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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched.
The conventional crosshatch for conductive members shown in cross section consist of thin lines of equal thickness. See Figs. 3a, 3b, and 11b.
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199
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 Morgan et al. (US 10,283,914).
Regarding claim 1, Morgan discloses an electrical connector, comprising: a plurality of signal contacts (166); a plurality of ground contacts (188); a wafer (122) supporting the plurality of signal contacts and the plurality of ground contacts; a first organizer (254/222) attached to the wafer and positioning the plurality of signal contacts, the first organizer comprises an electrically insulating material (non-conductive, col. 3, lines 52-56 / dielectric, col. 10, lines 7-13); and a second organizer (252) attached to the wafer, the second organizer in electrical contact with and positioning the plurality of ground contacts.
Regarding claim 2, Morgan discloses the first organizer and the second organizer being stacked on each other (Figs. 10 and 11).
Regarding claim 3, Morgan discloses the electrical connector connected to a circuit board (106); and the second organizer comprises an electrically conductive material (conductive gasket).
Regarding claim 4, Morgan discloses the second organizer defining a first face (bottom of 252, Fig. 12) opposite the circuit board formed of the electrically conductive material, the plurality of ground contacts in electrical contact with the electrically conductive material.
Regarding claim 5, Morgan discloses the second organizer including: an electrically conductive film (252) formed on the first face; and a molded body (222) supporting the electrically conductive film and comprising an electrically insulating material.
Regarding claim 6, Morgan discloses the first organizer including a plurality of first support portions (222) spaced from each other and supporting the plurality of signal contacts.
Regarding claim 7, Morgan discloses the second organizer including a plurality of second support portions (372) supporting the plurality of ground contacts.
Regarding claim 8, Morgan discloses a plurality of arrangement spaces (370) that pass through a front and a back of the second organizer, the plurality of second support portions and the plurality of arrangement spaces being alternated in a planar direction (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Morgan discloses the first support portion (222) of the first organizer arranged in the arrangement space of the second organizer (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 10, Morgan discloses each of the plurality of signal contacts being a press-contact beam contact (166) adapted to electrically contact an electrode pad (intended use); and each of the plurality of ground contacts being a press-fit contact (188) adapted to be inserted into a through-hole electrode (intended use).
Regarding claim 11, Morgan discloses a connector assembly, comprising: an electrical connector, including: a signal contact (166) adapted to electrically contact an electrode pad (intended use); a ground contact (188) adapted to be inserted into a through hole electrode (intended use); a wafer (122) supporting the signal contact and the ground contact; a first organizer (254) attached to the wafer and positioning the signal contact; and a second organizer (252) attached to the wafer, the second organizer in electrical contact with and positioning the ground contact; and a circuit board (106), including a signal electrode (not shown) and a ground electrode (not shown), the signal contact of the electrical connector electrically connected to the signal electrode of the circuit board, and the ground contact of the electrical connector is electrically connected to the ground electrode of the circuit board.
Regarding claim 12, Morgan discloses the circuit board further including: a plurality of signal electrode pad (not shown, inside holes); and a plurality of ground electrodes formed around a through-hole (see Fig. 12) passing through a front and a back of the circuit board; and the signal contact and the ground contact include a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts, respectively.
Regarding claim 13, Morgan discloses the plurality of signal contacts being in press contact with the signal electrode pads (pressure exerted by flexible part of signal contact 166), and the plurality of ground contacts are press-fitted in the ground electrodes (Figs. 10-12).
Regarding claim 14, Morgan discloses an electrical connector, comprising: a wafer (122) adapted to support a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts; an electrically insulating first organizer (254/222, non-conductive, col. 3, lines 52-56 / dielectric, col. 10, lines 7-13) attached to the wafer and adapted to receive and locate the plurality of signal contacts; and a second organizer (252) attached to the wafer and in electrical contact with the plurality of ground contacts, and responsible for positioning the ground contacts.
Regarding claim 15, Morgan discloses the electrical connector adapted to be connected to a circuit board; and the second organizer defines a first face adapted to be positioned opposite the circuit board and comprising an electrically conductive material (conductive gasket) in electrical contact with the plurality of ground contacts.
Regarding claim 16, Morgan discloses the second organizer further including an electrically conductive film (252) formed on the first face opposite.
Regarding claim 17, Morgan discloses the second organizer further including a molded body (222) supporting the electrically conductive film and comprising an electrically insulating material.
Regarding claim 18, Morgan discloses the first organizer including a plurality of first support portions (222) supporting the plurality of signal contacts, the plurality of first support portions being spaced from each other; and the second organizer includes a plurality of second support portions (372) supporting the plurality of ground contacts, and a plurality of arrangement spaces (370) passing through a front and a back of the second organizer, the plurality of second support portions and the plurality of arrangement spaces being alternated in a planar direction (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 19, Morgan discloses the plurality of first support portions of the first organizer are arranged in the plurality of arrangement spaces of the second organizer (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 20, Morgan discloses each of the plurality of signal contacts being a press-contact beam contact (166); and each of the plurality of ground contacts being a press-fit contact (Fig. 10).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection, as applied.
Please note that Morgan discloses the electrically insulating first organizer (254/222, non-conductive, col. 3, lines 52-56 / dielectric, col. 10, lines 7-13).
Morgan discloses a signal contact (166) adapted to electrically contact an electrode pad (intended use, can contact pad inside the hole); a ground contact (188) adapted to be inserted into a through hole electrode (intended use). A recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. Additionally, please note that “pad” electrode and “though hole” electrode are not mutually exclusive descriptions/features. Furthermore, the claim language does not provide any other structural description or location of the pad.
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 FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)727-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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