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
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US 11,251,558).
Regarding claim 1: Lee teaches a connector (Fig. 1) comprising: a pin group (at 21; Fig. 1) having a plurality of contact pins 21 aligned in a predetermined direction (e.g. left to right direction; see Fig. 1); an alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) formed extending in the predetermined direction and having alignment grooves (e.g. channels/grooves that hold pins 21 form alignment grooves within to hold to pins 21; see Fig. 2) at opposite end portions of the alignment member (e.g. alignment grooves exist throughout the predetermined direction and therefore located on opposite ends of the alignment member; see Fig. 2) in a width direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction (e.g. width direction is a direction “into” the paper and perpendicular to the predetermined direction; see Fig. 2), the alignment grooves configured to align the plurality of contact pins 21 (see Fig. 2), the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) being molded from a resin and being a nonconductive member having no conductivity (see Col. 3, lines 54-56); and a conductive member 1 formed extending in the predetermined direction (e.g. left to right direction; see Fig. 2), coupled to the alignment member (see Fig. 1), and electrically connected to the contact pins 21 used for grounding (see Col. 4, lines 20-32), the conductive member 1 being molded from a resin and being a member having predetermined conductivity (see Fig. 2 and Col. 4, lines 20-32), wherein the alignment member includes any one of a first protrusion 22 and a first hole configured to accommodate the first protrusion in a center area in the predetermined direction (see Figs. 1-4), wherein the conductive member 1 includes the other of the first protrusion and the first hole 10 in the center area in the predetermined direction (see Figs. 1-4), and wherein the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) and the conductive member 1 are coupled to each other by the first protrusion being secured in the first hole (see Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 2: Lee teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) includes any one of a second protrusion (e.g. another protrusion 22; Fig. 2) and a second hole configured to accommodate the second protrusion in one end side area in the predetermined direction and includes any one of a third protrusion (e.g. another protrusion 22; Fig. 2) and a third hole configured to accommodate the third protrusion in the other end side area in the predetermined direction (see Figs. 1-4 for multiple holes and protrusions that connect with each other), wherein the conductive member 1 includes the other of the second protrusion and the second hole (e.g. another hole 10; Fig. 2) in one end side area in the predetermined direction and includes the other of the third protrusion and the third hole (e.g. another hole 10; Fig. 2) in the other end side area in the predetermined direction (Figs. 1-4), wherein the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) and the conductive member 1 are coupled to each other by the second protrusion being secured in the second hole and by the third protrusion being secured in the third hole (see Figs. 1-4), and wherein the second hole is longer than the second protrusion, and the third hole is longer than the third protrusion in the predetermined direction (e.g. the holes would be longer/larger than the protrusions; Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3: Lee teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) includes any one of a second protrusion 22 and a second hole configured to accommodate the second protrusion in one end side area in the predetermined direction and includes any one of a third protrusion 22 and a third hole configured to accommodate the third protrusion in the other end side area in the predetermined direction (see Fig. 2 for multiple ribs/protrusions), wherein the conductive member 1 includes the other of the second protrusion and the second hole 10 in one end side area in the predetermined direction and includes the other of the third protrusion and the third hole 10 in the other end side area in the predetermined direction (see Fig. 2 for multiple holes), wherein the first protrusion 22 includes a plurality of first ribs provided to at least four locations which are on one end side in the predetermined direction (see Fig. 2 for protrusion 22 having multiple surfaces), on the other end side in the predetermined direction, and on both end sides in the width direction and extending in a height direction of the first protrusion, wherein the second protrusion includes a plurality of second ribs provided in a different direction from the predetermined direction and extending in a height direction of the second protrusion, wherein the third protrusion includes a plurality of third ribs provided in a different direction from the predetermined direction and extending in a height direction of the third protrusion (see Fig. 2 for protrusions 22 having multiple rib/surfaces), and wherein the alignment member and the conductive member are coupled to each other by the first protrusion being press-fitted into the first hole, the second protrusion being press- fitted into the second hole, and the third protrusion being press-fitted into the third hole (see Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 4: Lee teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches further comprising a housing (e.g. “The at least one terminal block 2 is assembled in an accommodation space (not shown in the drawings) of a preset insulating housing (not shown in the drawings)”; Col. 3, lines 24-26) that holds the pin group (Fig. 1), wherein the alignment member includes a pair of first fixing parts (e.g. protrusions located along the wall of alignment member 2; seen in Fig. 1) protruding in the predetermined direction and fixed to the housing (e.g. protrusions would be fixed to the housing), wherein the conductive member 1 includes a pair of second fixing parts (e.g. protrusions located at ends of conductive member 1; see Fig. 2) protruding in the predetermined direction and fixed to the housing (e.g. protrusions would be fixed to the housing), wherein the pair of first fixing parts and the pair of second fixing parts are in contact with each other in a state where the alignment member is coupled to the conductive member (see Fig. 1), wherein the housing includes a pair of fixing grooves in which the pair of first fixing parts and the pair of second fixing parts are secured in a state where the alignment member is coupled to the conductive member (e.g. the housing would have grooves to accommodate the fixing parts of the conductive and alignment members), and wherein the alignment member and the conductive member are coupled to the housing by the pair of first fixing parts and the pair of second fixing parts being secured in the pair of fixing grooves (see Col. 3, lines 24-26).
Regarding claim 5: Huang teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) and the conductive member 1 are coupled to the housing by the pair of first fixing parts and the pair of second fixing parts being press-fitted into the pair of fixing grooves (see Col. 3, lines 24-26).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 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. Reference Lee (US 11,251,558) teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and specifically wherein an alignment member (at 2; Fig. 2) formed extending in the predetermined direction and having alignment grooves (e.g. channels/grooves that hold pins 21 form alignment grooves within to hold to pins 21; see Fig. 2) at opposite end portions of the alignment member (e.g. alignment grooves exist throughout the predetermined direction and therefore located on opposite ends of the alignment member; see Fig. 2) in a width direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction (e.g. width direction is a direction “into” the paper and perpendicular to the predetermined direction; see Fig. 2), the alignment grooves configured to align the plurality of contact pins 21 (see Fig. 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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