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
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 1-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Johnescu (US 2021/0234314).
Regarding claim 1: Johnescu teaches a lead assembly for an electrical connector (see Fig. 12B), the lead assembly comprising: an assembly housing 1402 comprising a first side, and a second side opposite the first side (see Fig. 13B); a plurality of conductive elements 1610 held by the assembly housing (see Figs. 13-13B), each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating end extending out of the assembly housing, a mounting end opposite the mating end and extending out of the assembly housing, and an intermediate portion joining the mating end and the mounting end (see Figs. 15J-15K), the plurality of conductive elements comprising first type conductors disposed between second type conductors, wherein the first type conductors are wider than the second type conductors (see Figs. 15J-15K); a first shielding member 1612 disposed on the first side of the lead assembly and comprising a plurality of first tabs 1626 electrically and mechanically connected to the mating ends of respective first-type conductors of the plurality of conductive elements from the first side of the assembly (see Fig. 15E and Para, 0292-0293); and a second shielding member 1612 comprising a plurality of second tabs 1626 electrically and mechanically connected to the mating ends of respective first-type conductors of the plurality of conductive elements from the second side of the assembly (see Fig. 15E and Para. 0292-0293).
Regarding claim 2: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein: the lead assembly further comprises lossy material coupling the first shield member to the second shielding member (Para. 0284).
Regarding claim 3: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein: the lead assembly further comprises lossy material coupling the first shield member to first-type conductors of the plurality of conductive elements and coupling the second shielding member to first-type conductors of the plurality of conductive elements (see Fig, 15C and Para. 0284).
Regarding claim 4: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein: the mounting ends of the plurality of conductive elements extend from the connector at a mounting interface; and each of the first and second shielding members comprises a shielding interconnect configured for connection to a ground structure of a printed circuit board at the mounting interface (see Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 5: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein, for each of the second type conductors: a portion of the mating end is sandwiched between a first tab 1626 and a second tab 1626 (see Fig. 15E).
Regarding claim 6: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein:the plurality of first tabs 1626 and the plurality of second tabs 1626 are symmetrically disposed about a column that the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements are aligned in (see Fig. 15E).
Regarding claim 7: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 6 and further teaches wherein: the plurality of first tabs and the plurality of second tabs are disposed in pairs; each pair has a first tab and a second tab; and the first tab and second tab in each pair overlap with each other (see Figs. 15C-15E).
Regarding claim 8: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein:the first shielding member 1612 comprises a first body disposed on the first side of the lead assembly and a plurality of beams 1634 connected to the plurality of first tabs (see Figs. 15D-15E); and the second shielding member 1612 comprises a second body disposed on the second side of the lead assembly and a plurality of beams 1634 connected to the plurality of second tabs (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 9: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein: the second shielding member 1612 comprises a plurality of third tabs disposed between the plurality of first tabs and separated from the mating ends of respective signal conductors of the plurality of conductive elements (see Fig. 15C for multiple tabs).
Regarding claim 10: Johnescu teaches a lead assembly for an electrical connector (see Fig. 12B), the lead assembly comprising: a housing; a plurality of conductive elements held in a column by the housing (see Figs. 12A-13B), each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating end, a mounting end opposite the mating end, and an intermediate portion extending between the mating end and the mounting end (Fig. 15C), the plurality of conductive elements comprising ground conductors 1618 disposed between signal conductors 1616 (see Fig. 15C); and a shielding member 1612 comprising a body disposed on the housing, a plurality of tabs 1626 disposed on the mounting ends of respective ground conductors of the plurality of conductive elements (see Fig. 15E), and a plurality of transition portions 1634 connecting the plurality of tabs to the body (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 11: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: tabs of the plurality of tabs of the shielding member are welded to respective ground conductors of the plurality of conductive elements (Para. 0285).
