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 Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In regard to claims 1-7, line 1 recites “Method”, it should be –the method--.
In regard to claims 8-16, line 1 recites “Female electrical terminal”, it should be –the female electrical terminal--.
In regard to claims 17-20, line 1 recites “Electrical terminal assembly”, it should be –the electrical terminal assembly--.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Didonato et al. (US. 10,211,558 B1).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Didonato teaches method for manufacturing a female electrical terminal (10) comprising the steps of:
a) Providing a sheet metal blank (Col, 3, line 51-53)
b) Forming the sheet metal blank (Col 3, line 51-53) to include:
a wiring portion (14) for the attaching of an electrical wire, and
a receiving portion (12) for the receiving of a male electrical terminal in a receiving direction, the receiving portion (12) including a base portion (20) and two lateral portions (22),
the base portion (20) being configured to form a bottom surface of a receiving hollow (46) of the manufactured female electrical terminal (10) and including a contacting portion (50) for an electrical contacting with the received male electrical terminal, and
each lateral portion (22) including, respectively:
an end portion configured to form a top surface of the receiving hollow (46),
at least one link beam (25a) linking the end portion to the base portion (20), and
a support beam (25b) also linking the end portion to the base portion (20),
the support beam (25b) having predetermined dimensions including a thickness, a width along the receiving direction, and a length in a plane orthogonal to the receiving direction,
c) Bending the lateral portions (22) to form the receiving hollow (46), and
d) modifying, in particular, reducing, at least one dimension of the support beam (25b), in particular the thickness, and/or the width, and/or the length.
In Regards to Claim 2:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein step d) is executed between step b) and step c) (Refer to claim 1, since steps d, b and c already described).
In Regards to Claim 3:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein step d) is executed after step c) (Refer to claim 1, since steps d, b and c already described).
In Regards to Claim 4:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein the dimension is modified, in particular reduced, as a function of a property, in particular the diameter and/or size of the core, of the electrical wire to be attached to the wiring portion (14).
In Regards to Claim 5:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein the dimension is modified, in particular reduced, as a function of an insertion force requirement of the insertion of the male electrical terminal in the receiving hollow (46), in particular an insertion force minimum and/or maximum.
In Regards to Claim 6:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein the dimension is modified, in particular reduced, as a function of a removal force requirement of the removal of the male electrical terminal from the receiving hollow (46), in particular a removal force minimum and/or maximum.
In Regards to Claim 7:
Didonato teaches method according to claim 1, wherein the dimension is modified, in particular reduced, as a function of a contact normal force requirement of the electrical contact of the male electrical terminal received in the female electrical terminal (10), in particular a contact normal force minimum and/or maximum.
In Regards to Claim 8:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal (10) comprising:
a wiring portion (14) for the attaching of an electrical wire; and
a receiving portion (12) for the receiving of a male electrical terminal in a receiving direction in a receiving hollow (46), the receiving portion (12) including a base portion (20) and two lateral portions (22), wherein the two lateral portions (22) are bent with respect to the base portion (20) to form the receiving hollow (46), the base portion (20) forming a bottom surface of the receiving hollow (46) and including a contacting portion (50) for an electrical contacting with the received male electrical terminal, each lateral portion (22) includes, respectively:
an end portion forming a top surface of the receiving hollow (46), a first link beam (25a) and a second link beam (25a), the first and second link beams (25a) arranged in parallel and linking the end portion to the base portion (20), wherein the first link beam (25a) is arranged at a proximal end of the receiving portion (12) in the receiving direction, and the second link beam (25a) is arranged at a distal end of the receiving portion (12) in the receiving direction, and a support beam (25b) also linking the end portion to the base portion (20), the support beam (25b) being arranged in parallel to and in between the first and the second link beam (25a).
In Regards to Claim 9:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, the support beam (25b) having a thickness smaller, in particular 5% to 90% smaller, than a corresponding thickness of the first and/or of the second link beam (25a).
In Regards to Claim 10:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, the support beam (25b) having a width along the receiving direction smaller, in particular 5% to 90% smaller, than a corresponding width of the first and/or of the second link beam (25a).
