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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0216254). Regarding Claim 1, Morgan discloses a shield contact system, comprising: a first shield (350) having a first shield body (354) with a first leading edge (Fig. 7) and a guiding element (359) extending from the first leading edge along an insertion direction (Fig. 8); and a second shield (250) having a second shield body (280) defining a receiving space (258), the second shield body has a second leading edge (Fig. 6), the first shield and the second shield are inserted together along the insertion direction to an inserted state (Fig. 8) in which the guiding element is positioned within the receiving space and the first leading edge is separated from the second leading edge along the insertion direction, the first leading edge does not overlap the second leading edge along the insertion direction in the inserted state.
Regarding Claim 2, Morgan discloses the second shield having a contact beam (272) extending from the second shield body.
Regarding Claim 3, Morgan discloses the first shield and the second shield being inserted together along the insertion direction from the inserted state to a mated state (Fig. 8), the contact beam abuts the first shield body in the mated state.
Regarding Claim 4, Morgan discloses the guiding element contacting and deflecting the contact beam during insertion along the insertion direction between the inserted state and the mated state (Fig. 8).
Regarding Claim 5, Morgan discloses the guiding element being one of a plurality of guiding elements (359) distributed around the first leading edge in a circumferential direction (Fig. 7) and the contact beam is one of a plurality of contact beams distributed around the second shield body in the circumferential direction.
Regarding Claim 6, Morgan discloses each of the guiding elements being aligned with one of the contact beams along the insertion direction (Fig. 8).
Regarding Claim 7, Morgan discloses the guiding element extending from the first leading edge at an obtuse angle (Fig. 7) with respect to a first interior surface (Fig. 7) of the first shield body.
Regarding Claim 8, Morgan discloses a guiding end (Fig. 7) of the guiding element in the insertion direction having a curved shape (Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 9, Morgan discloses the guiding element having an approximately triangular shape (Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 10, Morgan discloses the guiding element being monolithically formed in a single piece with the first shield body (Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 11, Morgan discloses the guiding element being one of a plurality of guiding elements (359) distributed around the first leading edge in a circumferential direction (Fig. 7), the first shield body has a chamfer (Fig. 7) on the first leading edge between the guiding elements.
Regarding Claim 12, Morgan discloses the first shield having a rib (358) extending from the first shield body, the rib is positioned between the first shield body and the second shield body in a mated state (Fig. 8) of the first shield and the second shield.
Regarding Claim 13, Morgan discloses a leading end (Fig. 7) of the rib being spaced apart from the first leading edge along the insertion direction.
Regarding Claim 14, Morgan discloses the contact beam being cantilevered from the second shield body and extends from a fixed end (Fig. 6) to a cantilevered end (Fig. 6) along the insertion direction.
Regarding Claim 15, Morgan discloses the cantilevered end being positioned further from a second leading edge (Fig. 6) of the second shield body than the fixed end along the insertion direction.
Regarding Claim 16, Morgan discloses a dielectric (230) positioned within the receiving space, the dielectric has a mating face with a cutout (Fig. 10), the guiding element passes through the cutout during insertion along the insertion direction.
Regarding Claim 17, Morgan discloses a process of connecting a shield contact system, comprising: providing a first shield (350) having a first shield body (354) with a first leading edge (Fig. 7) and a guiding element (359) extending from the first leading edge along an insertion direction (Fig. 8); providing a second shield (250) having a second shield body (280) defining a receiving space (258), the second shield body has a second leading edge (Fig. 6); and inserting the first shield and the second shield together along the insertion direction to an inserted state (Fig. 8) in which the guiding element is positioned within the receiving space and the first leading edge is separated from the second leading edge along the insertion direction, the guiding element aligns the first shield within the second shield as the first shield and second shield are further inserted together along the insertion direction from the inserted state.
Regarding Claim 18, Morgan discloses the first shield and the second shield being inserted together along the insertion direction from the inserted state to a mated state (Fig. 8), the second shield has a contact beam (272) extending from the second shield body and contacting the first shield body in the mated state, the guiding element aligns the first shield within the second shield during insertion along the insertion direction before the contact beam contacts the first shield body.
Regarding Claim 19, Morgan discloses the contact beam being cantilevered from the second shield body and extends from a fixed end (Fig. 6) to a cantilevered end (Fig. 6) along the insertion direction, the guiding element contacts the fixed end before the cantilevered end and deflects the contact beam during insertion from the inserted state to the mated state.
Regarding Claim 20, Morgan discloses the first shield having a rib (358) extending from the first shield body, the rib centers the first shield within the receiving space.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses electrical connectors, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having shield contact systems comprising first and second shields, guiding elements and contact beams.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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