Regarding claim 12: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein, for each of the ground conductors: the mounting end comprises a tab and a beam extending from the tab; and the beam is configured to contact a shield 1630 of a cable such that the shielding member is electrically connected to the shield of the cable through the mounting end (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 13: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: the body of the shielding member comprises a plurality of openings aligned in a line parallel to the column; each of the ground conductors comprises an opening aligned with a respective opening of the body of the shielding member; and the lead assembly comprises lossy material extending through the openings of the body of the shielding member and the openings of the ground conductors so as to couple the shielding member and the ground conductors (see Figs. 15D-15E and Para. 0284).
Regarding claim 14: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: the mounting ends of the ground conductors comprises openings; and the lead assembly comprises a conductive hood having projections extending through the openings of the mounting ends of the ground conductors (see Figs. 15J-15M).
Regarding claim 15: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: the body of the shielding member comprises an opening; the housing comprises a protrusion extending through the opening of the body of the shielding member; and a transition portion of the shielding member joins the protrusion of the housing and a tab of the shielding member (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 16: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: the plurality of tabs are a first plurality of tabs; and the shielding member 1612 comprises a second plurality of tabs disposed on the mating ends of respective ground conductors of the plurality of conductive elements (Fig. 15E).
Regarding claim 17: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and further teaches wherein: the first plurality of tabs and the second plurality of tabs are disposed in pairs; and each pair has one of the first plurality of tabs disposed on the mounting end of a respective ground conductor and one of the second plurality of tabs disposed on the mating end of the respective ground conductor (see Figs. 15D-15K).
Regarding claim 18: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 10 and further teaches wherein: the shielding member 1612 is a first shielding member disposed on a first side of the housing; the lead assembly comprises a second shielding member 1612 disposed on a second side of the housing opposite the first side; and the second shielding member comprises a plurality of tabs disposed on the mounting ends of respective ground conductors (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 19: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches wherein, for each of the ground conductors: a portion of the mounting end is sandwiched between a tab of the first shielding member and a tab of the second shielding member (Fig. 15E).
Regarding claim 20: Johnescu teaches a cable assembly (Fig. 12A) comprising: a plurality of cables, each of the plurality of cables comprising at least one wire and a shield disposed around the at least one wire (Fig. 15B); a plurality of signal conductors 1616, each of the plurality of signal conductors comprising a mating end, a mounting end opposite the mating end, and an intermediate portion extending between the mating end and the mounting end, the mounting end mounted with a wire of the at least one wire of a respective cable (see Fig. 15B); a plurality of ground conductors 1618, each of the plurality of ground conductors comprising a mating end, a mounting end opposite the mating ends, and an intermediate portion extending between the mating end and the mounting end, the mounting end electrically and mechanically connected to the shield of a respective cable (Fig. 15A); and a shielding member 1612 comprising a body and a plurality of tabs extending from the body, each of the plurality of tabs disposed on the mounting end of a respective ground conductor (see Fig. 15E).
Regarding claim 21: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 20 and further teaches comprising: a conductive hood 1608 holding the mounting ends of the plurality of ground conductors such that the mounting ends of the plurality of ground conductors press against the shields of the plurality of cables (see Figs. 15D-15E).
Regarding claim 22: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 21 and further teaches further comprising:an insulative overmold 1302 molded over segments of the plurality of cables and partially surrounding the conductive hood (see Figs. 12A-12B).
Regarding claim 23: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 20 and further teaches comprising: a lossy member coupling the intermediate portions of the plurality of ground conductors and the body of the shielding member (Para. 0284).
Regarding claim 24: Johnescu teaches all the limitations of claim 23 and further teaches wherein: the plurality of tabs of the shielding member 1612 are a first plurality of tabs; the shielding member comprising a second plurality of tabs extending from the body; and each of the second plurality of tabs is disposed on the mating end of a respective ground conductor (see Figs. 15B-15E).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of particular relevance:
Wanha (US 2015/0079845) teaches an electrical connector comprising lead assemblies comprising shielding members having tabs and lossy material;
Stokoe (US 2019/0296469) teaches a connector module comprising lossy material and shield members contacts ground members from both sides;
Paniagua (US 2020/0266585) teaches an interconnection system comprising multiple lead assemblies and connected to a circuit board and lossy material within;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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