In Regards to Claim 11:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, wherein the second link beam (25a) includes a notch (See Reproduced Drawing 1) in a region of joining of the second link beam (25a) and the base portion (20), in particular wherein the notch (See Reproduced Drawing 1) faces in the receiving direction and has a depth 10% to 50% of the width of the second link beam (25a).
In Regards to Claim 12:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, wherein the end portions of the respective lateral portions (22), when bent to form the receiving hollow (46), define, in a plane orthogonal to the receiving direction and/or in a plane parallel to the receiving direction, a U-shaped top surface.
In Regards to Claim 13:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8 wherein the support beam (25b) has a reduced dimension, in particular the thickness, and/or the width, and/or the length compared to the first link beam (25a) and the second link beam (25a).
In Regards to Claim 14:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, wherein the reduced dimension of the support beam (25b) is reduced by an amount corresponding to the diameter and/or size of the core of the electrical wire to be attached to the wiring portion (14).
In Regards to Claim 15:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, wherein the reduced dimension of the support beam (25b) is reduced by an amount corresponding to an insertion force requirement of the insertion of the male electrical terminal in the receiving hollow (46), in particular an insertion force minimum and/or maximum.
In Regards to Claim 16:
Didonato teaches female electrical terminal according to claim 8, wherein the reduced dimension of the support beam (25b) is reduced by an amount corresponding to a contact normal force requirement of the electrical contact of the male electrical terminal received in the female electrical terminal (10), in particular a contact normal force minimum and/or maximum.
In Regards to Claim 17:
Didonato teaches electrical terminal assembly (Fig. 1) comprising:
a female electrical terminal (10) including a wiring portion (14) for the attaching of an electrical wire and a receiving portion (12) having a receiving hollow (46), the receiving portion (12) includes a base portion (20) and two lateral portions (22), wherein the two lateral portions (22) are bent with respect to the base portion (20) to form the receiving hollow (46), the base portion (20) forming a bottom surface of the receiving hollow (46) and including a contacting portion (50) for an electrical contacting with the received male electrical terminal, wherein each lateral portion (22) includes, respectively, an end portion forming a top surface of the receiving hollow (46), a first link beam (25a), a second link beam (25a), a support beam (25b), the first and second link beams (25a) arranged in parallel and linking the end portion to the base portion (20), wherein the first link beam (25a) is arranged at a proximal end of the receiving portion (12) in the receiving direction, and the second link beam (25a) is arranged at a distal end of the receiving portion (12) in the receiving direction, the support beam (25b) linking the end portion to the base portion (20) and being arranged in parallel to and in between the first and the second link beam (25a); and a male electrical terminal; wherein the male electrical terminal is received in the receiving hollow (46) in a receiving direction such that a first surface of the male electrical terminal abuts with the contacting portion (50) of the female electrical terminal (10), and a second surface of the male electrical terminal opposed to the first surface abuts with the end portions of the female electrical terminal (10), realizing the electrical contacting.
In Regards to Claim 18:
Didonato teaches electrical terminal assembly according to claim 17, wherein a thickness, and/or a width along the receiving direction, and/or a length in a plane orthogonal to the receiving direction, of the support beam (25b), is function of a property, in particular the diameter and/or size of the core, of the electrical wire to be attached to the wiring portion (12).
In Regards to Claim 19:
Didonato teaches electrical terminal assembly according to claim 17 realizing an electrical connection in an application environment, wherein the contact normal force of the electrical contacting corresponds to the vibration acceleration force of the application environment (Col 6, line 55-63, roviding a stable mechanical and electrical engagement between the mating terminal and receptacle terminal 10 in all environments, thereby insuring that the mating terminal will remain properly positioned in the receptacle terminal 10 as vibration occurs).
In Regards to Claim 20:
Didonator teaches electrical terminal assembly according to claim 17 realizing an electrical connection in an application environment, wherein the contact normal force of the electrical contacting is up to 10% greater than the vibration acceleration force of the application environment (Col 6, line 55-63, roviding a stable mechanical and electrical engagement between the mating terminal and receptacle terminal 10 in all environments, thereby insuring that the mating terminal will remain properly positioned in the receptacle terminal 10 as vibration occurs).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NADER J ALHAWAMDEH whose telephone number is (571)270-0571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9Am - 6Pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NADER J ALHAWAMDEH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831