DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on May 8, 2024.
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.
The following title is suggested: "Connector and Electrical Device Having Strong Current Carrying Capacity". The examiner reminds the applicant that this is merely a suggestion, and the applicant may provide an alternative title so long as it is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15, line 3: "the axial direction" lacks antecedent basis and should be --an axial direction--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 10-11 and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakai (JP-2011086540-A) in view of Wang, et al. (US-10879656-B2).
With respect to Claim 1:
Nakai discloses a connector, comprising:
a female end 20 formed with a docking cavity (Fig. 1);
a male end 10 comprising a pin 11;
a component provided in the docking cavity or sleeved on a periphery of the pin, wherein the component comprises a first component 28 and a second component 27 (Figs. 1-2); and
a pushing member 12 provided on the pin 11;
wherein in response to that the pin 11 is plugged into the docking cavity and the component is pushed at the docking cavity by the pushing member 12, the first component 28 and the second component 27 are configured to squeeze each other (Figs. 1-2), the first component 28 is configured to contract inward to be tightly cooperated with the pin 11 (Figs. 1-2), and the second component 27 is configured to expand outward to be tightly cooperated with an inner wall of the docking cavity (Fig. 2).
Nakai does not explicitly disclose wherein the first and second components are annular components.
However, Wang teaches a connector comprising an annular component 130 ("ring shaped conductive terminal") assembled inside the connector (Figs. 3-5).
Thus, Nakai and Wang each disclose connectors with components housed within the connector. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the annular component of Wang could be combined with the components 27/28 of Nakai in order to increase the surface area in contact between the pin and the component. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
With respect to Claim 2:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses the connector according to claim 1.
Nakai also discloses wherein an outer diameter of the first annular component 28 is less than an outer diameter of the second annular component 27 (Figs. 1-2).
With respect to Claim 10:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses the connector according to claim 1.
Nakai also discloses wherein before the collar component is pushed by the pushing member 12, a distance between a cross-sectional center of the first annular component 28 and a center of the first annular component 28 is less than a distance between a cross-sectional center of the second annular component 27 and a center of the second annular component 27 (Fig. 1).
With respect to Claim 11:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses the connector according to claim 1.
Nakai also discloses wherein the pushing member 12 is fixed to the periphery of the pin 11 (Fig. 1).
With respect to Claim 15:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses the connector according to claim 1.
Nakai also discloses wherein at least two first annular components 28 are provided (Figs.1-2), at least two second annular components 27 (Figs.1-2) are provided, and the first annular component 28 and the second annular component 27 are alternately provided along an axial direction of the pin 12 (Figs.1-2).
With respect to Claim 16:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses the connector according to claim.
Wang also discloses wherein the collar component 130 is made of copper or copper alloy, silver or silver alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy or stainless steel. (Wang explicitly states that 130 is a ring shape conductive terminal, therefore it can be inferred that the component 130 could be made of copper or a copper alloy due to its conductive capabilities which are well known in the art.)
With respect to Claim 17:
Nakai in view of Wang discloses an electrical device (Wang: col. 2, lines 49-53), comprising the connector according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 12-14 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 3, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting “wherein the first annular component is independent from the second annular component, and both the first annular component and the second annular component are provided with a fracture,” as recited in claim 3, in conjunction with all the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 3. These limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 3, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 1 is allowable.
Claims 4-9 are dependent on claim 3 and are therefore allowable.
Regarding Claim 12, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting “wherein the pin is provided with a front end and a rear end, the pushing member is closer to the rear end of the pin than to the front end of the pin, a stopping platform is provided on a sidewall of the front end of the pin, and the collar component is provided between the pushing member and the stopping platform,” as recited in claim 12, in conjunction with all the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 12. These limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 12, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 1 is allowable.
Claim 14 is dependent on claim 12 and is therefore allowable.
Regarding Claim 13, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art, taken alone or in combination not showing or fairly teaching or suggesting “wherein a stopping platform is protrudingly provided on a sidewall of the docking cavity, and the collar component is provided between the pushing member and the stopping platform,” as recited in claim 13, in conjunction with all the remaining limitations of the base claims. The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitations as substantially described in claim 13. These limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 13, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, before claim 1 is allowable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amara Anderson whose telephone number is (703)756-1470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00 EST..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A. 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMARA ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights