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 § 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) 1-2, 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wu [US 20040115988 A1].
Regarding Claim 1, Wu discloses a connector (1, Fig 1), comprising: a housing (cover 3 and base 80); a circuit board (62) inserted into the housing (base 80) and having a plurality of first terminals (signal circuitry located on top and bottom surfaces of a rear end of the board 62; see [0032]) located on a pair of opposite sides of the circuit board (62) at a rear end of the circuit board (62); a plurality of wires (cable 42 comprising lines 44) including a plurality of connecting terminals (442, 444) that are each electrically connected to one of the first terminals; and a fixing mechanism (spacer 46) mounted in the housing (3, 80) and fixing the wires (cable 42 comprising lines 44) on the circuit board (62), the connecting terminals (442,444) and the first terminals (signal circuitry, not labeled) are exposed outside the fixing mechanism (46, see Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 2, Wu discloses all the limitations of claim 1, Wu further discloses the fixing mechanism (46) includes a first fixing member (46) on the circuit board (62) and the wires (44), the first fixing member (46) exposes the connecting terminals (442, 444) and the first terminals (signal circuitry, not labeled; see Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 18, Wu discloses all the limitations of claim 2, Wu further discloses the circuit board (62) has a plurality of second terminals (662, see Fig 9) on the pair of opposite sides of the circuit board (62) at a front end of the circuit board (62) [0028].
Regarding Claim 20, Wu discloses a device, comprising: a connector (1) including a housing (cover 3 and base 80), a circuit board (62) inserted into the housing (base 80) and having a plurality of first terminals (signal circuitry, not labeled; see [0032]) located on a pair of opposite sides of the circuit board (62) at a rear end of the circuit board (62), a plurality of wires (lines 44 of cable 42) including a plurality of connecting terminals (442, 444) that are each electrically connected to one of the first terminals (not labeled, see Fig 1-2 and 9), and a fixing mechanism (46) mounted in the housing (base 80) and fixing the wires (lines 44 of cable 42) on the circuit board (62), the connecting terminals (442, 444) and the first terminals (not labeled) are exposed outside the fixing mechanism (46) see Figures 1-2 and 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-17 and 19 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 3, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a second fixing member on the wires adjacent to the first fixing member, along with all other limitations of claim 3, 2 and 1.
Claims 4-17 are objected to as they are dependent on claim 3.
Regarding Claim 19, the prior art of record do not explicitly disclose a front end of the first fixing member abuts against a rear end of the accommodating portion, along with all other limitations of claim 19, 18, 2 and 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THASLIMUR RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5831. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571 272 2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THASLIMUR RAHMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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