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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 9, 12-15, 18-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2024/0027709), in view of Reddy (US 10,222,844).
Regarding claim 1: Yang teaches a connector assembly adapted to mate with a pluggable module 100 (see Fig. 1), the connector assembly comprising: a guide shielding cage 1 comprising a cage body 11 which has an inserting passageway 11a (see Fig. 2), and a heat sink bracket 12 which is positioned above the inserting passageway of the cage body (see Figs. 1-2), the heat sink bracket having a top plate 121 (see Fig. 3); and a heat sink module 41, 42 provided to the heat sink bracket (see Figs. 2-3), the heat sink module comprising a heat sink 42, a pressure-applying spring 44 and a restoring spring 45 (see Fig. 4); the heat sink having a pushed portion 411 which extends into the inserting passageway (see Fig. 6 and Para. 0073), the pressure-applying spring 44 being provided between the top plate of the heat sink bracket and the heat sink (see Fig. 6), the restoring spring 45 being provided between the heat sink bracket and the heat sink (see Fig. 6); when the pluggable module inserts into the inserting passageway of the guide shielding cage along an inserting direction from front to rear (Para. 0089), the pluggable module pushing the pushed portion 411 of the heat sink and making the heat sink move from the first position to the second position (see Para. 0080 and Figs. 20-23), when the heat sink is at the second position (Figs. 22-23), an elastic acting force of the pressure-applying spring making a bottom portion of the heat sink downwardly contact a surface of the pluggable module with an elastic pressure; when the pluggable module is withdrawn from the inserting passageway, the restoring spring driving the heat sink to move from the second position back to the first position.
Yang does not explicitly teach the heat sink and the heat sink bracket being provided therebetween with a guiding construction, the guiding construction guiding the heat sink to move between a first position which is at relative front and up and a second position which is at relative rear and down.
Reddy teaches a heat sink 400 and a heat sink bracket (at 104; Fig. 1) being provided therebetween with a guiding construction (at 104; Fig. 3), the guiding construction guiding the heat sink 400 to move between a first position (see Fig. 6) which is at relative front and up and a second position (see Fig. 7) which is at relative rear and down.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with the heat sink and the heat sink bracket being provided therebetween with a guiding construction, the guiding construction guiding the heat sink to move between a first position which is at relative front and up and a second position which is at relative rear and down as taught by Reddy into the connector assembly of Yang in order to achieve the advantage of ensuring the heat sink is in close physical contact with the pluggable module.
Regarding claim 2: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the heat sink bracket further has side plates (at 124; Fig. 4), the guiding construction comprises guiding pins and guiding rails which cooperate with each other (see Figs. 6-7 of Reddy for guiding pins and rails), the guiding rails are constructed to the side plates of the heat sink bracket and obliquely extend rearwardly and downwardly, the guiding pins are constructed to side surfaces of the heat sink, the guiding pins are capable of moving along the guiding rails respectively (see Figs. 6-7 of Reddy).
Regarding claim 3: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the guiding construction further comprises guiding holes which are constructed to the side plates of the heat sink bracket and accommodate the guiding pins respectively, the guiding hole has the guiding rail constituted by a lower profile of the guiding hole, and a positioning rail which is positioned in front of and above the guiding rail and extends forwardly, when the heat sink is positioned at the first position (see Fig. 6 of Reddy), at least a part of the guiding pin is positioned in the corresponding positioning rail (see Figs. 6-7 of Reddy).
Regarding claim 4: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the pressure-applying spring 44 comprises plate springs which integrally constructed to the top plate of the heat sink bracket (see Fig. 4), the plate springs extend rearwardly and downwardly (see Fig. 4); the heat sink 42 is constructed with pressure-applying spring acting portions 431, when the heat sink moves rearwardly and downwardly from the first position, the pressure-applying spring acting portions actuate the pressure-applying spring to be elastically deformed so that the pressure-applying spring generates and applies a downward elastic force to the pressure-applying spring acting portions (see Para. 0075 of Yang).
Regarding claim 5: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the heat sink has heat dissipating fins 422 (Fig. 3), the pressure-applying spring acting portions 431 are constructed on the heat dissipating fins of the heat sink (Fig. 5), and comprise oblique pushing surfaces which extend rearwardly and downwardly (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the heat sink 42 has a base seat 421, the pressure-applying spring acting portions 431 are constructed on the base seat and comprise oblique pushing surfaces which extend rearwardly and downwardly (see Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 7: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the restoring spring 45 is provided between a front end of the heat sink bracket and a front end of the heat sink (see Fig. 5), when the heat sink moves rearwardly, the restoring spring is elastically deformed so as to provide an elastic acting force which makes the heat sink move to the first position (see Figs. 6 and 8).
