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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched. Insulating members shown in cross section should be properly crosshatched. It is brought to applicant’s attention that the conventional crosshatch for insulating members shown in cross section consist of lines of two different thicknesses alternatively disposed.
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The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(h)(1). When an exploded view is shown in a figure which is on the same sheet as another figure, the exploded view should be placed in brackets. See Figure 6.
The drawings are objected to because reference numeral 284 refers to neck region of the bore, but points to the contact. See Figures 7 and 12.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 17, 19 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 17, “caps” should be “the caps” per claim 14.
In claim 19 line 7, “an array” should be --a second array--, per line 3. In line 11, “the corresponding pin contact” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 20, “guide features” should be --second guide feature--, per claim 19.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hung (US 11,133,610).
Regarding claim 14, Hung discloses a plug connector comprising: a plug housing (120) extending between a front (121) and a rear (122), the front configured to be mated with a header housing, the plug housing including contact channels (122a) extending longitudinally between the front and the rear; contacts (200) received in the contact channels, the contacts including sockets (210) at mating ends of the contacts configured to receive pin contacts of the header housing, the sockets having distal edges configured to receive the pin contacts, the contacts being arranged in an array having multiple rows and multiple columns (Figs. 3 and 4); and a contact organizer (at 121a) coupled to the front of the plug housing, the contact organizer having bores therethrough aligned with the corresponding contact channels, the contact organizer having caps (flanges at 121a, in Fig. 4) extending into the bores, the caps overhanging the distal ends of the sockets, the contact organizer having guide features (sloped end, not labeled, Fig. 4) forward of the caps configured to center the pin contacts in the bores to align the pin contacts with the sockets (intended use).
Regarding claim 15, Hung discloses the bores having variable diameters along central axes of the bores (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, Hung discloses each bore having a reduced diameter section having a diameter larger than a pin diameter of the corresponding pin contact but smaller than a diameter of the corresponding socket (Figs. 4 and 7).
Regarding claim 17, Hung discloses the contact organizer including caps extending into the bores, the caps overhanging distal ends of the sockets (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 18, Hung discloses each bore including a neck region (area receiving 210) that is necked inward, a distal ends of the corresponding socket located in the neck region to center the socket in the bore.
Regarding claim 19, Hung discloses an electrical connector system comprising: a header connector (inherently, not shown) having a header housing having channels holding pin contacts in an array having multiple rows and multiple columns, the header housing including a shroud at a mating end of the header connector forming a cavity, the pin contacts extend into the cavity; and a plug connector (100) mated with the header connector, the plug connector includes a plug housing (12) holding contacts (200) in an array having multiple rows and multiple columns (Fig. 4), the plug housing extends between a front (121) and a rear (122), the front is configured to be plugged into the cavity of the header housing, the plug housing including contact channels that receive the corresponding contacts, the contacts including sockets (210) at mating ends of the contacts configured to receive the corresponding pin contacts, the plug connector including a contact organizer (121a) coupled to the front of the plug housing, the contact organizer having bores therethrough aligned with the corresponding contact channels (Fig. 4), the contact organizer having guide features configured to center the pin contacts in the bores to align the pin contacts with the sockets during mating.
Regarding claim 20, Hung discloses the plug housing including guide features (not labeled, on both side of 121, Fig. 1) extending forward of the front of the plug housing to interface with the header housing and position the header housing relative to the plug housing during mating.
Claims 1-7 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Aldag et al. (WO 2025/021792).
Regarding claim 1, Aldag discloses a plug connector comprising: a plug housing (10) extending between a front and a rear, the front configured to be mated with a header housing, the plug housing including contact channels extending longitudinally between the front and the rear; contacts (11) received in the contact channels, the contacts including sockets at mating ends of the contacts configured to receive pin contacts of the header housing, the contacts being arranged in an array having multiple rows and multiple columns; and a contact organizer (17, 18) coupled to the front of the plug housing, the contact organizer having bores therethrough aligned with the corresponding contact channels, the contact organizer having guide features configured to center the pin contacts in the bores to align the pin contacts with the sockets.
Regarding claim 2, Aldag discloses the contact organizer being separate and discrete from the plug housing and coupled to the plug housing (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Aldag discloses the contacts extending forward of the front of the plug housing into the bores of the contact organizer (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Aldag discloses the bores having variable diameters along central axes of the bores (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Aldag discloses each bore having a reduced diameter section having a diameter larger than a pin diameter of the corresponding pin contact but smaller than a diameter of the corresponding socket (at its most expanded condition, see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Aldag discloses the contact organizer includes caps (at 18) extending into the bores, the caps overhanging distal ends of the sockets.
Regarding claim 7, Aldag discloses each bore includes a neck region that is necked inward, a distal end of the corresponding socket located in the neck region to center the socket in the bore (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Aldag discloses the plug housing includes housing walls located between the contact channels and having peripheral edges surrounding peripheries of the contact channels, the contact organizer includes separating walls between the bores, the separating walls including grooves at an inner surface of the contact organizer, the grooves receiving the corresponding peripheral edges of the housing walls to locate the contact organizer relative to the plug housing (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Aldag discloses the contact organizer including latches being latchably coupled to the plug housing (at outer wall of 10, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Aldag discloses the contact organizer and the plug housing including polarizing features (at 14) to orient the contact organizer relative to the plug housing.
Regarding claim 12, Aldag discloses the plug housing including guide features (protrusions around 11, not labeled in Fig. 1) extending forward of the front of the plug housing to interface with the header housing and position the header housing relative to the plug housing during mating.
Regarding claim 13, Aldag discloses the contact channels having an inner diameter and wherein the bores have an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the contact channels (Fig. 3).
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 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aldag in view of Orris et al. (US 7,947,707).
Regarding claim 8, Aldag discloses the contacts include retention features (middle flange) engaging the plug housing to position the contacts in the contact channels. Orris teaches the retention features being flexible to allow a limited amount of floating movement of the contacts in the contact channels. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to form the retention feature on the contact being flexible, in order to provide the desire amount of flexibility, and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention (i.e. moving the flexible feature from the housing to the contact) involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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