DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 15, the device including the retainer alignment adapter having two or more retainer pairs (see figure 31) and further including the cable enclosure element (claim 15) was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The species having the cable enclosure element (see figure 5) was only disclosed as having a single pair of retainers 510A and 510B. There is no disclosure of the multi-retainer adapter 328 of figure 3I somehow with cable enclosures attached to a module retainer such as at 510A of figure 5. Claims 15-18 are combining elements of different species ways that were not originally disclosed.
Claim Rejections - and 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-5, 7-11, 13-17, and 19-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diessel et al. US 10892572 (“Diessel”) in view of Soubh et al. US 9748691 (“Soubh”).
Regarding claim 1, Diessel discloses an assembly comprising:
a first module retainer (3);
a set of two or more cable insert modules (4) sized and shaped for removable retention within two or more module slots 300 of the first module retainer;
wherein a first cable insert module of the set of two or more cable insert modules
includes a cable insertion recess 41 sized and shaped for insertion of a cable wire of a cable 11,
a connectivity interface (exposed portions of contacts 400, figure 1) on an opposing face of the first cable insert module, and
(inherently) a transmission path between the cable insertion recess and the connectivity interface; and
a second module retainer (5, figure 7), the second module retainer including a
second set of two or more cable insert modules 6, wherein the first module retainer and
the second module retainer form a retainer pair.
DIESSEL does not disclose a retainer alignment adapter.
Soubh discloses an assembly comprising:
a first module retainer (housing of connector 114, see figures 3, 11); and
a set of two or more cable insert modules (128, figure 6) sized and shaped for removable retention within two or more module slots (see figure 3) of the module retainer;
a connectivity interface (at extending end of contacts 126, 142) on an opposing face of the cable insert module, and a transmission path between the cable attachment point to the terminals and the connectivity interface; and
a retainer alignment adapter 134 sized and shaped to hold the first module retainer
in alignment with a second module retainer (housing 106 of connector 102), the second module retainer including a second set of two or more insert modules (130),
wherein the first module retainer and the second module retainer form a retainer pair (see figure 2), and wherein the retainer pair is one of two or more retainer pairs held within the retainer alignment adapter 134 (see figure 2).
It would have been obvious to hold multiple stacked pairs of Diessel first and second module retainers in a retainer alignment adapter such as taught in Soubh at 134. The reason may be to provide EMI protection as taught in Soubh or generally to hold plural module retainer pairs in an efficient and convenient grouping, as inherently taught in Soubh.
Regarding claim 2 Diessel shows the connectivity interface (at 400 in figure 1) of the cable insert module is a pin rather than an insertion recess sized and shaped for insertion of a conductive pin of a connector of a second cable.
Soubh discloses well known pins (at 126, 142, in figure 6) and mating sockets/recesses at 108 (figures 6, 7). It would have been obvious to provide either pin contacts or socket contacts at the Diessel connection interfaces, as taught in Soubh, see Soubh col. 5, lines 15-25, having the mating connector be the other of pins or sockets, as was well known in the art.
Per claim 3, as noted regarding claim 2 it would have been obvious to provide a socket contact affixed to a tip portion of the Diessel cable.
Per claim 4, the Diessel connectivity interface of the cable insert module includes a conductive pin (at 400) inherently conductively coupled with the cable wire, and wherein the conductive pin is sized and shaped for insertion into a pin insertion recess of a connector of a second cable.
Per claim 5, to the extent that Diessel does not explicitly show the Diessel conductive pin includes a pin contact affixed to a tip portion of the cable wire, the examiner takes Official notice that such an assembly was well known in the art. It would have been obvious to affix the Diessel pin contact 400 to a tip of the cable wire (one of the wires of cable 11) as was known in the art such that the device would operate as intended.