Regarding claim 9: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the heat sink bracket further has a side plate 124 (Fig. 4), the heat sink further has a side portion (at 423; Fig. 4), the restoring spring is provided between the side plate of the heat sink bracket and the side portion of the heat sink (Figs. 5-6), when the heat sink moves rearwardly, the restoring spring is elastically deformed so as to provide an elastic acting force which makes the heat sink move to the first position (see Figs. 6 and 8).
Regarding claim 12: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein when the heat sink 42 is positioned at the first position (Fig. 6), the bottom portion of the heat sink does not contact the surface of the pluggable module (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 13: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the heat sink 42 further has a base seat 421, heat dissipating fins 422 which are provided a top surface of the base seat (see Fig. 4), and a thermal contact portion 421b which protrudes downwardly from a bottom surface of the base seat (see Fig. 4), the pushed portion 411 is positioned at a rear end of the thermal contact portion (Figs. 5-6), the pushed portion extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the base seat to a position which is lower than the thermal contact portion (see Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 14: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 13 and further teaches wherein the thermal contact portion 421b of the heat sink comprises a thermal conductive pad (Para. 0073).
Regarding claim 15: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the heat sink bracket 12 comprises an upper frame 121 and a lower frame 122, the upper frame has the top plate and first side plates, the lower frame has a bottom plate and second side plates, the first side plates of the upper frame and the second side plates of the lower frame are provided therebetween with a latching construction which allows the first side plates of the upper frame and the second side plates of the lower frame to latch with each other and an aligning construction which allows the first side plates of the upper frame and the second side plates of the lower frame to mate with each other (see Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 18: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein the cage body of the guide shielding cage further has a top wall and side walls which together define the inserting passageway (see Fig. 2), the heat sink bracket further has a bottom plate and side plates (see Fig. 2), the heat sink bracket is provided to the top wall, the heat sink bracket and the cage body are provided therebetween with a bracket assembling construction (see Figs. 2-10), the bracket assembling construction comprises a bottom assembling construction, a side assembling construction and a rear assembling construction (Fig. 10), the bottom assembling construction is provided between a left side and a right side of the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket and a left side and a right side of the top wall of the cage body, the side assembling construction is provided between the side plates of the heat sink bracket and the side walls of the cage body, the rear assembling construction is provided between a rear end of the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket and the top wall of the cage body (see Figs. 10-11).
Regarding claim 19: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches wherein the bottom assembling construction comprises snapping hooks 116a which extend out from the top wall of the cage body, the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket snaps onto the snapping hooks (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 20: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 19 and further teaches wherein the bottom assembling construction further comprises snapping hook apertures which are constructed to the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket, openings of the snapping hooks are toward the front, after the snapping hooks pass through the snapping hook apertures, the heat sink bracket moves rearwardly, so as to make the bottom plate snap into the snapping hooks (see Figs. 1-2 and Para. 0072).
Regarding claim 21: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches wherein the side assembling construction comprises side extending pieces (at 125c; Fig. 2) which extend from the side plates of the heat sink bracket to outer sides of the side walls of the cage body and inserting pieces which protrude rearwardly from the side extending pieces respectively, bulges (at 116e; Fig. 2) which are formed to the side walls of the cage body, and inserting holes which are constructed to the bulges and are opened toward the front, the inserting pieces rearwardly insert into the inserting holes respectively (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 22: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches wherein the rear assembling construction comprises a rear latching piece which extends downwardly from a rear end of the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket, and a rear latching groove 116f which is formed to the top wall of the cage body, the rear latching piece is used to downwardly latch to the rear latching groove (see Fig. 2 and Para. 0072).
Regarding claim 23: Yang, in view of Reddy, teaches all the limitations of claim 18 and further teaches wherein the bracket assembling construction further comprises a sideward position-limiting construction which is provided between the two sides of the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket and the side walls of the cage body; the sideward position-limiting construction comprises sideward position-limiting pieces which bend downwardly from the two sides of the bottom plate of the heat sink bracket and are respectively positioned to outer sides of the two side walls of the cage body (see Figs. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10-11, 16-17 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.
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 closest relevance:
Hall (US 2018/0199468) teaches a heat sink on a connector assembly and the heat sink moved rearward and downwardly when connecting with a plug module;
Scott (US 11,765,848) teaches a heat sink on a connector assembly and comprising springs and the heat sink moved rearward and downwardly when connecting with a plug module;
Lin (US 2025/0291123) teaches a heat sink on a connector assembly and moveable in a linear direction when mating with a plug and comprising elastic elements;
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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