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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/03/2024 and 07/10/2025 was filed on and after the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 16 and 17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Invention II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/31/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lappoehn US20170331207.
Regarding claim 1, Lappoehn discloses a plug connector, comprising: a first housing part (fig. 1; 100) having a plug contact element (fig. 1; 105, 110, 115) with a plurality of blades (110, 115) that are electrically conductively connected; and a second housing part (fig. 1; 200) having a receiving area (fig. 1; 240) receiving a conductor foil (fig. 1; 300), the second housing part (200) has a first ridge (see mark-up below from fig. 1; 1R) pressing the conductor foil (300, see mark-up) in the receiving area (240) in a direction (downward) of the blades (110, 115) while the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) are pushed into each other, the first ridge (1R) engages in a fit (fig. 1/mark-up; 211 of 1R) with a first blade (110, 110 that contacts 211 of 1R) of the plurality of blades (110, 115) when a first area (tip of 110) of the first blade (110) is bent (tip is bent from the bottom of 110) in a direction (tip is bent in the direction of 211) of the first ridge (1R).
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Regarding claim 2, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first housing part (100) has the first blade (110) and a second blade (fig. 1; 115 on the left side of 1R) of the plurality of blades (110, 115), the first blade (110) is longer than the second blade (115).
Regarding claim 3, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first housing part (100) has a row of the plurality of blades (row of 110 and 115), the row includes a pair of first blades (at least two 110) and a pair of second blades (two 115).
Regarding claim 4, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first housing part (100) has a row of the plurality of blades (row of 110 and 115), the first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) is one of a plurality of first blades (110) and the second blade (115 on the left side of 1R) is one of a plurality of second blades (115), the second blades (115) are arranged between the first blades (110).
Regarding claim 5, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first ridge (1R) is arranged between the first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) and the second blade (115 on the left side of 1R).
Regarding claim 9, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first area (tip of 110) of the first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) has a smaller width (tip is narrow) than a second area (rest of 110) of the first blade (110).
Regarding claim 10, Lappoehn discloses wherein the first ridge (1R) has a surface curvature (211).
Regarding claim 12, Lappoehn discloses a plug connector assembly, comprising: a flexible conductor foil (300); and a plug connector (fig. 10) including a first housing part (100) having a plug contact element (105) with a plurality of blades (110, 115) that are electrically conductively connected and a second housing part (200) having a receiving area (240) receiving the flexible conductor foil (300), the second housing part (200) has a first ridge (mark-up; 1R) pressing the flexible conductor foil (300) in the receiving area (240) in a direction (downward) of the blades (110, 115) while the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) are pushed into each other, the first ridge (1R) fits (fig. 1/mark-up; 211 of 1R) with a first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) of the plurality of blades (110, 115) when a first area (tip of 110) of the first blade (110) is bent (tip is bent from the bottom of 110) in a direction (tip is bent in the direction of 211) of the first ridge (1R).
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Regarding claim 15, Lappoehn discloses wherein a tip (tip of 110) of the first blade (110) is arranged above a tip (tip of 115) of a second blade (115) of the plurality of blades (110, 15).
Regarding claim 18, Lappoehn discloses a method for assembling a plug connector, comprising: providing a first housing part (100) having a plug contact element (105) with a plurality of blades (110, 115) that are electrically conductively connected; providing a second housing part (200) having a receiving area (240) receiving a conductor foil (300) and a first ridge (1R); inserting a conductor foil (300) into the receiving area (240) of the second housing part (200); pushing the first housing part (100) and the second housing part (200) together, the first ridge (1R) presses the conductor foil (300) in a direction of the blades (110, 115), the conductor foil (300) is intersected by the blades (110, 115); and bending a first area (tip of 110) of a first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) of the plurality of blades (110, 115) in a direction (tip is bent in the direction of 211) of the first ridge (1R) until the first blade (110 that contacts 211 of 1R) engages in a fit (fig. 1/mark-up; 211 of 1R) with the first ridge (1R).
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Regarding claim 20, Lappoehn discloses wherein the pushing and bending steps are carried out simultaneously (when the connection of 100 and 200 is being facilitated).
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.
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lappoehn US20170331207 in view of CA 3104394A1.
Regarding claim 11, Lappoehn discloses all of the claim limitations except wherein the second housing part has an opening above the first ridge on a side that faces away from the first housing part.
However, CA ‘394 teaches the second housing part (fig. 1; 200) has an opening (fig. 1; top opening of 210) above the first ridge (fig. 1; middle structure in between two 210s) on a side (fig. 1; top side) that faces away from the first housing part (fig. 1; 100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the second housing part has an opening above the first ridge on a side that faces away from the first housing part as suggested by CA ‘394 for the benefit of improving the retention of a flat cable by optimizing the bending process of a contact blade.
Claim(s) 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lappoehn US20170331207 in view of Baker et al. US4066319.
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Lappoehn discloses all of the claim limitations except wherein the first blade is bent in the first area by at least 80° [claim 13]; wherein the first blade is bent in a circular arc in the first area [claim 14].
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Baker teaches the first blade (fig. 1; one 20) is bent in the first area (top area) by a certain angle; the first blade (one 20) is bent in a circular arc (see figs. 2-5) in the first area (top area).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the first blade is bent in the first area by at least 80° and the first blade is bent in a circular arc in the first area as suggested by Baker for the benefit improving the retention and conduction between contacts and a flexible conductor.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lappoehn US20170331207 in view of Worth US3840840.
Lappoehn discloses all of the claim limitations except the bending occurs with a tool inserted into an opening of the second housing part, the first blade is bent by a bending area of the tool.
However, Worth teaches the bending occurs with a tool (fig. 7; 26) inserted into a space (fig. 7; space next 35) of the second housing part (fig. 7; 14), the first blade (fig. 7; one 19) is bent by a bending area (fig. 7; 27) of the tool (26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the bending occurs with a tool inserted into an opening of the second housing part, the first blade is bent by a bending area of the tool as suggested by Worth for the benefit of optimizing the bending process of blade to connect with a flexible conductor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 6, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest wherein the second housing part has a second ridge arranged between two of the plurality of blades combined with 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. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah 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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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
