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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, 9 and 12-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin 11,742,621.
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses a connector 100, comprising a ground conductive assembly and a lead frame 30, wherein the ground conductive assembly comprises a conductive housing 20 and a first ground terminal 4, the conductive housing comprises a first cavity 25 and a second cavity 26, the conductive housing further comprises a first end 21 and a second end 22 that are opposite to each other in a first direction, the first end of the conductive housing is configured to be connected to a peer connector, and the first ground terminal is disposed at the first end of the conductive housing, extends into the second cavity, and is electrically connected to an inner wall of the second cavity; the lead frame is disposed at the second end of the conductive housing, the lead frame comprises a plurality of signal terminal groups 311,312 and shield layers 313,314 arranged on two sides of the plurality of signal terminal groups, each signal terminal group of the plurality of signal terminal groups comprises at least one signal terminal 3112,3122, each shield layer of the shield layers is electrically connected to the conductive housing, and the at least one signal terminal extends into the first cavity and is isolated from an inner wall of the first cavity; and the first direction is an insertion direction of the connector and the peer connector.
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses the first ground terminal 4 comprises a support plate 41, and the support plate is located in the second cavity 26 and is disposed closer to the first end of the conductive housing 20 than to the second end of the conductive housing; and a protrusion 421 is provided on one side of the support plate, and the protrusion is configured to abut against a second ground terminal 201, wherein the second ground terminal is of the peer connector.
Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses one side that is of the support plate 41 and that is away from the protrusion 421 is connected to the inner wall of the second cavity 26.
Regarding claim 4, Lin discloses the first ground terminal 4 comprises a support plate 41 and an elastic arm 421; the support plate is located in the second cavity 26 and is disposed closer to the first end of the conductive housing 20 than to the second end of the conductive housing; and the elastic arm ground terminal, wherein the second ground terminal 201 is of the peer connector.
Regarding claim 5, Lin discloses one side that is of the support plate 41 and that is away from the elastic arm 421 is connected to the inner wall of the second cavity 26.
Regarding claim 8, Lin discloses there are a plurality of first ground terminals 4, and each first ground terminal of the plurality of first ground terminals comprises a support plate 41 and an elastic arm 421; the support plate is connected to the first end of the conductive housing 20, and support plates of the plurality of first ground terminals are connected to form an integrated structure; and the elastic arm is connected to one side of the support plate, and the elastic arm is configured to abut against a second ground terminal 201 of the peer connector.
Regarding claim 9, Lin discloses one side that is of the support plate 41 and that is connected to the elastic arm 421 faces the conductive housing 20, and the elastic arm extends into the second cavity 26.
Regarding claim 10, Lin (Figure 16) discloses a window (which spring arm 42 is disposed in) is disposed on the support plate 41, and to form the ground terminal of Lin in this way thus would have been obvious, for good electrical contact with the mating terminal of the peer connector.
Regarding claim 12, Lin discloses one end that is of the elastic arm 421 and that is configured to abut against the second ground terminal 201 of the peer connector is disposed closer to the first end of the conductive housing 20 than to the second end of the conductive housing.
Regarding claim 13, Lin discloses the first cavity 25 penetrates through the conductive housing 20 in the first direction.
Regarding claim 14, Lin discloses the second cavity 26 penetrates through the conductive housing 20 in the first direction, or the second cavity is provided with an opening that corresponds to the first end of the conductive housing.
Regarding claim 15, Lin discloses an insulation housing 10, wherein the insulation housing is provided with a mounting slot, and the first end of the conductive housing 20 is disposed in the mounting slot.
Regarding claim 16, Lin (Figure 19) discloses an insulation sleeve (unnumbered) is disposed on one side that is of the mounting slot and that faces the first end of the conductive housing 20, and the insulation sleeve extends into the first cavity 25 and sleeves the signal terminal 3112,3122.
Regarding claim 17, Lin discloses a connector assembly, comprising a connector 10 and a peer connector (having terminals 201,202). Lin is further applied as above.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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(s) 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Brodsky et al 2016/0043484.
Brodsky et al (front page) discloses an electronic device, comprising a first circuit board 40, a second circuit board 46, and to place the connectors of Lin on respective circuit boards thus would have been obvious, to facilitate easy interconnection between two circuit boards. Lin is further applied as above.
Claim(s) 7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin as applied to claims 4 and 8 above, and further in view of Sass et al 8491340.
Sass et al (front page) discloses a terminal comprising a plurality of elastic arms 104 that are disposed in parallel, and to form the first ground terminal of Lin in this way thus would have been obvious, for good electrical contact with a mating ground terminal of the peer connector.
Claim Defining Over Prior Art
Claim 6 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or teaches the second cavity accommodates two first ground terminals, elastic arms of the two first ground terminals are disposed opposite to each other, and the elastic arms of the two first ground terminals are configured to clamp the second ground terminal of the peer connector; in combination with the rest of the subject matter of the respective independent claim.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834