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 .
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 7 and 10 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 7 recites, “process holes are formed on the wire end housing”. It is not clear what the function or the purpose of the process holes are since claim 7 only recites where the process holes are formed. Therefore, the process holes are simply listed in claim 7. Just listing an element in a claim makes the claim indefinite.
Claim 10 recites, “the bottom surface of the cavity is configured to be an arc-shaped surface”. Again, it is not clear what the function or the purpose of the arc-shaped surface of the bottom surface of the cavity is since claim 10 only recites the shape of the bottom surface of the cavity. Therefore, the arc-shaped surface is simply listed in claim 10, too.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 allowed.
Reason for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: In combination with all the limitations recited in the independent claim, the prior art of record does not anticipate nor render obvious an ultra-thin connector, comprising a board end and a wire end fixed to the board end; the board end comprising a board end housing with a cavity formed on one side surface of the board end housing, at least one clastic terminal arranged on opposing sides inside the cavity, and first locking structures for fastening the wire end being arranged on other opposing sides inside the cavity; and the wire end comprising a wire end housing located inside the cavity and buckled with the first locking structures, a protective cover fastened to the wire end housing, wire rods partly wrapped by the protective cover, and dual contact terminals arranged at opposing ends of the wire end housing and having A contact ends that are in contact connection with the elastic terminals and B contact ends that are welded to the wire rods, wherein the A contact ends of the dual contact terminals are in one-to-one correspondence with the elastic terminals, and second locking structures fastened to the protective cover are arranged on opposing sides inside the wire end housing.
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.”
Claims 7 and 10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAE MOON HYEON whose telephone number is (571) 272-2093. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm.
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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.
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/hmh/
/Hae Moon Hyeon/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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