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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they have elements shown in cross section which are not properly crosshatched. Insulating members shown in cross section should be properly crosshatched. See at least Figures 10 and 19. It is brought to applicant’s attention that the conventional crosshatch for insulating members shown in cross section consists of lines of two different thicknesses alternatively disposed. See MPEP 608.02.
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Additionally, the hatching of juxtaposed different elements must be angled in a different way, i.e. different directions. See 37 CFR 1.84(h)(3). In at least Figure 19, crosshatching of adjacent members is confused and improper due to multiple distinct structures sharing cross-hatching.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 – 2, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 109792114 A (“Li”).
Regarding claim 1, Li discloses a cable connector (100), comprising a plurality of signal pair units (130) that are disposed at intervals, wherein
each signal pair unit comprises two signal terminals (pair of terminals 300) that are disposed in parallel (see Fig. 6), a first end (the far mating end) of each signal terminal is configured to be in electrical contact with a corresponding pin on a circuit board, and a second end (330) of each signal terminal is configured to electrically connect to a corresponding cable; and
a bent portion (between portions 312 and 320) is formed on each signal terminal in an extension direction of the signal terminal, and there is a specific distance between the bent portion and the first end (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 2, Li discloses wherein the bent portion is provided with a plurality of portions in the extension direction of the signal terminal (see the two bent portions, Figs. 6 and 8); and
in the plurality of portions, two adjacent portions have different bending directions (see Figs. 6 and 8).
Regarding claim 17, Li discloses cable connector assembly (100), comprising a plurality of cables (400) and a cable connector (connector structure of 100), wherein the cable connector comprises a plurality of signal pair units (130) that are disposed at intervals (see Fig. 2), wherein
each signal pair unit comprises two signal terminals (300) that are disposed in parallel (see Figs. 5 and 6), a first end (mating end near portion 320) of each signal terminal is configured to be in electrical contact with a corresponding pin on a circuit board, and a second end (end 330) of each signal terminal is configured to electrically connect to a corresponding cable; and
a bent portion (portions between the mating end and 312) is formed on each signal terminal in an extension direction of the signal terminal (see Fig. 6), and there is a specific distance between the bent portion and the first end (see Fig. 6);
wherein
in the cable connector, each signal terminal of a signal pair unit is electrically connected to the corresponding cable (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 20, Li discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1), comprising a circuit board assembly comprising a circuit board (110) and at least one cable connector assembly (100), wherein
the cable connector assembly comprises a plurality of cables (400) and a cable connector (connector structure of 100), wherein
the cable connector comprises a plurality of signal pair units (130) that are disposed at intervals (see Fig. 2), wherein
each signal pair unit comprises two signal terminals (300) that are disposed in parallel (see Figs. 5 and 6), a first end (mating end near portion 320) of each signal terminal is configured to be in electrical contact with a corresponding pin on a circuit board, and a second end (330) of each signal terminal is configured to electrically connect to a corresponding cable; and
a bent portion (portion between mating end and 310) is formed on each signal terminal in an extension direction of the signal terminal (see Fig. 6), and there is a specific distance between the bent portion and the first end (see Fig. 6); wherein
in the cable connector, each signal terminal of a signal pair unit is electrically connected to the corresponding cable (see Figs. 5 and 6).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of CN 110808499 A (“Zhao”).
Regarding claim 3, Li discloses wherein the cable connector further comprises a housing (600); and
the housing is provided with a shielding cavity (space containing 130) with spaces provided at intervals corresponding to the plurality of signal pair units (the units 130 are arranged within 600 in a stack 120), each signal pair unit is at least partially located in a corresponding shielding space (see Fig. 9), and the signal pair unit is insulated from an inner wall of the shielding cavity (each unit includes insulation body 200 which insulates the terminals therein from external structures).
Li does not disclose the housing as a conductive housing, the conductive housing is configured to electrically connect to a reference ground of the circuit board, and the conductive housing is provided with a plurality of shielding cavities that are provided at intervals, the plurality of shielding cavities are provided corresponding to the plurality of signal pair units, each signal pair unit is at least partially located in a corresponding shielding cavity and insulated from an inner wall of the shielding cavity.
However, Zhao teaches a connector structure with a housing (11) and a plurality of signal pair units (12/14/15), the housing is a conductive housing (see at least the abstract) configured to electrically connect to a reference ground of the circuit board (11 is part of the grounding structure of the connector and is configured to mount to a board, see Fig. 19), and the signal pair units are provided in shielding cavities (110) which are provided at intervals corresponding to the plurality of signal pair units (see Fig. 2), each signal pair unit is located in a corresponding shielding cavity (see Figs. 1 – 2) and the signal pair unit is insulated from an inner wall of the shielding cavity (15 insulates the signal pair 14).
