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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 1-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (U.S. Patent No. 7,264,479). Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses a radio frequency (RF) connector comprising: a first connector (Fig. 4) comprising a first magnet having a first structure (32a) at a portion of an end thereof; a second connector (Fig. 5) comprising a second magnet having a second structure (32b) at a portion of an end thereof, wherein a polarity of a portion of the second magnet facing the first magnet is opposite to a polarity of the first magnet, and the end of the second connector is detachably attached to the end of the first connector by a magnetic force generated between the first magnet and the second magnet; and a shielding structure (33a, 33b) provided on at least one surface (Fig. 3) other than a surface (Fig. 3) where the first magnet and the second magnet are attached to each other.
Regarding Claim 2, Lee discloses the first connector comprising: a first signal conductor (30) disposed to penetrate a cross section of the end of the first connector in a longitudinal direction (Fig. 4) of the first connector; an insulation part (31a) disposed to surround the first signal conductor; and the first magnet provided along a portion (Fig. 4) of the insulation part.
Regarding Claim 3, Lee discloses the second connector comprising: a second signal conductor (36) disposed to penetrate a cross section of the end of the second signal conductor in a longitudinal direction (Fig. 5) of the second connector; an insulation part (31b) disposed to surround the second signal conductor; and the second magnet provided along a portion (Fig. 5) of the insulation part.
Regarding Claim 4, Lee discloses wherein, when the first magnet and the second magnet are attached by attraction (Fig. 3), the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor come into close contact with each other to be electrically contacted.
Regarding Claim 5, Lee discloses the first structure being provided as a first polar magnet (32a) over an entire cross section, and the second structure of the second magnet is provided as a second polar magnet (32b) having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first polar magnet over an entire cross section.
Regarding Claim 6, Lee discloses the first structure of the first magnet comprising a first polar magnet (32a) and a second polar magnet (32b) having a polarity opposite to the first polarity, which are provided laterally adjacent to each other based on the cross section, and the second structure of the second magnet comprises a first polar magnet (32b) and a second polar magnet (93) having a polarity opposite to the first polarity, which are provided laterally adjacent to each other based on the cross section.
Regarding Claim 7, Lee discloses the first structure of the first magnet comprising a plurality of first polar magnets (32a, 83) and a plurality of second polar magnets (32b, 93), which are alternately arranged to be laterally adjacent in the first direction based on the cross section to form a multi-pole magnet, and the second structure of the second magnet comprises a plurality of first polar magnets (32b) and a plurality of second polar magnets (93), which are alternately arranged to be laterally adjacent in the first direction based on the cross section to form a multi-pole magnet.
Regarding Claim 8, Lee discloses the first structure of the first magnet comprising a plurality of first polar magnets (32a, 83) and a plurality of second polar magnets (32b, 93), which are alternately arranged in at least one of the first direction, a second direction and a third direction based on the cross section to form a multi-pole magnet, and the second structure of the second magnet comprises a plurality of first polar magnets (32b) and a plurality of second polar magnets (93), which are alternately arranged in at least one of the first direction, the second direction and the third direction based on the cross section to form a multi-pole magnet, wherein the first direction is an X-axis direction, the second direction is a Y-axis direction, and the third direction is a Z-axis direction.
Regarding Claim 9, Lee discloses the first connector and the second connector having structures (34, 37) configured to, while portions where the first magnet and the second magnet face each are attached by the attraction, to be separated by repulsion generated as the portions facing each other are changed due to an external force applied from an outside.
Regarding Claim 11, Lee discloses the shielding structure closely covering at least one of a bottom surface, an inner peripheral surface, and an outer peripheral surface (Figs. 4 and 5) of at least one of the first magnet and the second magnet.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Lee (U.S. Patent No. 7,264,479). Lee discloses substantially the claimed invention except for the shielding structure being made of any one material or two or more materials of carbon fiber, carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon black, graphene, aluminum, titanium, zinc, iron, nickel, chromium, cobalt, copper, silver and gold.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the shielding structure being made of any one material or two or more materials of carbon fiber, carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon black, graphene, aluminum, titanium, zinc, iron, nickel, chromium, cobalt, copper, silver and gold in order to comply with design or environmental requirements, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses RF connectors, similar to Applicant’s claimed invention, having first and second connectors with first and second magnets.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN A LEON whose telephone number is (571)272-2008. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee S Luebke can be reached on 5712722009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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