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
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 1-2, 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rudy (US 4,735,583), in view of Hisamatsu (US 2003/0148647).
Regarding claim 1: Rudy teaches a small-sized connector 210 convenient for dismounting and mounting (see Figs. 8-9), the connector 210 being inserted and received in a female socket 150 of a PCB board 202 (see Fig. 2), comprising: a connector housing (at 20; Fig. 5) inserted and received in the female socket (see Figs. 3-9); two elastic clamping plates 70, wherein the two elastic clamping plates 70 are symmetrically mounted on both sides of the connector housing (see Figs. 4-5), first ends (below 84; Fig. 6) of the two elastic clamping plates 70 are each provided with a clamping hole 100 (see Fig. 6), and the female socket 150 is provided with a clamping boss 152 clamped with the clamping hole (see Fig. 9).
Rudy does not explicitly teach a pull strap, wherein both ends of the pull strap are respectively connected to second ends of the two elastic clamping plates, and the pull strap is used to pull the second ends of the two elastic clamping plates to separate the clamping holes at the first ends of the two elastic clamping plates from the clamping bosses of the female socket.
Hisamatsu teaches a pull strap 6, wherein both ends of the pull strap are respectively connected to second ends of two clamping plates 2, and the pull strap is used to pull the second ends of the two elastic clamping plates to separate from a female socket (see Figs. 12A-12C).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with a pull strap, wherein both ends of the pull strap are respectively connected to second ends of the two elastic clamping plates, and the pull strap is used to pull the second ends of the two elastic clamping plates to separate the clamping holes at the first ends of the two elastic clamping plates from the clamping bosses of the female socket as taught by Hisamatsu into the connector of Rudy in order to achieve the advantage of releasing engagement of the connectors via the strap and prevents potential damage caused to adjacent components when fingers are used.
Regarding claim 2: Rudy, in view of Hisamatsu, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and Rudy further teaches wherein the elastic clamping plate 70 comprises a clamping plate body (at 72; Fig. 6), two connecting parts 88 connected to the connector housing are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the clamping plate body (see Figs. 6-7), the two connecting parts are each connected to the clamping plate body through a connecting arm (at 76; Fig. 6), and the two connecting arms are symmetrically arranged in a splayed shape (see Figs. 6-7).
Regarding claim 4: Rudy, in view of Hisamatsu, teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and Rudy further teaches wherein the clamping plate body, the connecting part and the connecting arm are provided as an integrated structure (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5: Rudy, in view of Hisamatsu, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and Rudy further teaches wherein the first end (below 84; Fig. 6) of the elastic clamping plate is provided with an inclined guide surface (see Fig. 6 for lower end inclining).
Regarding claim 6: Rudy, in view of Hisamatsu, teaches all the limitations of claim 5 and Rudy further teaches wherein the clamping boss 152 comprises an arc-shaped guide surface 174 for guiding the first end of the elastic clamping plate 70, and a clamping surface 172 for clamping with the clamping hole 100 (see Figs. 8-9).
Regarding claim 7: Rudy, in view of Hisamatsu, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the pull strap is connected to a T-shaped handle 22 (see Fig. 14 of Hisamatsu).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 8-9 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Szczesny (US 4,621,885) teaches a connector comprising two elastic clamping arms and connecting to a female socket on a board;
Wu (US 6,585,536) teaches a connector comprising two elastic arms located on two sides of the housing and connecting to another connector;
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