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 1-3, 5, 14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Lu et al. (US 2021/0153385).
Regarding claims 1 and 18, Lu et al. disclose an electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a plurality of electrical connectors (200) disposed at intervals along a width direction (see Fig. 18);
each of the electrical connector (200) comprising an insulating body (201),
a plurality of conductive terminals (not show, see P. 0056) and a metal shielding cage (1) covering the insulating body; the insulating body comprising a mating surface and a mating slot (201a) extending through the mating surface; each conductive terminal comprising a contact portion extending into the mating slot;
the metal shielding cage comprising a receiving cavity (161) communicating with the mating slot; the receiving cavity and the mating slot being configured to jointly receive a mating plug (300) along a mating direction; and
a metal liquid cooling plate (2) at least partially covering the metal shielding cage or attached to top wall of the metal shielding cage (see Fig. 17), the liquid cooling plate comprising a cooling liquid inlet (212) and a cooling liquid outlet (213); the liquid cooling plate comprising a liquid cooling base plate (217) and a cover plate (218) fixed to the liquid cooling base plate; the liquid cooling base plate comprising a first inlet flow channel (217b), a second inlet flow channel (also 217b) and an outlet flow channel (at 213); the first inlet flow channel and the second inlet flow channel being fluidly arranged in parallel, and communicate with the cooling liquid inlet; the first inlet flow channel and the second inlet flow channel converging into the outlet flow channel which communicates with the cooling liquid outlet.
Regarding claim 2, Lu et al. disclose the cooling liquid inlet is disposed on the liquid cooling base plate and/or the cover plate; and wherein the cooling liquid outlet is disposed on the liquid cooling base plate and/or the cover plate.
Regarding claim 3, Lu et al. disclose an inlet joint (tubular structure at 212) which is fixed on the liquid cooling plate and communicates with the cooling liquid inlet, and an outlet joint (tubular structure at 213) which is fixed on the liquid cooling plate and communicates with the cooling liquid outlet.
Regarding claim 5, Lu et al. disclose the first inlet flow channel comprises a first flow channel cavity formed on the liquid cooling base plate; the first flow channel cavity comprises a first flow channel and a second flow channel arranged side by side with the first flow channel; the first flow channel communicates with the second flow channel; and flow directions of a cooling liquid in the first flow channel and the second flow channel are opposite (see Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 14, Lu et al. disclose a plurality of electrical connectors are provided and arranged at intervals along a width direction perpendicular to the mating direction (see Fig. 17).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (US 2021/0153385).
Lu et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except arrangement of the inlet joint and the outlet joint are located adjacent to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to rearrange the inlet joint and the outlet joint adjacent to each other, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claims 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (US 2021/0153385) in view of Regnier et al. (US 2013/0164970).
Lu et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except a light guide pipe installed on the metal shielding cage; the light guide pipe comprises a head, an extending portion extending from the head, and a bent portion bent from the extending portion; the head is erected on the metal shielding cage; the extending portion is bent toward the metal shielding cage to be attached to the metal shielding cage; and the head is located higher than the extending portion.
Regnier et al. teach light guide pipe (245) as same as claimed.
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 the guide light pipe into Lu’s connector assembly, as taught by Regnier for guiding light to display a status of the connector assembly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-12, 15-17 and 20 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
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834