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)(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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feng et al. (11,962,115).
Regarding claim 1, Feng et al. disclose a magnetic connector assembly comprising:
a first connector (10, Fig. 3) comprising a fixed case (13, Fig. 4a) outside which a first plastic body (14, Fig. 4a) with a jointing groove (a pouter edge of 141) is disposed;
a circuit board (P, Fig. 4a) disposed inside of the fixed case and having a first PIN module (431-432, Fig. 4a), wherein the fixed case, the circuit board and a part of the first PIN module are disposed in the first plastic body by mounting process;
a second connector (210, Fig. 3) comprising a second PIN module (212-216, Fig. 4a) disposed on a second plastic body (2111, Fig. 4a) by mounting process, wherein the second plastic body is disposed with an inner case (2112, Figs. 4a and 4b), and an inserting part (one distal end of 2112 or a FIGURE A below) is disposed on one end of the inner case extending outward and far away from the second plastic body;
when the first connector and the second connector are jointed, the inserting part of the inner case is inserted into the jointing groove (Fig. 1), and the second PIN module contacts the first PIN module and is disposed on the first PIN module (Fig. 4b).
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Regarding claim 2, the first connector comprises a plurality of terminals (433-435, Fig. 4a) disposed in an insulation case (13) outside which an outer case (14) is disposed, the insulation case is disposed within the outer case, and one end of the outer case is fixed to the fixed case by welding.
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 4a shows the fixed case comprises:
a first annular portion (pointed at 131);
a second annular portion (pointed at 14), wherein an outer diameter of the second annular portion, is greater than an outer diameter of the first annular portion; and
a step disposed between the first annular portion and the second annular portion for connecting the first annular portion and the second annular portion, and inner surfaces of the step and the second annular portion are partially exposed in the jointing groove.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/05/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues: Feng is not disclosed: “(1) an inserting part is disposed on one end of the inner case extending outward and far away from the second plastic body; (2) when the first connector and the second connector are jointed, the inserting part of the inner case is inserted into the jointing groove.”.
The Examiner disagrees.
Feng et al. disclose an inserting part (one distal end of 2112 or a FIGURE A above) is disposed on one end of the inner case (2112, Fig. 4a) extending outward and far away from the second plastic body (2111, Fig. 4b). Fig. 4b or the FIGURE A above shows the inserting part is located at one end of the inner case (2112) is longer than one end of the second plastic body (2111); Therefore, Feng et al. is still read on the limitation of “an inserting part is disposed on one end of the inner case extending outward and far away from the second plastic body”.
With the limitations of “when the first connector and the second connector are jointed, the inserting part of the inner case is inserted into the jointing groove”.
Since the joining groove (131) from the previous rejection was a missed typo (in claim 3, the Examiner also used (131) is a first annular portion). The joining groove should be (the outer edge of 141) as shown in Fig. 4a. Therefore, it should be “a first plastic body (14, Fig. 4a) with a jointing groove (the outer edge of 141) is disposed” as shown in Fig. 1; With the correction typo this time, Feng still read on “when the first connector and the second connector are jointed, the inserting part of the inner case is inserted into the jointing groove”.
For the reasons above, it is believed that the rejection is sustained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul 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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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/21/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov