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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
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, 3, 7, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Malsby et al 4090764.
Regarding claim 1, Malsby (front page) discloses a connector structure comprising a plurality of subconnectors 10 stacked along a first direction, wherein each of the plurality of subconnectors includes: a front end surface parallel to the first direction; a plurality of insertion holes 64 extending along a second direction intersecting the front end surface and opened on the front end surface; a first positioning prat 17 located next to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction; and a second positioning prat 17 located next to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and each of the plurality of subconnectors is positioned with respect to a mating connector by the first positioning prat and the second positioning prat.
Regarding claim 3, Malsby discloses each of the first positioning prat 17 and the second positioning prat 17 is a positioning hole.
Regarding claim 7, Malsby discloses the plurality of insertion holes 64 are configured by a first insertion hole row arranged along a third direction intersecting the first direction when viewed from the second direction and a second insertion hole row located next to the first insertion hole row in the first direction and arranged along the third direction when viewed from the second direction, when viewed from the second direction the first positioning prat is located next to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row in the third direction, and when viewed from the second direction the second positioning prat is located on an opposite side to the first positioning prat with respect to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row.
Regarding claim 8, Malsby discloses each of the plurality of subconnectors 10 further includes an electric wire placed in at least one insertion hole 64 among the plurality of insertion holes.
Regarding claim 11, Malsby discloses when viewed from the second direction each of the plurality of subconnectors 10 is symmetrical with respect to each of a center line parallel to the first direction and a center line parallel to a third direction intersecting the first direction.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ferderer 7316591.
Regarding claim 1, Ferderer (front page) discloses a connector structure comprising a plurality of subconnectors 15 stacked along a first direction, wherein each of the plurality of subconnectors includes: a front end surface parallel to the first direction; a plurality of insertion holes (unnumbered) extending along a second direction intersecting the front end surface and opened on the front end surface; a first positioning prat 16 located next to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction; and a second positioning prat (not shown but identical to 16) located next to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and each of the plurality of subconnectors is positioned with respect to a mating connector by the first positioning prat and the second positioning prat.
Regarding claim 2, Ferderer discloses each of the first positioning prat 16 and the second positioning prat is a positioning pin.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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.
Claim(s) 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malsby as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Suzuki et al 6418027.
Regarding claim 4, Suzuki et al (claim 1 thereof) discloses a floating connection, and to provide a floating connection between the fixing member and the subconnectors of Malsby thus would have been obvious, to facilitate alignment between the subconnectors and mating subconnectors.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, the specific location and size of the gaps of Malsby (as modified by Suzuki et al) would have been an obvious matter of routine experimentation, to facilitate alignment in a desired direction.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malsby as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Colleran et al 5344338.
Colleran et al (front page) discloses the electric wire is each of a plurality of electric wires 40 of a flexible flat cable 36, and to form the wires of Malsby in a flat flexible cable thus would have been obvious, for ease of assembly.
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malsby as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bechaz et al 6848951.
Bechaz et al (Abstract and front page) discloses each of the plurality of subconnectors 10 further includes an optical and/or electrical interface, and to provide Malsby with an optical cable (optical interface) thus would have been obvious, to allow transmission of optical signals.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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