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 Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2, lines 2-3: “the bottom of the vertical partition board” should be corrected to - -a bottom of a vertical partition board- -, there is no antecedent basis for a partition board;
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-8, 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xiao (US 2018/0205174).
Regarding claim 1: Xiao teaches a connector 100 (Fig. 3), comprising: a housing 1 having at least one layer of inner chamber (at 12; Fig. 5), each layer of inner chamber including multiple vertical partition walls 3 formed therein and multiple vertical partition plates 4 formed on an outer side of a side wall of the housing 1 (see Fig. 7); and at least one row of terminals 2 respectively arranged in the at least one layer of inner chamber (see Figs. 5-7), each terminal 2 including a mating part 21 accommodated in the inner chamber for mating with a mating terminal 6 of a mating connector 200 (see Figs. 1-3) and a connecting part 22, 23 extending from the side wall of the housing for electrically connecting to a circuit board 101 (see Fig. 4 and Para. 0024), the mating parts 21 of adjacent two terminals 2 in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition wall 3 (see Fig. 3), and the connecting parts 22, 23 of adjacent two terminals 2 in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition plate 4 (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein a leg is formed at a bottom of a vertical partition board and is adapted to be inserted into a slot in the circuit board (e.g. partition boards seen on the left and right sides of terminals 2 have a leg portion that is inserted into board 101; see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 3: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein: the housing 1 comprises a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 12 opposite to each other in a height direction (see Fig. 6), two side walls 14 opposite to each other in a transverse direction (Fig. 6), and a rear opening 133 and a front side wall opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction (see Fig. 7); the multiple vertical partition walls 3 are arranged in a row along the transverse direction (see Fig. 6), and the multiple vertical partition plates 4 are arranged in a row along the transverse direction (see Fig. 7); and the multiple vertical partition plates 4 are connected to the outer side of the front side wall of the housing (Fig. 7), and the connecting part 22, 23 of the terminal 2 extends from the side wall of the housing (see Figs. 4-5).
Regarding claim 4: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 3 and further teaches wherein: the connecting part 22, 23 of any terminal 2 in each row of terminals is located between two adjacent vertical partition plates 4 (see Fig. 4); and a thickness of the two outermost vertical partition plates in a row of vertical partition plates is greater than that of the other vertical partition plates in the row of vertical partition plates (see Fig. 4 for two outermost vertical partition plates having a greater thickness).
Regarding claim 5: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 3 and further teaches wherein lock protrusions 141 are respectively formed on inner sides of left and right side walls of each layer of inner chamber of the housing (see Fig. 16 and Para. 0025), the lock protrusions are adapted to engage with a mating housing 5 of the mating connector 200 to lock the mating housing inserted into the inner chamber of the housing in the inner chamber (see Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 6: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 3 and further teaches wherein the terminal 2 further comprises a fixing portion 212 located between the mating part and the connecting part and fixed to the front side wall of the housing (see Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 7: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 3 and further teaches further comprising a pair of welding legs 23 installed on respective ones of the left and right side walls of the housing (Fig. 7), wherein the pair of welding legs and the connecting part of the terminal are adapted to be soldered onto the circuit board in a surface mount manner (Para. 0024).
Regarding claim 8: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the housing has a single-layer of inner chamber, and the vertical partition wall 3 is connected between the top wall and the bottom wall of the housing (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 12: Xiao teaches a connector module (Fig. 5), comprising: a circuit board 101; and a connector 100 installed on the circuit board (Fig. 5), including: a housing 1 having at least one layer of inner chamber (at 12; Fig. 5), each layer of inner chamber including multiple vertical partition walls 3 formed therein (Fig. 6) and multiple vertical partition plates 4 formed on an outer side of a side wall of the housing (Fig. 7); and at least one row of terminals 2 respectively arranged in the at least one layer of inner chamber (see Fig. 5), each terminal 2 including a mating part 21 accommodated in the inner chamber for mating with a mating terminal 6 of a mating connector 200 and a connecting part 22, 23 extending from the side wall of the housing and electrically connect to the circuit board (see Fig. 4 and Para. 0024), the mating parts of adjacent two terminals in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition wall 3 (see Fig. 3), and the connecting parts 22, 23 of adjacent two terminals in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition plate 4 (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 12 and further teaches wherein a row of slots are formed in the circuit board, and the legs of the row of vertical partition plates of the housing of the connector are respectively inserted into the row of slots (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14: Xiao teaches a connector assembly 1000 (Fig. 3), comprising: a connector 100, including: a housing 1 having at least one layer of inner chamber (see Fig. 3), each layer of inner chamber including multiple vertical partition walls 3 formed therein and multiple vertical partition plates 4 formed on an outer side of a side wall of the housing (see Fig. 4); and at least one row of terminals 2 respectively arranged in the at least one layer of inner chamber (Fig. 3), each terminal including a mating part 21 accommodated in the inner chamber for mating with a mating terminal 6 of a mating connector 200 and a connecting part 22, 23 extending from the side wall of the housing for electrically connecting to a circuit board 101 (see Fig. 3), the mating parts of adjacent two terminals in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition wall (Fig. 3), and the connecting parts of adjacent two terminals