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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2, line 2, “a second contact end” is unclear since there is no first contact end.
Claim 7, term, “a cable” should be changed to – the cable--.
Claim 17, line 6, term “a circuit board” is unclear and should be changed to – the circuit board--.
Claim 20, term, “the cable” has no antecedent basis. 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, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a, 1) as being anticipated by Baechtle (U. S. Patent 5,137,454).
Regarding claim 1, Baechtle discloses a connector 100, comprising: a housing 10 which adapted to be fixed on a circuit board (see columns 3, 4); and a first terminal 120 arranged in the housing 10 and having an elastic end 124 exposed outside of the housing 10, wherein when the housing 10 is fixed to the circuit board 30, the elastic end of the first terminal 120 is adapted to contact an exposed contact pad (near to the leadline 124) on the circuit board (see columns 3, 4) under a pressing force applied by the housing 10.
Regarding claim 17, Baechtle discloses a connector assembly, comprising: a connector 100, including: a housing 10 adapted to be fixed on a circuit board 30; and a first terminal 120 arranged in the housing 10 and having an elastic end 124 exposed out of the housing 10; and a circuit board 30 having a contact pad (near to the leadline 124), wherein the housing 10 of the connector 100 is fixed on the circuit board (see columns 3, 4), and the elastic end 124 of the first terminal 120 of the connector 100 is in electrical contact with the contact pad (near to the leadline 124) on the circuit board (see columns 3, 4) under a pressing force applied by the housing 10.
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 2-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baechtle in view of Gardner (U. S. Patent 6,592,401).
Regarding claim 2, Baechtle discloses further comprising a second terminal 120 arranged in the housing 10 and having a connection end and a second contact end, the connection end of the second terminal 120 is located in a rear side of the housing 10. Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for adapted to be electrically connected to a cable. Gardner discloses a cable 44. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Gardner so as to provide for transmit signals.
Regarding claim 3, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for a signal transmission rate to the connector at of the first terminal is lower than that of the second terminal. Gardner discloses a signal transmission rate (right side near to the leadline 50, see figure 1) to the connector. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Gardner so as to provide for transmit signals.
Regarding claim 4, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for the connector includes multiple first terminals and multiple second terminals, the multiple first terminals including a first signal terminal and a power terminal, the multiple second terminals including a second signal terminal and a grounding terminal. Gardner, see figures 1-7, discloses the connector 20 includes multiple first terminals 36 and multiple second terminals 40, the multiple first terminals including a first signal terminal (on the right side of the leadline 50) and a power terminal (on the left side of the leadline 50), the multiple second terminals 40 including a second signal terminal and a grounding terminal. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Gardner so as to provide for transmit signals.
Regarding claim 5, Baechtle discloses the housing 10 has front and rear sides opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction thereof, the elastic end 124 of the first terminal is exposed outside of the rear side of the housing 10; a slot 14 for inserting a board card is formed on the front side of the housing 10, and the first terminal 120 has a first contact end located in the slot 14 and adapted to electrically contact a first contact on the board card; and the second contact end of the second terminal 120 is located in a slot on the front side of the housing 10 for electrical contact with a second contact on the board card.
Regarding claim 6, Baechtle discloses the elastic end 124 of the first terminal 120 is bent at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing 10; the connection end of the second terminal 120 linearly extends for a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10.
Regarding claim 7, Baechtle in view of Gardner disclose further comprising a cable 44 having core wire electrically connected to the connection end of the second terminal.
Regarding claim 8, Baechtle in view of Gardner disclose the connector 100 includes multiple first terminals 120 arranged in an upper row (lest side) and a lower row (right side); and the upper row (left side) of first terminals 120 and the lower row (right side) of first terminals 120 are opposite in a height direction of the housing 10 and are arranged proximate a first side of the housing 10 in a transverse direction of the housing 10.
Regarding claim 9, Baechtle in view of Gardner disclose the connector 100 includes multiple second terminals 120 are arranged in an upper row (left side) and a lower row (right side); and the upper row (left side) of second terminals 120 and the lower row (left side) of second terminals 120 are opposite in the height direction of the housing 10 and are arranged proximate to a second side of the housing 10 in the transverse direction of the housing 10.
Regarding claim 10, Baechtle in view of Gardner disclose the first contact ends of the upper row (left side) of first terminals 120 and the second contact ends of the upper row (right side) of second terminals 120 are arranged in a row and are evenly spaced along the transverse direction of the housing 10; the first contact ends of the lower row of first terminals 120 and the second contact ends of the lower row of second terminals 120 are arranged in a row and are evenly spaced along the transverse direction of the housing 10; and the elastic end 124 of the first terminal 120 is biased towards one side of the housing 10 in the transverse direction of the housing 10 relative to the first contact end of the first terminal 120, so that the elastic end 124 of the first terminal 120 and the connection end of the second terminal 120 are staggered by a predetermined distance in the transverse direction of the housing 10.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baechtle in view of Feng (U. S. Patent 10,651,602).
Regarding claim 11, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for further comprising a first holder adapted to hold the first terminal and the second terminal together such that the first terminal and the second terminal are capable of being installed together in the housing, wherein the first holder is a molded part directly molded onto the first terminal and the second terminal by an embedded injection molding process. Feng discloses an injecting molded (see column 1, lines 45-52). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Feng so as to provide for better holding parts together.
Claims 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baechtle in view of Endoh (U. S. Patent 6,827,606).
Regarding claim 18, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for the housing has a connecting part, a first connecting hole is formed in the connecting part, a second connecting hole corresponding to the first connecting hole is formed in the circuit board; and the connector assembly further comprises a fastener passing through the first connection hole and the second connection hole and securing the housing to the circuit board. Endoh discloses the housing 4 has a connecting part 4m, a first connecting hole 4b is formed in the connecting part 4m, a second connecting hole 2b corresponding to the first connecting hole 4b is formed in the circuit board 2; and the connector assembly further comprises a fastener 5 passing through the first connection hole 4b and the second connection hole 2b and securing the housing 4 to the circuit board 2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Endoh so as to provide for better position the connector on the pcb.
Regarding claim 19, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for a positioning post is formed on the connecting part, and a positioning hole is formed in the circuit board, the positioning post corresponding to the positioning hole to locate the housing on the circuit board. Endo discloses a positioning post 4a is formed on the connecting part 4m, and a positioning hole 2a is formed in the circuit board 2, the positioning post 4a corresponding to the positioning hole 2a to locate the housing 4 on the circuit board 2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Endoh so as to provide for better position the connector on the pcb.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baechtle in view of Gardner (U. S. Patent 6,592,401).
Regarding claim 20, Baechtle discloses the claimed invention except for an opening is formed in the circuit board that allows the cable to pass through, and a core wire of the cable is electrically connected to the connection end of the second terminal of the connector. Gardner discloses an opening 54 is formed in the circuit board 22 that allows the cable 44 to pass through, and a core wire of the cable 44 is electrically connected to the connection end of the second terminal of the connector. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Baechtle to provide such features as taught by Gardner so as to provide for transmit signals to the connector.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-16 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 a protrusion is formed on the first holder and is adapted to engage with a groove in the housing to fix the first holder in the housing.
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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