It would have been obvious to make the housing conductive and make the cavity structure have a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of signal pair units as taught by Zhao, because this makes the housing act as an EMI shield member to help shield the signal units contained therein, and furthermore providing a plurality of cavities helps reduce cross-talk between adjacent signal pairs because the signal pairs are in separate cavities.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Zhao and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 9,142,921 (“Wanha”).
Regarding claim 9, Li as modified above discloses
wherein each cable is at least partially located in the corresponding shielding cavity (the cables are in the housing spaces as disclosed by Li, and the spaces are cavities as taught by Zhao);
each cable comprises a cable core (420, Li), an insulation layer (see Fig. 6, Li) sequentially sleeved from the inside to the out (See Fig. 6, Li); and
the cable connector further comprises a conductive medium (500, Li), wherein the conductive medium is filled between the sleeved layers and the inner wall of the shielding cavity.
Li discloses a conductive member for connecting to the conductive medium (see the drain wire adjacent 420 which connects to a terminal and the shield member 500, Fig. 6), but does not disclose that each cable also comprises a conductive layer sequentially sleeved with the cable core and insulation layer.
However, Wanha teaches a cable connector, where each cable comprises a cable core 70a, an insulation layer 71, and a conductive layer 72, the layers being sequentially sleeved (see Fig. 7B). It would have been obvious to provide a conductive layer with each cable because this layer serves to shield the cable length as it travels to the connector.
Claims 18 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Wanha.
Regarding claims 18 and 19, Li discloses the cable comprising a cable core (420, Li), an insulation layer (Fig. 6, Li) sequentially sleeved from the inside to the out (Fig. 6, Li); and
one end of the cable core is electrically connected to the corresponding signal terminal (See Fig. 6), and a conductive member (see the drain wire, Fig. 6) is electrically connected to a conductive housing (500) of the cable connector (see the connection through 510 engaging portion 320 of the terminal which contacts the drain wire member, Figs. 13 - 16).
Li does not disclose that the cable also comprises a conductive layer sequentially sleeved with the cable core and insulation layer.
However, Wanha teaches a cable connector, where each cable comprises a cable core 70a, an insulation layer 71, and a conductive layer 72, the layers being sequentially sleeved (see Fig. 7B), and the conductive layer connecting to a ground terminal member (see Fig. 7B). It would have been obvious to provide a conductive layer with each cable because this layer serves to shield the cable length as it travels to the connector while also positioning the shield within the connector body to enable connection to further ground and/or shielding structures within the connector.
Furthermore, Li does not disclose wherein the cable further comprises a cable insulator; and the cable insulator is disposed on a periphery of one end of the cable core connected to the signal terminal. However, Wanha further teaches an outer covering disposed on a periphery of one end of the cable core connected to a signal terminal (cable can have outer cover, see col. 7, lns. 21 – 24, the covering is insulative, col. 7, lns. 30 – 32, and see 68, Fig. 2A). It would have been obvious to dispose a covering around the cable as taught by Wanha, because this encloses the shield layer so that the shield layer is physically protected and insulated from external members shorting against the layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 – 8, and 10 – 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 4, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed cable connector, including wherein a distance between the bent portion and the inner wall of the corresponding shielding cavity remains equal in an extension direction of the bent portion, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 5, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed cable connector, wherein the conductive housing is provided with a plurality of first avoidance openings at one end, and the plurality of first avoidance openings are provided corresponding to the plurality of shielding cavities; and each first avoidance opening is connected to the corresponding shielding cavity, and each first avoidance opening is configured to allow the first end of the corresponding signal terminal to penetrate out of the shielding cavity, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 7, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed cable connector, including wherein the cable connector further comprises a plurality of second insulating members, and the plurality of second insulating members are disposed corresponding to the plurality of signal pair units; and each second insulating member is disposed between the corresponding signal pair unit and the inner wall of the shielding cavity, and each second insulating member is disposed close to the second end of the signal terminal, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 10, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed cable connector, including wherein the cable connector further comprises a ground contact member disposed on a side close to the first end of the signal terminal, the ground contact member is provided with a plurality of second avoidance openings, and each second avoidance opening is configured to allow the corresponding signal terminal to pass through, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 16, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed cable connector, including wherein the conductive housing is further provided with an accommodating groove, each cable is further partially located in the accommodating groove; the cable connector further comprises a thrust member, the thrust member is disposed in the accommodating groove of the conductive housing, and an outer edge of the thrust member is connected to an inner wall of the accommodating groove; and the thrust member is provided with a plurality of third avoidance openings, each third avoidance opening is configured to allow the corresponding cable to pass through, and a width of each third avoidance opening is smaller than a cross-sectional width of each signal terminal, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Li does not disclose the cavity structures including wall position, second insulating member, avoidance openings, and accommodating groove with thrust member, as required by the claims. Uchida and Scherer disclose cable connectors, but do not disclose the features required by the claims. Liu discloses a connector with signal units and a conductive housing.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/ Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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