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 1-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, “the direction of mating” and “the top” lack antecedent basis.
In claim 4, “the radially outward lateral face” lacks antecedent basis.
The claims are objected to because they include reference characters which are not enclosed within parentheses. Reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description of the drawings and used in conjunction with the recitation of the same element or group of elements in the claims should be enclosed within parentheses so as to avoid confusion with other numbers or characters which may appear in the claims. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duesterhoeft (US 8,790,136).
Regarding claim 1, Duesterhoeft discloses an electrical connector disposed on a circuit board (102) covered by an electrically conductive cover (12), the connector comprising: an electrically conductive tubular outer conductor (110, 120) mounted on the circuit board and extending axially along the direction of mating (198) with a counterpart electrical connector, and an electrically conductive supporting portion (124) provided in the outer conductor and having a connection portion at the top in the direction of mating, wherein the connection portion of the supporting portion and the cover are brought into direct or indirect contact when the circuit board is covered by the cover, thereby electrically connecting the electrical connector and the cover.
Regarding claim 2, Duesterhoeft discloses the connector further comprising an electrically conductive resilient member (104) capable of resilient compression by an external force, and the resilient member, upon being resiliently compressed between the connection portion of the supporting portion and the cover, provides conduction between the supporting portion and the cover.
Regarding claim 3, Duesterhoeft discloses the resilient member including a wave washer, a disk spring, a coil spring, a spring washer, a leaf spring (194), electrically conductive resin, electrically conductive rubber, or electrically conductive foam.
Regarding claim 4, Duesterhoeft discloses the supporting portion being a flange expanding radially outwardly from the outer conductor or a stepped portion (124) formed on the radially outward lateral face of the outer conductor.
Regarding claim 5, Duesterhoeft discloses the outer conductor configured to permit exposure to the exterior through a through-opening (18) formed in the cover when the circuit board is covered by the cover.
Regarding claim 6, Duesterhoeft discloses the outer conductor configured to permit attachment to the circuit board in a manner to be connected to a ground conductor in the circuit board (col. 3 lines 56-59), and the cover also configured to be connected to the ground conductor in the circuit board.
Regarding claim 7, Duesterhoeft discloses the resilient member being integrally attached to the outer conductor (Fig. 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833