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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 8, lines 6-9, recites, “wherein each of the pair of contact pins includes a horizontally extending portion which is located in the housing and linearly extends in an insertion and extraction direction of the mating connector, wherein the horizontally extending portion has a pair of surfaces facing each other”. Figs. 10 and 11, shows a horizontally extending portion 21 of the pin 2 has a pir of surface 211 and 212, which are nor facing each other, therefore it is not clear how these surfaces are facing each other and hence it is indefinite and vague.
Claim 7, line recites, “the shell”. There is an antecedent base issue of this limitation in the claim, as “shell” is not defined in claim 6 and 1. It seems that the dependency of clam 6 should be changed to claim 5 instead of claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (US 10879633), (US 8092235), (US 6860765), (US 6319075), (US 6109933), (US 5453016), (US 20240429635), (US 20240405491), (US 20240213725), (US 11855394), (US 11909151) and (US 11764525), See attached PTO 892.
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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831