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 § 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 1-2, 4-5, 8-9 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng et al. (11,728,602) in view of Chiang (7,628,658).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Deng et al. disclose a connector device, comprising:
a receptacle connector (2, Fig. 1), comprising a receptacle insulative seat (FIGURE A below), a shell (FIGURE A below) and a plurality of receptacle terminals (23, Fig. 7), the receptacle insulative seat comprising a tongue (22, Fig. 7), the tongue comprising two side surfaces disposed opposite to each other and an end surface connected between the side surfaces, the receptacle insulative seat sheathed by the shell, the shell disposed to surround the tongue and spaced from the tongue (Fig. 7), the shell comprising an opening (21, Fig. 7) and the end surface of the tongue located in the opening, the shell comprising a magnetic attracting portion (24, Fig. 7) disposed in the opening, the receptacle terminals disposed on the tongue, exposed from the side surfaces; and
a plug connector (1, Fig. 1), comprising a plug insulative seat (14, Fig. 2), a magnetic attracting component (18) and a plurality of plug terminals (12), the plug insulative seat comprising a coupling surface (Fig. 7), the magnetic attracting component disposed on the plug insulative seat, at least a part of the plug terminals disposed on the coupling surface corresponding to a part of the receptacle terminals, wherein the opening is defined with a coupling direction, when the plug connector is coupled with the receptacle connector, the plug insulative seat is loosely coupled to the opening along the coupling direction, the magnetic attracting component and the magnetic attracting portion are attracted with each other, the coupling surface is spaced from the end surface, and the plug terminals abut against the end surface and abut against the receptacle terminals correspondingly.
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Deng et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for each of the receptacle terminals comprises a first coupling segment and a second coupling segment, the first coupling segment is exposed from the side surfaces, and the second coupling segment is extended to the end surface and exposed from the end surface.
Chiang, Figs. 1 and 4 show receptacle terminals (30, Fig. 1) each comprises a first coupling segment (34) and a second coupling segment (35), the first coupling segment is exposed from the side surfaces, and the second coupling segment is extended to the end surface and exposed from the end surface (Fig. 4). It would have been obvious to modify Deng et al. to have each of the receptacle terminals comprises a first coupling segment and a second coupling segment, the first coupling segment is exposed from the side surfaces, and the second coupling segment is extended to the end surface and exposed from the end surface, as taught by Chiang for better connection.
Regarding claim 2, Deng et al., Fig. 7 shows the magnetic attracting portion and the magnetic attracting component are opposite in magnetic pole.
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Deng et al., Fig. 7 shows the end surface is non-parallel to each of the side surfaces.
Regarding claim 5, it is noted that Chiang, Fig. 4 shows the end surface is a convex curved surface.
Regarding claim 9, Deng et al., Fig. 7 shows the magnetic attracting portion is magnetic.
Regarding claim 12, it is noted that Chiang, Fig. 4 shows the second coupling segment is non-parallel to the first coupling segment.
Claims 6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng et al. and Chiang as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Jung et al. (11,211,746).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Deng et al., Fig. 1 shows the opening is defined with a coupling direction, the tongue comprises a pair of lateral peripheries, each of the lateral peripheries is connected between the side surfaces, the pair of lateral peripheries are disposed at two sides of the end surface opposite to each other.
Deng et al. disclose the claimed invention as described above except for a hook is arranged on each of the lateral peripheries, each hook is defined with a stopping direction opposite to the coupling direction.
Jung et al., Fig. 1B shows a hook (120031) is arranged on each of the lateral peripheries, each hook is defined with a stopping direction opposite to the coupling direction. It would have been obvious to modify Deng et al. to have a hook is arranged on each of the lateral peripheries, each hook is defined with a stopping direction opposite to the coupling direction, as taught by Jung et al. for better connection.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng et al. and Chiang as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Blake et al. (10,658,793).
Regarding claim 7, Deng et al. and Chiang disclose the claimed invention as described above except for a plurality of notches is defined on the coupling surface of the plug insulative seat, an elastic conductor is arranged in each of the notches, the plug terminals are inserted in the notches correspondingly and arranged to abut against a plurality of elastic conductors correspondingly.
Blake et al., Fig. 4 shows terminals (118 or 128) are pogo pins (column 4, lines 27-28 and column 5, lines 18-19) are located in a plurality of notches is defined on the coupling surface of the plug insulative seat, an elastic conductor is arranged in each of the notches, the plug terminals are inserted in the notches correspondingly and arranged to abut against a plurality of elastic conductors correspondingly. It would have been obvious to modify Deng et al. to have the pogo pines that located in the plurality of notches, as taught by Blake et al. for better connection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4-9 and 11-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul Riyami 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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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 09/29/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
