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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1, 4 and 6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites that “no conductor is designed to exist between the two spring pieces of each contact”. However, the two spring pieces of each contact are connected at both ends. See also claim 2.
Claim 4 recites that “the two spring pieces are a cantilever beam”. However, it appears that they form or are part a cantilever beam.
In claim 6, both occurrences of “a spring piece” make the claim unclear as to whether the limitations refer to the same or different “spring piece” in claim 2.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Please note that while the claim preamble designates a method for adjusting a contact pressure, the body of the claim merely appear to include structural and intended use limitations. It does not describe any method steps achieving the designated adjustment. For the purpose of examination, the claim will be treated as an apparatus claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim does not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because it denotes a method (i.e. process) while only providing structural limitations (i.e. apparatus limitations).
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 10,833,442).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a contact pressure adjustment method for adjusting a contact pressure of each contact in a connector where a plurality of contacts (120) having electrical conductivity are arranged in a row with a predetermined pitch (Figs. 1A-B), wherein each contact is designed in such a way that one contact part is supported by two spring pieces (at 132) extending apart from each other in a pitch direction and parallel to each other and whose both ends are joined, no conductor is designed to exist between the two spring pieces of each contact (at gap 138), no conductor is designed to exist between two contacts adjacent in the pitch direction, and while maintaining the predetermined pitch and a gap (138) in the pitch direction between, of two contacts adjacent in the pitch direction, a spring piece closer to another contact out of the two spring pieces of one contact and a spring piece closer to the one contact out of the two spring pieces of the another contact (Fig. 1B), the two spring pieces of each contact are extended toward each other so that the two spring pieces of each contact come closer to each other in the pitch direction (at 132, Fig. 3A), thereby increasing the contact pressure of each contact while maintaining the predetermined pitch and impedance of each contact (intended use).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses a connector for high-speed transmission where a plurality of contacts having electrical conductivity are arranged in a row with a predetermined pitch (Fig. 1A-B), wherein in each contact, one contact part (136) is supported by two spring pieces (132) extending apart from each other in a pitch direction and parallel to each other and whose both ends are joined, no conductor exists between the two spring pieces of each contact (at gap 138), no conductor exists between two contacts adjacent in the pitch direction, and a gap (138) in the pitch direction between the two spring pieces of each contact is equal to or smaller than a gap in the pitch direction between, of two contacts adjacent in the pitch direction (Fig. 1B), a spring piece closer to another contact out of the two spring pieces of one contact and a spring piece closer to the one contact out of the two spring pieces of the another contact (Figs. 1A-B).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses cross-sectional areas and cross-sectional shapes of the two spring pieces are equal to each other (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses the two spring pieces being (part of) a cantilever beam at least partly bent in a U- shape (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Chen discloses each contact formed symmetrically with respect to a center line (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Chen discloses an insulating housing (102) that holds the plurality of contacts, wherein the housing includes a plurality of contact accommodation parts (104) that accommodate the plurality of contacts, respectively, and a plurality of partition walls (see Fig. 2B) that separate the plurality of contact accommodation parts, respectively, in the pitch direction, and a corresponding partition wall is disposed between, of two contacts adjacent in the pitch direction, a spring piece closer to another contact out of the two spring pieces of one contact and a spring piece closer to the one contact out of the two spring pieces of the another contact (Fig. 1A-B).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses each contact including a soldering part (126) at an end on an opposite side of the contact part.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm. 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, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)727-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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