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 § 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 1-16 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 1 recites the limitation "the host circuit board" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the host circuit board" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 9, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okuyama et al. (US 10424860 B2).
In regard to claim 1, Okuyama et al. discloses a card edge connector comprising:
a housing 90 including a chamber and a card slot 11 at a mating end of the housing 90 configured to receive a card edge of a circuit card 100, the housing 90 configured to be mounted to the host circuit board P1; and
a contact assembly 30 received in the chamber for connection to the card edge plugged into the card slot 11, the contact assembly 30 including a first contact subassembly (see annotated drawing below) and a second contact subassembly (see annotated drawing below);
the first contact subassembly including an array of first contacts held by a first contact holder 40, 50, the first contacts passing through the first contact holder, the first contacts including first ground contacts 30G and first signal contacts 30S, the first signal contacts 30S arranged in pairs, the first ground contacts 30G located between the pairs of the first signal contacts 30S, the first contact subassembly including a first shield structure 60, 70 coupled to the first ground contacts 30G, the first shield structure and the first ground contacts providing circumferential shielding around each pair of the first signal contacts through the first contact holder (see fig. 5(A)), the first shield structure configured to directly electrically connect to the host circuit board P1;
the second contact subassembly including an array of second contacts held by a second contact holder 40, 50, the second contacts passing through the second contact holder, the second contacts including second ground contacts 30G and second signal contacts 30S, the second signal contacts arranged in pairs, the second ground contacts located between the pairs of the second signal contacts, the second contact subassembly including a second shield structure 60, 70 coupled to the second ground contacts, the second shield structure and the second ground contacts providing circumferential shielding around each pair of the second signal contacts through the second contact holder (see fig. 5(A)), the second shield structure configured to directly electrically connect to the host circuit board P1.
In regard to claim 9, Okuyama et al. discloses the contact assembly 30 includes a contact spacer 91 positioned between the first contact subassembly and the second contact subassembly.
In regard to claim 10, Okuyama et al. discloses the contact spacer 91 is located between the first shield structure and the second shield structure.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd contact assembly)][AltContent: textbox (1st contact assembly)][AltContent: arrow]
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Claim(s) 11, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miller et al. (US 11031734 B1).
In regard to claim 11, Miller discloses a card edge connector comprising:
a housing 38 including a chamber and a card slot at a mating end of the housing configured to receive a card edge of a circuit card 26, the housing configured to be mounted to the host circuit board; and
a contact assembly received in the chamber for connection to the card edge plugged into the card slot, the contact assembly including a contact subassembly including an array of contacts 48, 50 held by a contact holder 40, the contact holder including an inner side (see annotated drawing below) and an outer side (see annotated drawing below), the contacts passing through the contact holder generally parallel to the inner side and the outer side, the contacts including ground contacts 50 and signal contacts 48, the signal contacts arranged in pairs, the ground contacts located between the pairs of the signal contacts, the contact subassembly including an inner shield (see annotated drawing below) arranged at the inner side and an outer shield (see annotated drawing below) arranged at the outer side, the inner shield including inner connecting elements electrically connected to the ground contacts, the outer shield including outer connecting elements electrically connected to the ground contacts, the inner shield configured to be directly electrically connected to the host circuit board.
In regard to claim 12, Miller discloses the inner shield, the outer shield, and the ground contacts form shield tunnels 95 providing circumferential shielding, each shield tunnel receiving the corresponding pair of the signal contacts (see fig. 5).
[AltContent: textbox (inner shield)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (inner side)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (outer side)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (outer shield)][AltContent: connector]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-8, 13-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In regard to claim 2, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest
the first shield structure includes first shield tunnels, each first shield tunnel receiving the first contact holder and the corresponding pair of the first signal contacts, and
the second shield structure includes second shield tunnels, each second shield tunnel receiving the second contact holder and the corresponding pair of the second signal contacts.
In regard to claim 3, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest
the first shield structure is spaced apart from the first signal contacts by a space, the first contact holder at least partially filling the space between the first shield structure and the first signal contacts, and the second shield structure is spaced apart from the second signal contacts by a space, the second contact holder at least partially filling the space between the second shield structure and the second signal contacts.
In regard to claim 4, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest
the first shield structure includes a first inner shield coupled to an inner side of the first contact holder and a first outer shield coupled to an outer surface of the first contact holder, and the second shield structure includes a second inner shield coupled to an inner side of the second contact holder and a second outer shield coupled to an outer surface of the second contact holder.
In regard to claim 8, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest the first ground contacts include terminating ends configured to be coupled to the host circuit board, the first shield structure including terminating elements configured to be coupled to the host circuit board, and the second ground contacts include terminating ends configured to be coupled to the host circuit board, the second shield structure including terminating elements configured to be coupled to the host circuit board.
In regard to claim 13, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest the inner shield and the outer shield providing shielding along the intermediate portions.
In regard to claim 14, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest the inner shield includes a panel including pockets, each pocket receiving the contact holder and the corresponding pair of the signal contacts, and the outer shield includes a panel including pockets, each pocket receiving the contact holder and the corresponding pair of the signal contacts.
In regard to claim 15, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest the inner shield includes a series of covers and connecting walls between the covers, the connecting walls being joined to the corresponding ground contacts, the covers forming pockets between the connecting walls, each pocket receiving the contact holder and the corresponding pair of the signal contacts, and the outer shield includes a series of covers and connecting walls between the covers, the connecting walls being joined to the corresponding ground contacts, the covers forming pockets between the connecting walls, each pocket receiving the contact holder and the corresponding pair of the signal contacts.
In regard to claim 17, the prior art fails to provide, teach or suggest
a housing including a chamber and a card slot at a mating end of the housing configured to receive a card edge of a circuit card; and
a contact assembly received in the chamber for connection to the card edge plugged into the card slot, the contact assembly including a first contact subassembly and a second contact subassembly; and in combination with other limitations in claim 17.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM 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, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdt
6/16/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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