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 .
This office action is a response to the restriction requirement filed on 7/17/2026.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, Species A, claims 1-8 and 16-20, in the reply filed on 7/17/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the present case falls into the situation where the MPEP urges the Examiner to take the broad practical approach and examine the claims, instead of making a narrow academic distinction. This is not found persuasive because Inventions l-ll above do not overlap in scope. In addition, Invention I is directed to a method for producing a contact unit including a second contact element carrier, which is formed from a second carrier material, introducing, at least in sections, the first contact element carrier into the second contact element carrier, and attaching at least one reference contact element to the second contact element carrier. However, Invention II is directed to a contact unit, which does not follow the same chronological order of the claimed steps and/or omit certain step(s) as recited in Invention I.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 7 and 9-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 7/17/2026.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: --METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CONTACT UNIT--.
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 1-6, 8, 16-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a0(1) as being anticipated by Aoki et al. (CN-108011212 A).
Aoki et al. teach a process of making a contact unit, comprising steps of: providing a first contact element carrier (104, Fig. 4), which is formed from a first carrier material, such that, in the first carrier material, at least one contact element (105) is received on a receiving portion (122, 123) of the at least one contact element, and the first carrier material has been at least partially shrink-fitted on the receiving portion as shown in Fig. 5;
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providing a second contact element carrier (101, Fig. 4), which is formed from a second carrier material, such that the second contact element carrier is configured to receive the first contact element carrier in a longitudinal direction as shown in Fig. 5; introducing, at least in sections, the first contact element carrier into the second contact element carrier up to an assembly position of the first contact element carrier as shown in Fig. 5; attaching at least one reference contact element (106, Fig. 4) to the second contact element carrier as shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and moving the at least one contact element in the first contact element carrier to an end position, such that, in the end position, at least one surface portion of the at least one contact element and at least one surface portion of the at least one reference contact element are arranged coplanarly as shown in Fig. 5.
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Re. claim 2: The at least one contact element is pressed at least in sections in and/or at least in sections through the first contact element carrier, inherently, by means of a pressing tool because the at least one contact element is pressed into the first contact element carrier.
Re. claim 3: The at least one contact element is pressed, inherently, by a pressing tool and until the pressing tool comes into contact with at least one stop (see above Fig. 5), and wherein the at least one stop is formed and/or arranged on the second contact element carrier as shown in Fig. 5.
Re. claim 4: attaching the at least one reference contact element comprises pressing the at least one reference contact element at least in sections onto or at least in sections into a fastening portion of the second contact element carrier as shown in Fig. 5.
Re. claim 5: The first contact element carrier is plugging/sliding along at least one guide channel of the second contact element carrier as shown in Fig. 5.
Re. claim 6: At least a nonpositive connection is between the first contact element carrier and the second contact element carrier because the first contact element carrier is pressed and fitted into the second contact element carrier, which is equivalent with the nonpositive connection as shown in Fig. 5.
Re. claim 8: When the first contact element carrier is introduced into the second contact element carrier up to the assembly position a guide portion of the at least one contact element is aligned by passing the at least one contact element through at least one guide sleeve of the second contact element carrier (see attached Fig. 5).
Re. claim 16: The first contact element carrier is introduced into the second contact element carrier substantially in the longitudinal direction as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
Re. claim 17: The at least one contact element is moved in the longitudinal direction as shown in Fig. 4.
Re. claim 18: The at least one contact element is pressed into the at least one contact element as shown in Fig. 4, wherein pressing the at least one contact element is done until the pressing tool comes into contact with a surface portion of the at least one stop, and wherein the at least one stop is formed and/or arranged on a contact element stop of the at least one reference contact element as shown in Fig. 5.
Re. claim 20: The plugging and/or sliding the first contact element carrier along at least one guide channel of the second contact element carrier is in the longitudinal direction, and up to a contact element carrier stop of the second contact element carrier as shown in Fig. 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki et al.
Aoki et al. teach all limitations as set forth above, but silent pressing the at least one reference contact element perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. It is to be expected that a small change in physical attributes would be an unpatentable modification. Under some circumstance, a small change in physical attributes may impact patentability to a process if particular ranges claimed produce a new and unexpected result which is different in kind and not merely in degree from the result of the prior art. Such ranges are termed “critical” ranges, and the applicant has the burden of proving such criticality. However, even though applicant’s modification results in great improvement and utility over the prior art, it may still not be patentable if the modification was within the capabilities of one skilled in the art. More particularly, where the general conditions of claims are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In this instance applicant has failed to establish the weight and diameter as claimed are critical and amount to more than a small numerical change from the prior art. Therefore, since such a modification would have been an obvious design consideration that is within the purview of one having ordinary skill in the art to provide the well-known benefit of obtaining a desirable contact unit.
The Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhao (PGPub 2020/0136293 A1), Phillips et al. (PGPub 2018/0191093 A1), and Wayne (US PAT. 5,431,578) are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to a process of making a contact unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at 571-272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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