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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
Fig. 6, arrow used for the refence numeral 14 (rib) is not pointing to rib is pointing to upper wall surface, and the arrow used for the refence numeral “301a”(upper surface) is not pointing to upper wall surface, is pointing to rib.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
Fig. 1, the reference numeral “11a”, and Fig. 3, the reference numeral (two occurrence of) “302C” and “302B”,
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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
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.
Claims 1, 3-5and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lou et al. (US 9,5,25,242) hereafter Lou.
Regarding claim 1, Lou discloses, a connector 100 (figs. 1-4), 200 (figs. 5-8), comprising: an insulator 102, 202; a terminal 104 disposed in the insulator 102; and a ferrite core 120, 220 installed on the insulator 102, 202, the ferrite core 120, 220 absorbs a plurality of interference signals to suppress an influence of the interference signals on the terminal 104.
Regarding claim 3, Lou discloses, an installation hole 132, 232 is formed in the ferrite core, the insulator and the terminal pass through the installation hole of the ferrite core (figs. 2 and 5).
Regarding claim 4, Lou discloses, the ferrite core is an integral piece and is sheathed on the insulator (upon assembly).
Regarding claim 5, Lou discloses, the ferrite core has a plurality of components (side walls of 120), (224,226,228, 230) assembled onto the insulator.
Regarding claim 20, Lou discloses, a connector, comprising: a terminal 104/204; and a ferrite core 120/ 220 absorbing a plurality of interference signals to suppress an influence of the interference signals on the terminal 104, 204.
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 2, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lou.
Regarding claim 2, Lou discloses all the claimed limitations except for the ferrite core has a manganese zinc ferrite core.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have ferrite core has a manganese zinc ferrite core, since it has been held to be within the general ordinary skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. In order to have noise free data/ signal communication.
Claims 15-17, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lou in view of Feng (US 2020/0313359).
Regarding claim 15, Lou discloses, the terminal 104/204 includes: a contact end exposed from a front end of the insulator for electrical contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector; and a connecting part connected between the contact end and the connection end and fixed in the insulator, a connection end extending from a bottom surface of a rear end of the insulator, and a terminal installation slot is formed on the insulator, at least a portion of the connecting part of the terminal is fixed in the terminal installation slot.
However, Lou does not disclose the connection end extending from a bottom surface of the rear end of the insulator for insertion into a hole formed in a circuit board;
Feng, discloses a circuit board 300 having an insertion hole 33, 300b for the insertion of connecting end 26 of the terminal 23.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the connection end extending from a bottom surface of the rear end of the insulator for insertion into a hole formed in a circuit board as taught by Feng in order to have ease of manufacturing.
Regarding claim 16, Lou discloses, the insulator is an injection molded part (product-by process) directly formed onto the terminal, the insulator and the terminal are an integral part (upon assembly).
Regarding claim 17, Lou as modified by Feng, discloses a housing 200 in which the front end of the insulator 102, 202 is inserted, the housing 200 has a slot (fig. 12) receiving the mating terminal (of the jack of cable 408), the contact end of the terminal extends into the slot for electrical contact with the mating terminal inserted into the slot (see fig. 12).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lou Feng as applied to claim 17, and further in view of Daily et al. (US 2020/0389039 hereafter Daily.
Regarding claim 19, as modified by Feng, discloses all the claimed limitations except for the housing has a flange portion for installation on a mounting panel, a connecting hole is formed in the flange portion that allows a connecting member to pass through to fix the housing to the mounting panel.
Daily, figs 11, 12, discloses housing 300 has flange portion 324 for installation on a mounting panel 102, a connecting hole CH is formed in the
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flange portion that allows a connecting member CM to pass through to fix the housing 300 to the mounting panel 102.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the housing has a flange portion for installation on a mounting panel, a connecting hole is formed in the flange portion that allows a connecting member to pass through to fix the housing to the mounting panel as taught by Daily in order to use such housing in device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-14 and 18 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.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record does not discloses , a plurality of convex ribs are formed on a top surface and/or the bottom surface of the insulator, the convex ribs extend along a longitudinal direction of the insulator and are interference fit with a hole wall of the installation hole as required in combination with other limitations of this claim.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record does not disclose the ferrite core has a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface in a longitudinal direction of the insulator, a first positioning protrusion is formed on the insulator and is against the front surface of the ferrite core, the insulator has an elastic buckle against the rear surface of the ferrite core, as required in combination with other limitations of this claim.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art of record does not disclose the insulator has a positioning tongue, a rear end of the housing has a positioning recess corresponding with the positioning tongue to position the insulator with respect to the housing, the insulator has an elastic locking buckle inserted into the housing and engaged with a mating locking buckle feature inside the housing to lock the insulator to the housing as required in combination with other limitations of this claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARSHAD C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8289. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 8:00 am - 5.00 pm (EST).
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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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/HARSHAD C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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