Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/673,608

FLOATING Z-STACKED COMPRESSION CONNECTOR

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
May 24, 2024
Examiner
BURGOS-GUNTIN, NELSON R
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Dell Products L.P.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
92%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 92% — above average
92%
Career Allowance Rate
557 granted / 602 resolved
+32.5% vs TC avg
Minimal +4% lift
Without
With
+4.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 9m
Avg Prosecution
18 currently pending
Career history
605
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
27.2%
-12.8% vs TC avg
§102
68.5%
+28.5% vs TC avg
§112
3.6%
-36.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 602 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 Replacement drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.84 and 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required. The drawings submitted are not acceptable because: The drawings are objected to because: The present Drawings 3A-5B, are so dark so dark that structural details cannot be clearly understood. The drawings must be reasonably free from erasures and must be free from alterations, overwriting, interlineations, folds, and copy marks. All drawings must be made by a process, which will give them satisfactory reproduction characteristics. 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 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) 1-2, 11-12 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pandey et al. (US Patent Application Publication 20190098778 A1). As per claim 1, Pandey teaches a connector apparatus (shown in figure 3A), for electrically connecting and mechanically affixing (see paragraph 7) a first printed circuit board (PCB) 116 to a second PCB 104, the connector apparatus (shown in figure 3A) comprising: a flex connector 410 having a first compression connector 106 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the first PCB 116, a second compression connector 108 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the second PCB 104, and a flex cable (530, see TABLE-US-00001) coupled to the first and second compression connectors (106, 108); and a connector mount 118 coupled between the first and second compression connectors (106, 108). As per claim 2, Pandey teaches a connector apparatus (shown in figure 3A), wherein the connector mount 118 is compressible (see paragraph 40). As per claim 11, Pandey teaches an information handling system (see paragraph 65), comprising: a first printed circuit board (PCB) 116; a second PCB 104; and a connector apparatus (shown in figure 3A) for electrically connecting and mechanically affixing (see paragraph 7) the first PCB 116 to the second PCB 104, wherein the connector apparatus (shown in figure 3A) includes: a flex connector 410 having a first compression connector 106 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the first PCB 116, a second compression connector 108 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the second PCB 104, and a flex cable (530, see TABLE-US-00001) coupled to the first and second compression connectors (106, 108); and a connector mount 118 coupled between the first and second compression connectors (106, 108). As per claim 12, Pandey teaches an information handling system (see paragraph 65), wherein the connector mount 118 is compressible (see paragraph 40). As per claim 20, Pandey teaches a method, for electrically connecting and mechanically affixing (see paragraph 7) a first printed circuit board (PCB) 116 to a second PCB 104, the method comprising: providing a flex connector 410 having a first compression connector 106 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the first PCB 116, a second compression connector 108 configured to provide electrical connections (along 106, 108) to the second PCB 104, and a flex cable (530, see TABLE-US-00001) coupled to the first and second compression connectors (106, 108); providing a connector mount 118 coupled between the first and second compression connectors (106, 108); electrically coupling the first compression connector 106 to the first PCB 116 and mechanically affixing (see paragraph 7) the first PBC through the first compression connector 106 to the connector mount 118; and electrically coupling the second compression connector 108 to the second PCB 104 and mechanically affixing (see paragraph 7) the second PBC through the second compression connector 108 to the connector mount 118. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3-10 and 13-19 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. As per claim 3, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein the connector mount includes a first retainer configured to be coupled to the first compression connector and the first PCB, and a second retainer configured to be coupled to the second compression connector and the second PCB. As per claim 13, The prior art does not disclose or suggest: wherein the connector mount includes a first retainer configured to be coupled to the first compression connector and the first PCB, and a second retainer configured to be coupled to the second compression connector and the second PCB. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday. 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, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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Prosecution Timeline

May 24, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 12, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
92%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+4.3%)
1y 9m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 602 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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