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 .
Claims 1-21 are pending.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12, 19, and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schmidt et al. (US 20110212652), hereinafter Schmidt.
Regarding claim 1, Schmidt discloses a system, comprising: a modular connector plug (plug connector 1, Fig. 1) including a plug body (housing lower part 20, housing upper part 30, Fig. 2) and contacts (electrical lines 320, Fig. 1) held by the plug body; and wherein the plug body is configured to crimp wires with the contacts in a toolless manner (Par. 0039, “Other possibilities for electrical contacting, for example as a result of a press contact after prior stripping of the strands 3”).
Regarding claim 2, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the plug body has a base (housing lower part 20, Fig. 2) and a cover (housing upper part 30, Fig. 2) coupled to the base in a pivotal manner (Par. 0037, “housing upper part 30 are provided on the housing lower part 20 so as to be able to pivot”).
Regarding claim 3, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, wherein: the base is configured to receive a cable (cable 2, Fig. 4); the base aligns each wire with one contact as the cable is positioned in the plug body; and the contacts are positioned in the cover (Par. 0056, “An electrical connection of the insulation displacement contacts 322 to the electrical contacts 324, which in the present case are embodied as pin contacts 324, establishes a correct electrical connection between the strands 3 of the cable 2 and the pin contacts 324.”).
Regarding claim 4, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, wherein: the base includes spacers; the spacers define one or more wire grooves (introduction openings 122, Fig. 8); and the spacers configured to align each wire in a separate wire groove (Par. 0045, “the strands 3 are advanced into the contact means 120 of the strand guide 10 through the introduction openings 122”).
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Regarding claim 5, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, wherein: the modular connector plug is configured to clamp to a cable (Fig. 7); the cover and the base include ridges (see Fig. 7 above, ridges 500 and strain relief metal sheet 220); the ridges are configured to compress the cable within the plug body; and the ridges provide strain relief for the wires (Par. 0042, “strain relief metal sheet 220 thereof (see FIG. 7), have mutually corresponding means for locking”).
Regarding claim 6, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, wherein: the plug body has one or more pivot pins (bearings 15, 25, Fig. 1) that secure the cover to the base in the pivotal manner (Par. 0037, “the housing upper part 30 are provided on the housing lower part 20 so as to be able to pivot via in each case an arrangement of bearings 15, 25”); and the contacts are positioned proximal to the pivot pins to form a class 2 lever that promotes crimping between the wires and the contacts (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 7, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, further comprising: a restraint (strand guide 10, Fig. 1) coupled to the base; and wherein the restraint is configured to hold the wires against the base (Par. 0040, “strands 3 located in the strand guide 10 can be electrically contacted by the housing upper part 30”).
Regarding claim 8, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 1, wherein: the contact includes one or more prongs (insulation displacement contacts 322, Fig. 1); and the prongs are configured to stab the wire (Par. 0056, “insulation displacement contacts 322 dip into the recesses in the strand guide 10 and as a result cut open the electrical insulations of the strands 3”).
Regarding claim 9, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 2, wherein: the plug body is movable between an open position (open position O, Fig. 2) and a closed position (Par. 0056, “housing upper part 30 pivots downward onto the housing lower part 20 (not shown in the drawings)”); the base includes spacers; the cover includes one or more dividers; the dividers and the spacers define channels when the connector is in the closed position (Par. 0040, “in the contact position K, strands 3 located in the strand guide 10 can be electrically contacted by the housing upper part 30 by means of insulation displacement contacts 322 thereof. For this purpose, the strand guide 10 has corresponding recesses”); the channels are configured to receive the wires; and the contacts are configured to wedge into the wires within the channel (Par. 0056, “An electrical connection of the insulation displacement contacts 322 to the electrical contacts 324, which in the present case are embodied as pin contacts 324, establishes a correct electrical connection between the strands 3 of the cable 2 and the pin contacts 324.”).
Regarding claim 10, Schmidt discloses a system, comprising: a modular connector plug (plug connector 1, Fig. 1) including; a plug body (housing lower part 20, housing upper part 30, Fig. 2) made of an insulative material, the plug body including a base and a cover, wherein the base is coupled to the cover on one end, and two or more contacts (electrical lines 320, Fig. 1) fixed to the plug body, wherein the contacts are made of an electrically conductive material (Par. 0038, “The housing upper part 30 has electrical lines 320 which serve for an electrical contact, electrical transmission and electrical contacting with a mating plug”); and wherein the plug body is movable between an open position (open position O, Fig. 2) and a closed position (Par. 0056, “housing upper part 30 pivots downward onto the housing lower part 20 (not shown in the drawings)”); wherein the base and the cover are fixed together in the closed position (Par. 0056, “the housing upper part 30 pivots downward onto the housing lower part 20”); wherein the modular connector plug is configured to clamp to a cable (cable 2, Fig. 4); and wherein the modular connector plug is in the form of a standardized plug shape (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 10, wherein: the base (20) and the cover (30) are coupled via a hinge (see Fig. 7); and the base is free to rotate relative to the cover about the hinge (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 10, wherein: the base includes spacers; and the spacers define one or more wire grooves (introduction openings 122, Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 19, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 10, wherein: the cover includes cover walls (Fig. 1); the base includes base walls (Fig. 1); and the base walls nest between the cover walls when the connector closes (Par. 0056, “housing upper part 30 pivots downward onto the housing lower part 20 (not shown in the drawings)”).