Per claim 7, Diessel discloses that the second set of two or more cable insert modules 6 includes a second cable insert module implicitly coupled with a second cable wire of a second cable (inserted into openings 61) such that transmission is established between the cable wire and the second cable wire. To the extent that Diessel does not explicitly disclose the wires of the second cable, it would have been obvious to connect second wires to the contact elements 600 via the openings at 61 to have the device function as intended.
Per claim 8 the first cable insert module further includes a second cable insertion recess 41 for insertion of a second cable wire, and a second connectivity interface on the opposing face of the cable insert module (figure 4).
Per claim 9, the first cable insert module includes three or more cable insertion recesses inherently configured for insertion of two or more phase wires and a ground wire of the cable (figure 4).
Per claim 10, the set of two or more cable insert modules further includes a second cable insert module (see two different modules 4 in figures 2 and 3 and another different module 4 shown in figure 4) having a second cable insertion recess, wherein a size of the second cable insertion recess is different from a size of the cable insertion recess to accommodate a second cable wire of a second cable, and wherein the second cable wire has a different wire gauge from the cable wire.
Per claim 11, the set of two or more cable insert modules further includes a second cable insert module (see two different modules 4 in figures 2 and 3 and another different module 4 shown in figure 4) having a different number of connectivity interfaces from the cable insert module.
Per claim 13, Diessel discloses that the first cable insert module (see figure 2) occupies one module slot 300 of the first module retainer, and wherein a second cable insert module (4 in figure 4) of the set of two or more cable insert modules has a larger size than the first cable insert module, such that the second cable insert module occupies more than one module slot 300 of the first module retainer.
Per claim 14, the first cable insert module includes one or more retention clips 420 configured to, while the first cable insert module is inserted into the first module retainer, interface with corresponding retention apertures 310 of the first module retainer to removably retain the first cable insert module within the first module retainer.
Per claim 15, Diessel discloses a cable enclosure element 10 removably attachable (col. 6, lines 50-60) to the first module retainer 3, wherein the cable enclosure element is configured to limit movement of the cable relative to the first module retainer.
Regarding claim 16, Diessel does not explicitly state that the enclosure element 10 comprises two separable halves. The examiner takes Official notice that housings such as at Diessel 10 were well known in the art to be composed of two separable halves to enclose the portion of the cable entering the housing. It would have been obvious to form the housing 10 out of two halves as was well known in the art. The reason for doing so would have been to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the connector assembly as was well known in the art.
Regarding claim 17, Diessel does not state whether the cable enclosure 10 provides EMI shielding. Soubh discloses that the retainer alignment adapter 134 provides EMI shielding. It would have been obvious to likewise form the Diessel cable enclosure 10 out of metal as was known in the art such that it would provide EMI shielding as taught at the Soubh retainer alignment adapter 134.
Per claim 19, the Diessel cable is a multi-conductor cable including two or more cable wires.
Regarding claim 20, Diessel does not explicitly state that the cable is a shielded twisted pair cable. The examiner takes Official notice that shielded twisted pair cables were well known in the art. It would have been obvious to use various standard cable with the Diessel device including well known twisted pair cable. The substituted components and their functions were known in the art. One with ordinary skill in the art could have substituted one known element for another and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ.2d 1385 (2007).
Per claim 21, Diessel discloses a cable connector assembly (see discussion above for identification of claimed elements), comprising:
a module retainer 3; and
a set of two or more cable insert modules 4 sized and shaped for removable retention within module slots of the module retainer;
a second module retainer (5, figure 7),
the second module retainer including a second set of two or more cable insert modules 6,
wherein a first cable insert module of the set of two or more cable insert modules occupies a first module slot of the module retainer and includes a first cable insertion recess 41 sized and shaped for insertion of a first cable wire of a first cable,
a first connectivity interface (exposed portions of contacts 400, figure 1) on an opposing face of the first cable insert module, and (inherently) a first transmission path between the first cable insert recess and the first connectivity interface; and
wherein a second cable insert module of the set of two or more cable insert modules occupies a second module slot of the module retainer and includes a second cable insertion recess 61 sized and shaped for insertion of a second cable wire of a second cable,
a second connectivity interface (at 600) on an opposing face of the second cable insert module, and inherently a second transmission path between the second cable insert recess and the second connectivity interface.
