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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Phillips et al. (US 2022/0190516).
Regarding claim 1, Phillips et al. disclose a wire connector (102) for be mated with a board connector (104), comprising:
an insulating body (120) having an end surface (at 140);
at least one first connecting plate protruding outward from the end surface of the insulating body;
at least one second connecting plate protruding outward from the end surface of the insulating body; and
two side plate structures (132, 132) being respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the end surface of the insulating body and perpendicular to the end surface, wherein the two side plate structures are partially inserted into the insulating body.
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Regarding claim 2, Phillips et al. disclose two anti-tilt insertion structures extend from the two opposite sides of the end surface of the insulating body, respectively; and wherein the two side plate structures are disposed on one side or inside of the two anti-tilt insertion structures, respectively.
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Regarding claim 3, Phillips et al. disclose a part of each of the two side plate structures are exposed on the inside of one of the two anti-tilt insertion structures; wherein, when the wire connector is connected to a board connector, the two side plate structures are configured to be in contact with a metal shell of the board connector (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Phillips et al. disclose an exposed surface of the side plate structure is flush with a surface of the anti-tilt insertion structure (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Phillips et al. disclose each of the two opposite sides of the insulating body has an accommodating groove (154), each of the two side plate structures is detachably disposed in the accommodating groove, and a part of each of the two side plate structures is located in a corresponding one of the two anti-tilt insertion structures.
Regarding claim 6, Phillips et al. disclose an opening of the accommodating groove is located at a front end or a rear end of the insulating body, and each of the two side plate structures is configured to be placed into the accommodating groove from the front end or the rear end of the insulating body.
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Regarding claim 7, Phillips et al. disclose comprising a cover body (126) that is detachably disposed on the rear end of the insulating body.
Regarding claim 8, Phillips et al. disclose each of the two side plate structures is a metal structure.
Regarding claim 9, Phillips et al. disclose the two side plate structures are perpendicular to the at least one first connecting plate and the at least one second connecting plate.
Regarding claim 10, Phillips et al. disclose each of the two side plate structures includes a structural body (204) and at least one engaging portion (200), wherein the structural body is a plate-like structure, and the at least one engaging portion is connected to the structural body, and wherein each of the two opposite sides of the insulating body has an accommodating groove (154), and the at least one engaging portion of each of the two side plate structures is disposed in the accommodating groove.
Regarding claim 11, Phillips et al. disclose each of the two opposite sides of the insulating body has an accommodating groove (154), and each of the two side plate structures is partially inserted into the accommodating groove.
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 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillips et al. (US 2022/0190516) in view of Ko (US 7,189,121).
Phillips et al. disclose the at least one first connecting plate has a plurality of first fingers and the at least one second connecting plate has a plurality of second fingers, wherein a quantity of the first fingers is different from a quantity of the second fingers.
Phillips et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the fingers is a gold finger and wherein a width of at least one of the first gold fingers is different from a width of at least one of the second gold fingers.
Ko teaches gold fingers (11).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide gold fingers into Phillips’s connector, as taught by Ko for minimizing resistance.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to change the width of at least one of the first gold fingers is different from the width of at least one of the second gold fingers, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. 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).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2011. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday (7-4).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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