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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Obata (US 11,552,419).
Regarding claim 1: Obata teaches an electrical connector 100 comprising: an insulative housing 200, 220 including a pair of side walls (at 250; Fig. 9) and a tongue (at 202; Fig. 9) located between the pair of side walls (see Fig. 9); a first row of contacts (e.g. contacts 250 on the left; Fig. 9) and a second row of contacts (e.g. contacts 250 on the right; Fig. 9) secured to the pair of side walls (see Fig. 9), respectively, each of the two rows of contacts having a fixed portion (at 430; Fig. 9), a U- shaped mating portion (at 440; Fig. 9), and a connecting portion (at 400; Fig. 9) between the fixed portion and the U-shaped mating portion (see Fig. 9); and a ground shield 500 secured to the tongue (see Fig. 10), the ground shield having a base (below 500; Fig. 10), a first row of contacting portions 520 (e.g. on the left hand side; Fig. 10) in touch with selected ones of the first row of contacts (see Figs. 9-10 and Col. 11, lines 43-52), a second row of contacting portions 520 (e.g. on the right hand side; Fig. 10) in touch with selected ones of the second row of contacts (see Fig. 10), and a terminating end 538 (see Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 2: Obata teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the first row of contacting portions 520 and the second row of contacting portions 520 are staggered (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3: Obata teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the ground shield is unitarily formed of a single piece (e.g. assembly shown in Fig. 7 is a single piece).
Regarding claim 4: Obata teaches an electrical connector assembly (Fig. 1) comprising: a first connector 100 including: an insulative housing 200, 220 including a pair of side walls (at 250; Fig. 9) and a tongue (at 202; Fig. 9) located between the pair of side walls (see Fig. 9); a first row of contacts (e.g. contacts 250 on the left; Fig. 9) and a second row of contacts (e.g. contacts 250 on the right; Fig. 9) secured to the pair of side walls (see Fig. 9), respectively, each of the two rows of contacts having a fixed portion (at 430; Fig. 9), a U-shaped mating portion (at 440; Fig. 9), and a connecting portion (at 400; Fig. 9) between the fixed portion and the U-shaped mating portion (see Fig. 9); and a ground shield 500 secured to the tongue (see Fig. 10), the ground shield having a base (below 500; Fig. 10), a first row of contacting portions 520 (e.g. on the left hand side; Fig. 10) in touch with selected ones of the first row of contacts (see Figs. 9-10 and Col. 11, lines 43-52), a second row of contacting portions 520 (e.g. on the right hand side; Fig. 10) in touch with selected ones of the second row of contacts (see Figs. 9-10 and Col. 11, lines 43-52), and a terminating end 538 (Fig. 10); and a complementary second connector 600 including: a stationary housing; a first row of contacts and a second row of contacts secured to the stationary housing; and a movable housing being separate from and movable relative to the stationary housing, the movable housing being secured to one part of the first and second rows of contacts and the stationary housing being secured to another part of the first and second rows of contacts, the one part of the first and second rows of contacts being mateable with the U-shaped mating portions of the two rows of contacts of the first connector (see Figs. 1-6).
Regarding claim 5: Obata teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the first row of contacting portions and the second row of contacting portions of the ground shield are staggered (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 6: Obata teaches all the limitations of claim 4 and further teaches wherein the ground shield is unitarily formed of a single piece (e.g. assembly shown in Fig. 7 is a single piece).
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jiang (US 2024/0186740).
Regarding claim 1: Jiang teaches an electrical connector 1 (Figs. 2a-2b) comprising: an insulative housing 20 including a pair of side walls 21, 22 (Fig. 92b and a tongue 30 (Fig. 2a) located between the pair of side walls (see Figs. 2a-2b); a first row of contacts 10 and a second row of contacts 10 (e.g. see left and right contacts 10; Fig. 2a-2b) secured to the pair of side walls (see Fig. 2b), respectively, each of the two rows of contacts 10 having a fixed portion 10B, a U- shaped mating portion (at 172; Fig. 2b), and a connecting portion (at R1; Fig. 2b) between the fixed portion and the U-shaped mating portion (see Fig. 2b); and a ground shield 17 secured to the tongue (see Fig. 2b), the ground shield having a base 171 (Fig. 12), a first row of contacting portions 172 (Fig. 12) in touch with selected ones of the first row of contacts (see Para. 0097), a second row of contacting portions 172 in touch with selected ones of the second row of contacts (Para. 0097), and a terminating end 171A (see Fig. 12).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for pertinent prior art, the following references being of closest relevance:
Matsuzaki (US 2009/0029592) teaches a connector comprising a housing having two sidewalls, a tongue and U-shaped contacts located on both sides;
McHugh (US 5,915,976) teaches a connector comprising a housing having two sidewalls, a tongue and contacts located on both sides and grounding members;
Kao (US 2019/0393634) teaches a connector comprising a housing having two sidewalls, a tongue and contacts located on both sides and a grounding member fixed to the tongue;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OSCAR C JIMENEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0272. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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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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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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