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 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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roche (US 5,201,662) in view of Okamura et al. (US 7,134,886) hereafter Okamura.
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Regarding claim 1, Roche discloses an electrical contact element 10, comprising: a housing 12 with an upper surface US (see annotated fig.), a lower surface LS (see annotated fig.) opposite the upper surface, and a side surface SS (see annotated fig.)/(50) connecting the upper surface to the lower surface, a lower row of electrical connection pins 14a protruding from the side surface (see figs. 3-5), and an upper row of electrical connection pins 14b protruding from the side surface(see figs. 3-5),wherein, in the viewing (top to bottom) direction perpendicular to the side surface, the connection pins of the upper row 14a are arranged offset from the connection pins of the lower row 14b (see fig. 3) and wherein, in the viewing direction parallel to the side surface and along the upper or lower row of connection pins 14, the connection pins of the upper row intersect with the connection pins of the lower row (see figs. 4, 5).
However, Roche does not discloses the connection pins of the upper of the upper row intersect with the connection pins of the lower row (see figs. 4, 5) at a right angle.
Okamura, fig. 11 , discloses the connection pins 51A of the upper of the upper row intersect with the connection pins 51B of the lower row at a right angle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the connection pins of the upper of the upper row intersect with the connection pins of the lower row at a right angle, as taught by Okumura in order to have ease of manufacturing and assembling.
Regarding claim 2, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses the electrical connection pins of the upper row 14a and the electrical connection pins of the lower row each 14b have an electrical contact surface 40 for electrically contacting the respective connection pin 42a/42b with an electrical contact carrier 44 (fig. 3 and 5) and wherein a creepage distance between the electrical contact surface 40 of a connection pin 14 and the electrical contact surface 40 of the closest connection pin 14 is greater than an offset distance (see fig. 4), measured parallel to the side surface, between a connection pin 14a of the upper row and an adjacently arranged connection pin 14b of the lower row.
Regarding claim 3, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses the connection pins 14a of the upper row and the connection pins 14b of the lower row each have: a first pin portion 16 which extends from the side surface, a second pin portion 18a, 18b which is connected to the first pin portion 16 and extends substantially in the direction of the lower surface of the housing, and a third pin portion 40 connected to the second pin portion 18a/18b, wherein the third pin portion 40 is designed for electrically contacting the connection pin 42a, 42b with an electrical contact carrier 44 (see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, (as modified by Okamura), discloses in the viewing direction parallel to the side surface SS and along the upper or lower row of connection pins 14, the second pin portions 18a of the upper row intersect with the first pin portions 18 of the lower row 14b (see fig. 5).Regarding claim 5, Roche discloses in the respective connection pin 14, the respective third pin portion 4 is arranged parallel to the respective first pin portion16 (see figs. 3-5).
Regarding claim 6, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses measured in the direction perpendicular to the side surface SS, a distance between an end side of the third pin portion 40 and the side surface is greater than a maximum distance between the second pin portion 18A/ 18B and the side surface SS (see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses measured in the direction perpendicular to the side surface, a distance between the side surface SS and an end side of the third pin portion 40 of a connection pin of the lower row 14b is greater than a maximum distance between the side surface SS and the second pin portion 18a of a connection pin 14a of the upper row.
Regarding claim 9, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses the contact surfaces 40 of the connection pins of the upper row 14a and the contact surfaces of the connection pins of the lower row 14b lie in a common plane (figs. 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 10, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses a device, comprising: an electrical contact element as claimed in claim 1, and an electrical contact carrier 44 which is electrically connected, in particular soldered, to the connection pins 14 of the electrical contact element 10.
Regarding claim 11, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses the connection pins 14 of the upper row14a and the connection pins 14 of the lower row 14b each have: a first pin portion 16 which extends from the side surface, a second pin portion 18a, 18b which is connected to the first pin portion 16 and extends substantially in the direction of the lower surface of the housing, and a third pin portion 40 connected to the second pin portion 18a, 18b, wherein the third pin portion 40 is designed for electrically contacting the connection pin 42a, 42b with an electrical contact carrier 44.
Regarding claim 12, Roche (as modified by Okamura), discloses in the respective connection pin, the respective third pin portion 40 is arranged parallel to the respective first pin portion 16.
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roche (US 5,201,662) in view of embodiment of Figs. 7A-7B and 10 of Okamura et al. (US 7,134,886) hereafter Okamura.
Regarding claim 13, Roche discloses an electrical contact element 10, comprising: a housing 12 with an upper surface US (see annotated fig.), a lower surface LS opposite the upper surface, and a side surface SS (see annotated fig.)/(50) connecting the upper surface US to the lower surface LS, a lower row of electrical connection pins 14A protruding from the side surface SS, and an upper row of electrical connection pins protruding from the side surface SS, wherein, in the viewing direction perpendicular to the side surface, the connection pins of the upper row are arranged offset from the connection pins
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of the lower row 14b (see fig. 3), and wherein, in the viewing direction parallel to the side surface SS and along the upper or lower row of connection pins 14, the connection pins of the upper row intersect with the connection pins of the lower row (see figs. 4, 5).
However, Roche does not disclose the lower row of electrical connection pins 14A having respective portion parallel to the side surface.
Okamura, fig. 7(A),7(B), 10, discloses the lower row 11B of electrical connection pins 12 having respective portion PP (13, fig./ 7(B)) parallel to the side surface of the housing (see fig. 10)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the lower row of electrical connection pins 14A having respective portion parallel to the side surface, as taught by Okumura in order to have ease of manufacturing and assembling.
Regarding claim 14, Roche (as modified by Okamura), i) the connection pins of the upper row intersect with the connection pins of the lower row at a right angle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 8, the prior art of record does not disclose or teaches an electrical contact element comprising, measured in the direction perpendicular to the side surface, a distance between the second pin portion and the side surface decreases in the direction toward the lower surface of the housing as required in combination with other limitations of this claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/1/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner has revised the rejection as stated above.
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 HARSHAD C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8289. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 8:00 am - 5.00 pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270 3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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