terminated position (shown in figure 2B)”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to combine the features of Droesbeke with the invention of Xu in order to hold the outer contact portions together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32).
With regard to claim 18, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The connector system of claim 17”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the first diecast half 3 and the second diecast half 5 each have a termination section (where 3 and 5 connect in figure 1) and a wire section (upper-right sections of 3 and 5 in figure 4) extending from the termination section”.
Droesbeke also teaches, as shown in figures 1-2B: “the beam 70 is deformed between the termination sections (upper portion of 56 and upper portion of 58 in figure 2B) of the first diecast half 56 and the second diecast half 58”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to combine the features of Droesbeke with the invention of Xu as modified by Droesbeke in order to hold the outer contact portions together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32).
With regard to claim 19, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The connector system of claim 18”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 3 lines 1-5 of the translation: “further comprising a plurality of inner contacts (contacts connected between plug connector 1 and cable 22, as taught on page 3 lines 1-5 of the translation) disposed in the dielectric 21 and a cable 22 extending through the shield into the dielectric 21 to electrically and mechanically connect with the inner contacts”.
With regard to claim 20, Xu as modified by Droesbeke teaches: “The connector system of claim 19”, as shown above.
Xu also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4: “wherein the cable 22 has a pair of wires (wires connected to the contacts described on page 3 lines 1-5 of the translation) in the wire sections of the first diecast half 3 and the second diecast half 5”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 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 filed 1/15/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. With regard to claim 21, the Applicant argues that the cited reference Xu does not teach the first termination portion has a first ledge positioned adjacent to the first bottoming surface of the first diecast half, since the first bottoming surface is flush with the first ledge and likewise the second bottoming surface with the second ledge. In response, the Examiner has amended the rejection of claim 21 to identify a ledges and bottoming surfaces that meet these limitations. With regard to claims 1 and 17, the Applicant argues that the cited diecast halves do not deform the cited beam. The Examiner respectfully disagrees, since Droesbeke teaches the diecast halves hold the outer contacts together (Droesbeke, column 6 lines 29-32) and the figures show the deformed beam held by the diecast halves.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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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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/JUSTIN M KRATT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831