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 2 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 2, it is unclear how a cylindrical surface can be “plane”. In claim 13, last line, “a inner” should be – an inner --; “contact sleeve” should be – housing – to agree with claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
35 USC 102 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 19, 29 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GB 2267398.
Regarding claim 1, GB ‘398 discloses a connection arrangement comprising: a contact sleeve 20; and an electrical apparatus including a housing 10 and an electrical circuit 78 arranged inside the housing, and wherein the contact sleeve is configured for insertion into a recess 110 of the housing of the electrical apparatus, and wherein the contact sleeve comprises a lateral inner contact surface 26 and a face-sided outer contact surface (unnumbered), wherein the lateral inner contact surface is configured to make an electrical contact with an outer conductor of an electrical plug-in connector, and wherein the face-sided outer contact surface is configured to make an electrical contact with the housing of the electrical apparatus via a stop surface inside the recess of the housing.
Regarding claim 4, GB ‘398 discloses the contact sleeve 20 comprises at least one spring tab, and wherein the lateral inner contact surface 26 is arranged on the at least one spring tab.
Regarding claim 5, GB ‘398 discloses the contact sleeve 20 comprises a plurality of spring tabs which are circularly arranged inside the contact sleeve, and wherein the lateral inner contact surface 26 is arranged and distributed over the plurality of spring tabs.
Regarding claim 6, GB ‘398 discloses the cross-sectional area of the contact sleeve 20 is reduced in the face-sided outer contact surface.
Regarding claim 7, GB ‘398 discloses the face-sided outer contact surface has a through-hole for providing a passage for an inner conductor 70 of the electrical apparatus or for an inner conductor contact element of the plug-in connector.
Regarding claim 9, GB ‘398 discloses the contact sleeve 20 has a funnel-shaped insertion section for the insertion of the electrical plug-in connector.
Regarding claim 10, GB ‘398 discloses the contact sleeve 20 is made in one piece.
Regarding claim 13, GB ‘398 discloses an outer shell surface of the contact sleeve 20 is configured to be mechanically connected to a inner surface of the recess of the contact sleeve.
Regarding claim 15, GB ‘398 discloses the electrical circuit 78 comprises a radio-frequency component (very broadly recited).
Regarding claim 19, GB ‘398 discloses the housing 10 is made of metal.
Regarding claim 29, GB ‘398 is applied as above. GB ‘398 further discloses a printed circuit board 102 having a counterpart connector (not shown); and a connecting element (lower ends of sleeve 20 and inner conductor 70) for connecting the electrical apparatus to the printed circuit board, wherein the electrical plug-in connector is arranged at a first end of the connecting element for connecting to the electrical apparatus, and wherein the connecting element comprises a secondary connector at a second end for connecting to the counterpart connector of the printed circuit board.
Regarding claim 30, the method steps are deemed to be inherent in the assembly of GB ‘398.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sattele 2006/0099853.
Regarding claim 1, Sattele et al (front page) discloses a connection arrangement comprising: a contact sleeve 9; and an electrical apparatus including a housing 2 and an electrical circuit 4 arranged inside the housing, and wherein the contact sleeve is configured for insertion into a recess of the housing of the electrical apparatus, and wherein the contact sleeve comprises a lateral inner contact surface 8 and a face-sided outer contact surface, wherein the lateral inner contact surface being is configured to make an electrical contact with an outer conductor 16 of an electrical plug-in connector 14, and wherein the face-sided outer contact surface being is configured to make an electrical contact with the housing of the electrical apparatus via a stop surface inside the recess of the housing.
Regarding claim 2, Sattele et al discloses the lateral inner contact surface 8 is a plane cylindrical surface with constant inner diameter.
Regarding claim 4, Sattele et al discloses the contact sleeve 9 comprises at least one spring tab 10, and wherein the lateral inner contact surface is arranged on the at least one spring tab.
Regarding claim 5, Sattele et al discloses the contact sleeve 9 comprises a plurality of spring tabs 10 which are circularly arranged inside the contact sleeve, and wherein the lateral inner contact surface is arranged and distributed over the plurality of spring tabs.
Regarding claim 7, Sattele et al discloses the face-sided outer contact surface has a through-hole for providing a passage for an inner conductor 4 of the electrical apparatus or for an inner conductor contact element of the plug-in connector.
Regarding claim 9, Sattele et al discloses the contact sleeve 9 has a funnel-shaped insertion section 10 for the insertion of the electrical plug-in connector 14.
Regarding claim 10, Sattele et al discloses the contact sleeve 9 is made in one piece.
Regarding claim 13, Sattele et al discloses an outer shell surface of the contact sleeve 9 is configured to be mechanically connected to an inner surface of the recess of the housing 2.
Regarding claim 15, Sattele et al discloses the electrical circuit comprises a radio-frequency component (very broadly recited) 4.
Regarding claim 16, Sattele et al discloses the recess of the housing 2 is a stepped bore, with the stepped bore having a first (upper) bore section for insertion of the contact sleeve 9 and a second (lower) bore section for providing a mechanical passage to the electrical circuit 4, wherein the first bore section has a larger diameter than the second bore section, and wherein the stop surface is a step between the first bore section and the second bore section.
Regarding claim 17, Sattele et al discloses the electrical apparatus comprises an inner conductor 4, the inner conductor being connected to the electrical circuit (not shown, which is connected to the lower end of 4) and coaxially protruding through the second bore section into the first bore section.
Regarding claim 18, Sattele et al discloses the electrical apparatus comprises a dielectric material 5, the dielectric material being housed inside the second bore section, wherein the inner conductor 4 is coaxially guided through the dielectric material.
Regarding claim 19, Sattele et al discloses the housing 2 is made of metal.
Regarding claim 20, Sattele et al discloses the fully inserted contact sleeve 9 protrudes from the recess of the housing 2.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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(s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2267398 or Sattele et al as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of EP 3819993.
EP ‘993 (Figure 4) discloses an undercut above element 331, and to provide either GB ‘398 or Sattele et al with an undercut thus would have been obvious, to better secure to a counterpart connector.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2267398 or Sattele et al.
It would have been an obvious matter of design to form the contact sleeve of GB ‘398 or Sattele et al with a hexagonal flange, since the function of the contact sleeve would not be substantially affected.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2267398 or Sattele et al as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gessford et al 8936485.
Gessford et al (claim 7 thereof) discloses higher conductivity coating material (gold), and to provide GB ‘398 or Sattele et al with such coating material thus would have been obvious, for good electrical conductivity.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834