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 § 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 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lemke et al. (6,325,644).
With regard to claim 8, Lemke teaches, as shown in figures 6 and 33 and taught in column 10 lines 17-48: “A connector receptacle (receptacle using contacts 526 and 528) comprising: a housing (housing described in column 10 lines 17-48) forming a passage (where the contacts 526 and 528 are disposed in the housing described in column 10 lines 17-48); a plurality of contacts 526 and 528 supported by the housing, each of the plurality of contacts having a first region 532 coated with a non-solderable coating; and a plurality of solder tips (100 attached to 536, as shown in figures 6 and 33 and taught in column 9 lines 13-17), each solder tip attached to an end 536 a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts, each solder tip formed of a volume of solder 100 (column 9 lines 13-17 teaches the contacts being used with connectors similar to those shown in figure 6)”.
Lemke does not teach: “wherein the first region extends from at least a surface of the solder tip a distance away from the solder tip”. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the size of and extend the non-solderable coating region to extend from the top of the solder tip 536 to the contact engagement area 532 in order to prevent solder from extending past the solder tip. Also, a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
With regard to claim 9, Lemke teaches: “The connector receptacle of claim 8”, as shown above.
Lemke, as modified above and shown in figures 6 and 33 and taught in column 10 lines 17-48: “wherein for each contact in the plurality of contacts, the first region 532 extends from within the solder tip 536 a distance away from the solder tip 536”.
With regard to claim 10, Lemke teaches: “The connector receptacle of claim 8”, as shown above.
Lemke does not specifically teach: “wherein for each contact in the plurality of contacts, when a temperature of the solder in the solder tip exceeds its melting temperature, the solder of the solder tip moves away from the first region”. However, Lemke, as modified above, if disposed as shown in figure 33, would cause the solder to move away from the first region when the solder exceeds the melting temperature.
With regard to claim 11, Lemke teaches: “The connector receptacle of claim 8”, as shown above.
Lemke does not teach: “wherein the connector receptacle is one of a plurality of connector receptacles in a frame, wherein the frame is located in an electronic device”. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the connector receptacle with other connector receptacles located in a frame of an electronic device in order to use the connector in a device receiving multiple electronic ports.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lemke et al. (6,325,644) in view of Zhang et al. (CN114628940A).
With regard to claim 12, Lemke teaches: “The connector receptacle of claim 11”, as shown above.
Lemke does not teach: “wherein the plurality of contacts are supported by a tongue, and the tongue is supported by the housing”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Zhang teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 2 lines 2-3 of the translation: “wherein the plurality of contacts 32 are supported by a tongue (portion of 31 shown protruding from 21 in figure 1), and the tongue is supported by the housing 31”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Zhang with the invention of Lemke in order to use the features of Lemke with a different connector type (Zhang, translation page 2 lines 2-3).
With regard to claim 13, Lemke as modified by Zhang teaches: “The connector receptacle of claim 12”, as shown above.
Zhang also teaches, as shown in figures 1-4 and taught on page 2 lines 2-3 of the translation: “wherein the connector receptacle (shown in figure 1) is a Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector receptacle”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Zhang with the invention of Lemke as modified by Zhang in order to use the features of Lemke with a different connector type (Zhang, translation page 2 lines 2-3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/2/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. With regard to claim 8, the Applicant argues that the cited reference Lemke does not teach “a plurality of solder tips, each solder tip attached to an end of a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts, each solder tip formed of a volume of solder”. The Examiner respectfully disagrees, since the previously cited solder tip would just be “an end of a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts” with the solder 100 of said end being the solder tip.
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
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