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
Claim 17 objected to because of the following informalities: line 4 recites "the latch in the" should read "the latch is in the". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 objected to because of the following informalities: line 3 recites "first tower power" should read "first tower portion". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 7, 10-12, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. [US 20170012389 A1] .
Regarding Claim 1, Li discloses an electrical connector (100, Fig 1) comprising: a housing (1) comprising a body and a first tower portion (13) disposed at an end of the body, the body having a slot (111), the first tower portion extending beyond a mating face (11); a second tower portion (31, see Fig 5) comprising a first end engaging the first tower portion (13) of the housing (1) and a second end opposite the first end; and a latch (32) coupled to the second tower portion (31) and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position (see Fig 6A-6B).
Regarding Claim 7, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Li further discloses the latch (32) comprises: a first member (32) comprising a first surface (a bottom end of the first preventing wall 326 and second preventing wall 324, see [0022]; annotated Figure 5) butting against the second end (butting against stopping surfaces 3113 and 3114) of the second tower portion (31) when the latch (32) is in the locked position (Fig 6A), and a second surface (see annotated Figure 5) butting against the second end of the second tower portion (31) when the latch (32) is in the unlocked position (see Fig 6B).
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Regarding Claim 10, Li discloses a method of operating an electrical connector (100, Fig 2) comprising a housing body (1) comprising a mating face (11), a mounting face (12) and a slot (111) extending through the mating face (11) and elongating in a longitudinal direction, a tower (13) extending from an end of the housing body (1) in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a latch (3) coupled to the tower (13) and comprising first and second members (32, 31), the method comprising: pivoting the first member (32) of the latch (3) about an end of the second member (31) of the latch (3) so as to move the second member (31) in the vertical direction.
Regarding Claim 11, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 10, Li further discloses inserting a card (not shown, see [0018-0019]) into the slot (111) which moves the second member (31) in a direction opposite to the vertical direction.
Regarding Claim 12, Li discloses an electrical connector (100) comprising: a housing (1) comprising a body and a tower (13) extending from an end of the body, the body having a mating face (11), a mounting face (12) opposite the mating face (11), and a slot (111) extending from the mating face (11) toward the mounting face (12); a plurality of conductive elements (2) held by the housing (1), each of the plurality of conductive elements (2) comprising a mating portion curving into the slot and a mounting tail opposite the mating portion and extending out of the mounting face (12, see Fig 2); and a latch (3) coupled to the housing (1) and comprising a first member (32) and a second member (31), wherein the first member (32) is pivotable about an end of the second member (31) so as to move the second member (31) in a vertical direction when the latch (3) moves between a locked position and an unlocked position (see Fig 6A-
Regarding Claim 17, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 12, Li further discloses the first member (32) of the latch (3) comprises a cavity (323); the end of the second member (31) of the latch (3) extends into the cavity (323); and when the latch (3) is in the locked position (see Fig 6A), the second member (31) of the latch (3) abuts against a sidewall (324, 326) of the cavity (323).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. [US 20170012389 A1] in view of Ko [US 20060228929 A1].
Regarding Claim 2, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Li does not explicitly disclose the second tower portion is made of a material stronger than the housing.
However, Ko discloses a second tower portion (4) is made of a material (metal, see claim 17) stronger than the insulative housing (1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li as suggested by Ko to provide the second tower portion is made of a material stronger than the housing. Providing a stronger material for the latch protects the latches from being damaged and ensures the components are securely connected together effectively as recognized by Ko.
Regarding Claim 3, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Li does not explicitly disclose the first end of the second tower portion at least partially wraps three surfaces of the first tower portion.
However, Ko discloses an electrical connector (100, Fig 1) comprising a first tower portion (13) and a second tower portion (4); the first end of the second tower portion (4) at least partially wraps three surfaces (via receiving space 410 formed by top portion 411, bottom portion 412 and side portion 413) of the first tower portion (13).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li as suggested by Ko to provide the first end of the second tower portion at least partially wraps three surfaces of the first tower portion. The “U-shaped” wrapping interface taught by Ko could prevent damage to the mounting interface and ensure the second tower portion is securely connected to the housing, improving the overall mechanical durability of the connector when subjected to stresses as taught by Ko.
Regarding Claim 4, Li and Ko disclose all the limitations of claim 3, Ko further discloses the first tower portion (13) comprises a protrusion (130); and the second tower portion (4) comprise a groove (415) receiving the protrusion (130) of the first tower portion (13).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. [US 20170012389 A1] .
Regarding Claim 20, Li discloses all the limitations of claim 12, Li further discloses the slot (111) of the body of the housing (1) elongates in a longitudinal direction; and the tower (13) extends above a notch of a standard memory card/module (not shown, see [0018-0019] in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Li does not explicitly disclose the tower extends above a notch of a “standard DDR card”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Li to provide the tower extends above a notch of a “standard DDR card”. The specification of the claimed invention acknowledges memory cards are commonly designed according to “DDR standards, such as DDR4 or DDR5” (see [0004]) and the invention disclosed by Li is directed to a connector for a “memory card/module”, it would have been an obvious design choice for a person of ordinary skill in the art to configure the size of the connector disclosed by Li to be compatible with these commonly designed standards to meet market demand. Moreover, using a connector designed for memory modules such as the one disclosed by Li with a common type of memory module (a standard DDR card) is a predictable design consideration.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 8-9, 13-16 and 18-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding Claim 5, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a member engaging both the first tower portion and the first end of the second tower portion so as to connect the first tower portion with the second tower portion, along with all other limitations of claim 5 and 1.
Regarding Claim 8, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a second member disposed in the channel and having a first end coupled to the first member such that the first member is pivotably mounted about an end of the second member, along with all other limitations of claim 8, 7 and 1.
Regarding Claim 13, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose the second member moves by a difference between the second distance and the first distance when the latch switches between the locked position and the unlocked position, along with all other limitations of claim 13 and 12.
Regarding Claim 18, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a resilient member disposed between the second member of the latch and the tower of the housing, along with all other limitations of claim 18 and 12.
Regarding Claim 19, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose the second member of the latch extends in the second tower portion, along with all other limitations of claim 19 and 12.
Conclusion
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/THASLIMUR RAHMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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