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
Claims 10-13, 16-17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, line 2, “the underside” has no antecedent basis.
Claim 11, line 3, “a clamp locking feature” should be changed to – the clamp locking feature--. Also line 5, “a frame locking feature” should be changed to—the frame locking feature--.
Claim 16, line 5, “a respective groove” should be changed to – the respective groove--. 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.
Claims 1-6, 11, 14, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a, 1) as being participated by Gunay (U. S. Patent 6,383,004).
Regarding claim 1, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses a locking device C for securing a cable assembly 20 to a cable connector 11 of a printed circuit board (PCB) 10, the locking device C comprising: a clamp member (formed by lower part 26) that includes a baseplate 29 and at least one arm 27 extending from the baseplate 29, the at least one arm 27 having a clamp locking feature (at the top of slot 27a); and a frame (formed by top surface of member 25) configured to fit over the clamp member (formed by lower part 26), the frame 25 including at least one latching member 25 extending therefrom, the at least one latching member 25 having a frame locking feature (formed by top surface of member 25), wherein when the frame (formed by top surface of member 25) is fit over the clamp member (formed by lower part 26), the at least one arm 27 of the baseplate 29 extends through an aperture 31 defined in the frame (formed by top surface of member 25) such that the at least one arm 27 is parallel to the at least one latching member 25 of the frame (formed by top of surface of member 25), the clamp locking feature (at the top of slot 27a) of the at least one arm 27 being configured to mate with the frame locking feature (formed by top surface of member 25) of the at least one latching member 25 to lock the frame (formed by top surface of member 25) to the clamp member (formed by lower part 26).
Regarding claim 2, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses when the frame (formed by top surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by lower part 26), a gap is defined between the frame (formed by top surface of member 25) and the baseplate 29 of the clamp member (formed by lower part 26); the gap being sized to receive a portion of the cable assembly 20 and a portion of the cable connector 11 therein.
Regarding claim 3, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the clamp member (formed by lower part 26) and the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) apply a compressive force to the portion of the cable assembly 20 and the portion of the cable connector 11 when the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by lower part 26), the compressive force preventing disconnection of the cable assembly 20 from the cable connector 11.
Regarding claim 4, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) further includes a compression member 34 extending from an underside thereof, the compression member 34 and the clamp member (formed by lower part 26) applying the compressive force to the portion of the cable assembly 20 and the portion of the cable connector 11 when the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by lower part 26).
Regarding claim 5, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the clamp locking feature (formed by lower part 26) includes one or more grooves 27a defined in the at least one arm 27, and wherein the frame locking feature (formed by the top surface of member 25) includes one or more shoulders that extend from the at least one latching member 25 toward the at least one arm 27 when the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26).
Regarding claim 6, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the one or more shoulders are insertable into the one or more grooves 27a when the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) to thereby lock the frame (formed by the top surface of member 25) to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26).
Regarding claim 11, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the at least one arm 27 includes a first arm 27 and a second arm 27 extending from opposite ends of the baseplate 29, each of the first arm 27 and the second arm 27 having a clamp locking feature (formed by the top surface of member 26), the at least one latching member 25 including a first latching member 25 and a second latching member 25, each of the first latching member and the second latching member 25 having a frame locking feature (formed by the surface of member 25).
Regarding claim 14, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses a printed circuit board (PCB) 70 assembly comprising: a PCB 70; a cable connector 11 mounted on the PCB 70; a cable assembly 20 inserted into the cable connector 11; and a locking device C for securing the cable assembly 20 to the cable connector 11, the locking device C including: a clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) that includes a baseplate 29 disposed on a first side of the PCB 70, and first and second arms 27 that extend through apertures in the PCB 70 to an opposing second side of the PCB 70; and a frame (formed by the surface of member 25) disposed on the second side of the PCB, the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) having apertures 31 defined therein through which the first arm 27 and the second arm 27 of the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) extend, the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) being lockable to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) such that at least a portion of the cable assembly 20 and a portion of the cable connector 11 are positioned between the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) and the frame (formed by the surface of member 25), the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26) and the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) applying a compressive force to the portion of the cable assembly 20 and the portion of the cable connector 11 when the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26), the compressive force preventing disconnection of the cable assembly 20 from the cable connector 11.
Regarding claim 18, Gunay, see figures 1, 5, discloses the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) further includes a compression member 34 extending from an underside thereof, the compression member 34 and the clamp (formed by the top surface of member 26) applying the compressive force to the portion of the cable assembly 20 and the portion of the cable connector 11 when the frame (formed by the surface of member 25) is locked to the clamp member (formed by the top surface of member 26).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10, 12-13, 15-17, 19-20 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.
None of the references discloses the one or more grooves includes a plurality of
grooves, at least one of the one or more shoulders being selectively insertable into a respective groove of the plurality of grooves to adjust a height of a gap between the baseplate of the clamp and the frame, the at least one latching member is biased toward the at least one arm, further comprising a boss extending from the at least one arm of the clamp member, the boss contacting the frame when the frame is fit over the clamp member to prevent the frame from sliding past the boss, when the frame is fit over the clamp member, the first arm extends through a first aperture defined in the frame and the second arm extends through a second aperture in the frame such that the first latching member and the second latching member are positioned between the first arm and the second arm, the frame includes a first latching member extending away from the second side of the PCB and being aligned with the first arm, and a second latching member extending away from the second side of the PCB and being aligned with the second arm, the first latching member and the second latching member being positioned between the first arm and the second arm, both the first arm and the second arm have a flared proximal end adjacent to the baseplate that is wider than the apertures defined in the PCB.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG K DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-2090. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Riyami A Abdullah 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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/PHUONG K DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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