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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (US 2019/0020149).
Regarding claim 1: Wu teaches a connector 101, comprising: a conductive shell 103, 120 supporting at least one signal contact 109 therein (see Fig. 3) and comprising a front end (at 122; Fig. 3) for mating with a mating connector 11 (see Figs. 3-4) and a back end opposite the front end for connecting to a power or data transmission cable (e.g. right end of contact 109 is configured to connect to a cable; see Para. 0003); a coupling member 104 configured to engage the conductive shell 103 (see Fig. 3 and Para. 0018) and engage a corresponding component 14 associated with the mating connector 11 to mechanically couple the connector 101 to the mating connector 11 (see Figs. 3-4); and a plurality of ground connections (at spring fingers 122; Fig. 3) provided at the front end of the conductive shell 103 and the front section (at 141; Fig. 3) of the coupling member 104 that are configured to connect the mating connector 11 with the connector 101 and the cable (e.g. conductive shell 103, 120 and coupling member 104 make contact with outer conductor 14 on different portions and therefore create plurality of ground connections; see Fig. 4 and Para. 0019).
Regarding claim 2: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the coupling member 104 is disposed on the conductive shell 103, 120 (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the coupling member 104 is rotatably coupled to the conductive shell 103, 120 (e.g. the two components are not permanently connected to each other and would be configured to rotate relative to each other; see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the coupling member 104 is a sleeve (see Fig. 3) that includes a front section (at 141; Fig. 3) configured to engage the corresponding component 14 associated with the mating connector 11 and a back section configured to engage the back end of the conductive shell 103, 120 (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches further comprising a retaining member 107 disposed on the coupling sleeve 104 (see Fig. 3), the retaining member 107 being slidable with respect to the coupling member 104 between unlocked and locked positions (see Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 6: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the front section of the coupling member 104 includes inner threads (at 143; see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 7: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the coupling member 104 is a spring clip (e.g. members at 104 “clip” and are elastic against body 14; see Figs. 3-4) that engages an outer annular groove of the conductive shell 103, 120 (e.g. see below 109 for coupling member 104 engaging an outer annular groove of conductive shell 103 ,120; Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the conductive shell 103, 120 includes a dielectric insert 102 that supports the at least one signal contact 109 (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9: Wu teaches a connector 101, comprising: a conductive shell 103, 120 supporting at least one signal contact 109 therein (see Fig. 9) and comprising a front end (at 122; Fig. 3) for mating with a mating connector 11 (see Figs. 3-4), a back end opposite the front end for connecting to a power or data transmission cable (e.g. right end of contact 109 is configured to connect to a cable; see Para. 0003); a coupling sleeve 104 disposed on the conductive shell 103, 120 (see Fig. 3 and Para. 0018), the coupling sleeve 104 including a front section (at 141; Fig. 3) configured to engage a corresponding component 14 associated with the mating connector 11 (see Fig. 4), and a back section (e.g. above and below 109; Fig. 3) configured to engage the conductive shell 103, 120 (see Fig. 3); and a retaining member 107 disposed on at least a portion of the coupling sleeve 104 that is slidable with respect to the coupling sleeve 104 between unlocked and locked positions (see Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 10: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 9 and further teaches wherein the coupling sleeve 104 comprises an elongated body (at 104; Fig. 4) with an outer gripping surface (e.g. see to the right of 104; Fig. 4), the front section of the coupling sleeve 104 includes inner threads (e.g. below 143; Fig. 3), and the back section is configured to cover the back end of the conductive shell 103, 120 (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein the coupling sleeve 104 includes one or more flexible latches for engaging the conductive shell 103, 120 and one or more flexible protection tines adjacent to the one or more flexible latches (e.g. see right of 103 for a connection between the shell 103, 120 and sleeve 104 between latches and tines; Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 11 and further teaches wherein the retaining member 107 comprises a ring body (at 107; Fig. 3) disposed over the one or more flexible protection tines (see Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 13: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 12 and further teaches wherein the ring body (at 107; Fig. 3) is configured to slide axially with respect to the back end of the conductive shell 103, 120 between the unlocked and locked positions (see Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 14: Wu teaches a connector 201 (Fig. 5), comprising: a conductive shell 103 (e.g. not shown in the current embodiment but in Figs. 3-4) supporting at least one signal contact 109 therein (Fig. 4) and comprising a front end (at 122; Fig. 3) for mating with a mating connector 11 (see Figs. 5-6), a back end opposite the front end for electrically connecting to a power or data transmission cable (e.g. right end of contact 109 is configured to connect to a cable; see Para. 0003), and the front end including a primary ground connection (e.g. conductive shell 103 creates a primary ground connection; Figs. 3-4) configured to electrically connect the mating connector 11 with the cable (see Fig. 6); a coupling sleeve 204 disposed on the conductive shell 103 (see Fig. 6), the coupling sleeve 204 including a front section having inner threads (at 243; see Fig. 6) configured to engage a corresponding component (at 14; Fig. 6) associated with the mating connector 11 (Fig. 4), and a back section having one or more flexible snap latches (e.g. right end of 204; Fig. 6) configured to engage the back end of the conductive shell 103 (see Fig. 6), and the front section of the coupling sleeve 204 including a secondary ground connection (at 243; Fig. 6) configured to electrically connect the mating connector with the cable (Fig. 6); and a retaining ring 207 disposed on the back section of the coupling sleeve 204 that is slidable with respect to the coupling sleeve 204 between unlocked and locked positions (see Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 15: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches wherein the back section of the coupling sleeve 204 includes one or more flexible protection tines adjacent to the one or more flexible snap latches (e.g. see base of 204 for tines and snap latches; see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 16: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein each flexible protection tine includes a ramped surface (at 208a; Fig. 6) configured to facilitate sliding of the retaining ring 207 to the locked position (see Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 17: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein the retaining ring 207 includes one or more windows corresponding to the one or more flexible protection tines (e.g. windows are located internally; see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches wherein the corresponding component of the mating connector is an engagement feature of a support panel or wall in which the mating connector is mounted (e.g. connector 11 is configured to be mounted in a panel or wall; see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 19: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches wherein the primary and secondary ground connections are separate contact points, at least one of the contact points being on an outer surface of the front end of the conductive shell and another of the contact points being on an inner surface of the front section of the coupling member (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 20: Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches wherein the primary and secondary ground connections define a plurality of grounding paths, and the plurality of grounding paths combine to form a combined ground path within the electrical connector (e.g. conductive shell 103 and coupling member 104 make contact with outer conductor 14 on different portions and therefore create plurality of ground connections and grounding paths; see Fig. 4 and Para. 0019).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Zerlin (US 3,671,922) teaches a coaxial connector comprising multiple grounding points and mating with another connector located in a panel/wall;
Saettele (US 7,238,047) teaches a coaxial connector with an inner grounding member having multiple contact points and a coupling member located at an exterior;
Williams (US 7,568,934) teaches an electrical connector having a metallic sleeve within configured to mate with an electrical contact of another connector;
Jozwik (US 9,142,914) teaches a metal conductor having resilient tabs extending from within windows;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833