Regarding claim 21, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 10, further comprising: a cable (cable 2, Fig. 4) including one or more wires (strands 3, Fig. 4); and an insert (strand guide 10, Fig. 4-5) configured to align the wires in the modular connector plug.
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) 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmidt (US 20110212652) in view of Martin et al. (US 20070077806), hereinafter Martin.
Regarding claim 13, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 11.
However, Schmidt fails to disclose wherein: the plug body includes a snap-fit connection; and the snap-fit connection fixes the cover to the base in the closed position.
Martin teaches wherein: the plug body includes a snap-fit connection; and the snap-fit connection fixes the cover to the base in the closed position (Par. 0046, “In operation, when second-half portion 104 is closed down onto first-half portion 102, tabs 105b, 105c of second-half portion 104 snap into or otherwise operatively engage slots 103b, 103c formed in first-half portion 102”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Martin to modify the invention of Schmidt to provide a plug connector wherein the plug body includes a snap-fit connection. One would be motivated to make this modification to secure the two body halves to each other after the cable has been inserted and the wires have been guided into place.
Regarding claim 14, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 13.
However, Schmidt fails to disclose wherein: the base includes one or more tabs; the cover defines one or more tab openings; the tab openings retain the tabs when the modular connector plug is closed; and the tabs secure the base against the cover.
Martin teaches wherein: the base includes one or more tabs (tabs 105b, 105c, Fig. 8-9); the cover defines one or more tab openings (slots 103b, 103c, Fig. 8-9); the tab openings retain the tabs when the modular connector plug is closed; and the tabs secure the base against the cover (Par. 0046, “In operation, when second-half portion 104 is closed down onto first-half portion 102, tabs 105b, 105c of second-half portion 104 snap into or otherwise operatively engage slots 103b, 103c formed in first-half portion 102”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Martin to modify the invention of Schmidt to provide a plug connector wherein the plug body includes a snap-fit connection. One would be motivated to make this modification to secure the two body halves to each other after the cable has been inserted and the wires have been guided into place.
Claim(s) 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmidt (US 20110212652) in view of Larsson et al. (US 20180131146), hereinafter Larsson.
Regarding claim 15, Schmidt discloses the system of claim 11.
However, Schmidt fails to disclose wherein: the base includes a leaf; the leaf defines a pin opening; the cover includes a pivot pin; and the pivot pin is positioned in the pin opening.
Larsson teaches wherein: the base includes a leaf (part of terminal half 506, Fig. 1); the leaf defines a pin opening (opening 212, Fig. 1); the cover includes a pivot pin (pivot post 210, Fig. 9); and the pivot pin is positioned in the pin opening (Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Larsson to modify the invention of Schmidt to provide a leaf on the base where the leaf defines a pin opening and the cover includes a pivot pin positioned in the opening. One would be motivated to make this modification to make the hinge more robust than a living hinge and decrease the chance of the hinge wearing out during multiple openings and closings. Pivot pins used for hinges are well known in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-18 and 20 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 16, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art of record not fairly showing, suggesting, or teaching the system of claim 10, further comprising a restraint coupled to the base; and wherein the base and the restraint define a gap, as recited in claim 16. These limitations are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record taken alone or in combination. Claims 17-18 are dependent on claim 16 and are therefore allowable for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 20, allowability resides, at least in part, with the prior art of record not fairly showing, suggesting, or teaching the system of claim 10, wherein: the cover defines slots; each contact is positioned in one slot; the cover includes a brace; the contact defines a divot; and the brace secures the contact in the slot in the plug body, as recited in claim 20. These limitations are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record taken alone or in combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fitzpatrick (US 20230178945) discloses a modular plug having a housing and a plurality of contacts with strain relief means for the cable.
Pepe et al. (US 10,840,633) discloses a plug connector including a base and a plug housing, the base having a divider structure.
Krome (US 9,537,226) discloses an RJ45 connector with a guide device and a hinged cover.
Daily et al. (US 20140051305) discloses a modular plug connector having a base and a housing with strain relief device for crimping the cable.
Bergner et al. (US 7,134,904) discloses a terminal unit with a housing and a cover for receiving a cable including contact member and held pivotably on the housing.
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/JEFFREY MOUNTAIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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