in each row of terminals are separated by the vertical partition plate (Fig. 4); and a mating connector 200 inserted into the inner chamber of the housing of the connector and mating with the connector (see Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 15: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 14 and further teaches wherein the mating connector comprises: a mating housing adapted to mate with the housing of the connector and formed with a row of terminal holes, the mating housing having a front end portion inserted into the inner chamber of the housing; and a row of mating terminals inserted into the row of terminal holes of the mating housing, the mating part of the terminal of the connector is mated with the mating terminal inserted into the inner chamber (see Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 16: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein a row of partition slots is formed in the front end portion of the mating housing, and the row of vertical partition walls in the inner chamber of the housing are inserted into the row of partition slots of the mating housing (see Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 17: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein elastic buckles 552 are formed on outer sides of left and right sides of the front end portion of the mating housing (Fig. 8), the elastic buckle engages with locking protrusion in the inner chamber of the housing to lock the connector and the mating connector together (Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 18: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 17 and further teaches wherein the elastic buckle includes: a cantilever part having an end connected to the mating housing; and a protruding part formed on the cantilever part, the protruding part on the elastic buckle engaging with the locking protrusion in the inner chamber of the housing (see Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 19: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 15 and further teaches wherein: the mating connector 200 further includes a terminal locking member 201 installed on the mating housing and adapted to lock the row of mating terminals in the mating housing; an installation port is formed on the bottom wall of the rear end of the mating housing, and the installation port is communicated with the row of terminal holes; and the terminal locking member includes: a plate-shaped main body installed in the installation port of the mating housing; and a locking part connected to the main body and adapted to press against the mating terminal to lock the mating terminal in the terminal hole (see Figs. 3-4).
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.
Claims 9-10, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (US 2018/0205174), in view of Liao (US 12,206,193).
Regarding claim 9: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 1.
Xiao does not explicitly teach wherein the housing includes: multiple layers of inner chambers arranged in the height direction and multiple rows of terminals arranged in the height direction; and a horizontal partition wall that separates adjacent two layers of inner chambers, so that the mating parts of adjacent two rows of terminals are separated by the horizontal partition wall.
Liao teaches a housing includes: multiple layers of inner chambers arranged in the height direction and multiple rows of terminals arranged in the height direction (see Fig. 1); and a horizontal partition wall that separates adjacent two layers of inner chambers, so that the mating parts of adjacent two rows of terminals are separated by the horizontal partition wall (see Fig. 7).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with the housing includes: multiple layers of inner chambers arranged in the height direction and multiple rows of terminals arranged in the height direction; and a horizontal partition wall that separates adjacent two layers of inner chambers, so that the mating parts of adjacent two rows of terminals are separated by the horizontal partition wall as taught by Liao into the connector of Xiao in order to achieve the advantage of providing multiple points of contact in a reduced stacked manner.
Regarding claim 10: Xiao, in view of Liao, teaches all the limitations of claim 9 and further teaches wherein: the vertical partition wall in the topmost layer of inner chamber is connected between the top wall of the housing and the horizontal partition wall; and the vertical partition wall in the bottommost layer of inner chamber is connected between the bottom wall of the housing and the horizontal partition wall (see Fig. 4 of Liao).
Regarding claim 20: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claim 9.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (US 2018/0205174), in view of Porebski (US 2023/0120886).
Regarding claim 11: Xiao teaches all the limitations of claim 1.
Xiao does not explicitly teach wherein the connector is a high-voltage connector suitable for voltages above 1000V, and the pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals is not greater than 3.5mm.
Porebski teaches a connector is a high-voltage connector suitable for voltages above 1000V (Para. 0035).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with a connector is a high-voltage connector suitable for voltages above 1000V as taught by Liao into the connector of Xiao in order to achieve the advantage of powering devices that require higher voltages.
Xiao, in view of Porebski, does not explicitly teach the pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals is not greater than 3.5mm.
Regarding the pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals: Xiao discloses a pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals but does not disclose a particular value for this parameter. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide a pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals is not greater than 3.5mm, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the “optimum range” involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. See MPEP 2144.05. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with the pitch between adjacent terminals in each row of terminals is not greater than 3.5mm as taught by Liao into the connector of Xiao in order to achieve the advantage of a low profile connector.
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:
Yamashita (US 2024/0291209) teaches a connector comprising multiple layers separating terminals and partitions in a vertical and horizontal manner;
Zeng (US 8,764,488) teaches a connector comprising rear and forward partitions and terminals located in between;
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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/OSCAR C JIMENEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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