DIESSEL does not disclose a retainer alignment adapter.
Soubh discloses an assembly comprising:
a first module retainer (housing of connector 114, see figures 3, 11); and
a set of two or more cable insert modules (128, figure 6) sized and shaped for removable retention within two or more module slots (see figure 3) of the module retainer;
a connectivity interface (at extending end of contacts 126, 142) on an opposing face of the cable insert module, and a transmission path between the cable attachment point to the terminals and the connectivity interface; and
a retainer alignment adapter 134 sized and shaped to hold the first module retainer
in alignment with a second module retainer (housing 106 of connector 102), the second module retainer including a second set of two or more insert modules (130),
wherein the first module retainer and the second module retainer form a retainer pair (see figure 2), and wherein the retainer pair is one of two or more retainer pairs held within the retainer alignment adapter 134 (see figure 2).
It would have been obvious to hold multiple stacked pairs of Diessel first and second module retainers in a retainer alignment adapter such as taught in Soubh at 134. The reason may be to provide EMI protection as taught in Soubh or generally to hold plural module retainer pairs in an efficient and convenient grouping, as inherently taught in Soubh.
Per claim 22, Diessel discloses assembly (see discussion above for identification of claimed elements) a cable connector assembly, comprising:
a first module retainer;
a first set of two or more cable insert modules sized and shaped for removable retention within module slots of the first module retainer, the first set of two or more cable insert modules including a first cable insert module coupled with a first cable, and the first cable insert module including a first connectivity interface;
a second module retainer;
a second set of two or more cable insert modules sized and shaped for removable retention within module slots of the second module retainer, the second set of two or more cable insert modules including a second cable insert module coupled with a second cable, and the second cable insert module including a second connectivity interface.
DIESSEL does not disclose a retainer alignment adapter.
Soubh discloses an assembly comprising:
a first module retainer (housing of connector 114, see figures 3, 11); and
a set of two or more cable insert modules (128, figure 6) sized and shaped for removable retention within two or more module slots (see figure 3) of the module retainer;
a connectivity interface (at extending end of contacts 126, 142) on an opposing face of the cable insert module, and a transmission path between the cable attachment point to the terminals and the connectivity interface; and
a retainer alignment adapter 134 sized and shaped to hold the first module retainer
in alignment with a second module retainer (housing 106 of connector 102), the second module retainer including a second set of two or more insert modules (130),
wherein the first module retainer and the second module retainer form a retainer pair (see figure 2), and wherein the retainer pair is one of two or more retainer pairs held within the retainer alignment adapter 134 (see figure 2).
It would have been obvious to hold multiple stacked pairs of Diessel first and second module retainers in a retainer alignment adapter such as taught in Soubh at 134. The reason may be to provide EMI protection as taught in Soubh or generally to hold plural module retainer pairs in an efficient and convenient grouping, as inherently taught in Soubh.
Per claim 23, as taught in Soubh, at least three retainer pairs held within the retainer alignment adapter, and as taught in Diessel, each module retainer of the at least three retainer pairs includes a respective set of cable insert modules.
Claim 12 is are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diessel in view of Freeman et al. US 5366388 (“Freeman”).
Regarding claim 12, Diessel does not specifically disclose a “blank spacer module” sized and shaped for removable retention within one or more module slots of the module retainer.
Freeman discloses a blank spacer module 66 (i.e., a module without terminals) sized and shaped for removable retention within one or more module slots 22H of the module retainer 10. It would have been obvious to supply a “blank spacer module” for the Diessel assembly. The reason would have been to cover used slots as taught in Freeman. The use of such module would have been a matter of user preference as was known in the art, to suit the particular needs of the user’s application as was well known in the art.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejections.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 ROSS GUSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-2005. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30 - 5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached on 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROSS N GUSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834