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.
Claims 1-7, 10-16, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Little (US 10,651,606).
Regarding claim 1: Little teaches a connector (Fig. 1A), comprising: a connector module 300 (see Fig. 11A), comprising: at least four cable assemblies 330 with a same structure (see Fig. 12A), wherein each cable assembly of the at least four cable assemblies includes a first cable module 340 (Fig. 12A) comprising: a first differential terminal pair group 342 (see Fig. 15A); a first cable pair group connected to the first differential terminal pair group (see Fig. 7A); and a first shielding sheet group 341, 351 at least semi-enclosing a part of the first differential terminal pair group (see Fig. 13A); and a housing fastener 320 comprising a second mounting opening 322 (Fig. 12A); and a housing 110 comprising a first mounting opening (see Fig. 2A) wherein one end of each cable assembly of the at least four cable assemblies is inserted into the second mounting opening 320 (see Fig. 1A), and wherein the housing fastener 320 is inserted into the first mounting opening 322.
Regarding claim 2: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein each cable assembly 300 of the at least four cable assemblies further comprises a second cable module 360 comprising: a second differential terminal pair group; a second cable pair group connected to the second differential terminal pair group (see Fig. 14A); and a second shielding sheet group 361, 371 at least semi-enclosing a part of the second differential terminal pair group (Fig. 14B), wherein the first cable module and the second cable module are stacked (see Fig. 12A), wherein the first cable pair group is aligned with the second cable pair group, and wherein a first end part of the first differential terminal pair group extends beyond a second end part of the second differential terminal pair group (see Fig. 13C).
Regarding claim 3: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the first differential terminal pair group 342 comprises: at least one first signal differential pair 346; and a first fastening plastic 344 that fastens a first position of the at least one first signal differential pair (see Figs. 14A-15A), and wherein the second differential terminal pair group comprises: at least one second signal differential pair; and a second fastening plastic that fastens a second position of the at least one second signal differential pair (see Fig. 15A).
Regarding claim 4: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the first shielding sheet group 341, 351 comprises: a first metal shielding sheet 341; and a first shielding fastening plastic 354 that fastens a first position of the first metal shielding sheet (see Fig. 15A), and wherein the second shielding sheet group comprises: a second metal shielding sheet 361, 371; and a second shielding fastening plastic 374 that fastens a second position of the second metal shielding sheet (Fig. 15A).
Regarding claim 5: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the first cable pair group comprises: at least two first cables disposed side by side; a first weld bonding adhesive; and a first weld joint shielding sheet, wherein each of the at least two first cables is connected to the first weld joint shielding sheet 950, and wherein the first weld bonding adhesive fastens a first weld joint of each first cable (see Fig. 23A and Col. 8, lines 39-67); and wherein the second cable pair group comprises: at least two second cables disposed side by side; a second weld bonding adhesive; and a second weld joint shielding sheet, wherein each second cable is connected to the second weld joint shielding sheet 950, and wherein the second weld bonding adhesive fastens a second weld joint of each second cable (see Fig. 23A and Col. 8, lines 39-67).
Regarding claim 6: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the at least four cable assemblies comprise: a first cable assembly group comprising at least two of the cable assemblies, wherein the cable assemblies in the first cable assembly group are stacked; and a second cable assembly group comprising at least two of the cable assemblies, wherein the cable assemblies in the second cable assembly group are stacked, and wherein the first cable assembly group and the second cable assembly group are disposed side-by-side (see Fig. 23A).
Regarding claim 7: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 6 and further teaches wherein the connector module further comprises a low-speed signal group (at 920; Fig. 8), wherein one end of the low-speed signal group is inserted into the second mounting opening, and wherein the low-speed signal group is located between the first cable assembly group and the second cable assembly group (Col. 8, lines 39-67).
Regarding claim 10: Little teaches a device (Fig. 1A), comprising: an optical device (Col. 5, lines 43-45); and a connector 100 electrically coupled to the optical device (e.g. not shown but would connect to connector 100; Fig. 1A) and comprising: a connector module 300 comprising: at least four cable assemblies 330 with a same structure (Fig. 12A), wherein each cable assembly of the at least four cable assemblies includes a first cable module 340 comprising: a first differential terminal pair group 342; a first cable pair group connected to the first differential terminal pair group (Fig. 7A); and a first shielding sheet group 341, 351 at least semi-enclosing a part of the first differential terminal pair group (Fig. 13A); and a housing fastener 320 comprising a second mounting opening 322 (Fig. 12A); and a housing 110 comprising a first mounting opening (see Fig. 2A), wherein one end of each cable assembly of the at least four cable assemblies is inserted into the second mounting opening 320 (see Fig. 1A), and wherein the housing fastener 320 is inserted into the first mounting opening 322 (see Fig. 1A).
Regarding claims 11-16: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 2-7, respectively.
Regarding claim 19: Little teaches a connector (Fig. 1A), comprising: a connector module 300, comprising: at least four cable assemblies 330 with a same structure (Fig. 12A), wherein the at least four cable assemblies form a first cable assembly group and a second cable assembly group each comprising at least two of the at least four cable assemblies (see Figs. 12A-21A); a housing fastener 320 comprising a second mounting opening; a low-speed signal group (at 900; Fig. 1A) located between the first cable assembly group and the second cable assembly group; and a housing 110, comprising a first mounting opening, wherein a first end of each cable assembly of the at least four cable assemblies and a second end of the low-speed signal group are inserted into the second mounting opening, and wherein the housing fastener is inserted into the first mounting opening (see Fig. 1A).
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 8-9, 17-18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Little (US 10,651,606), in view of Wolfe (US 2023/0369800).
Regarding claim 8: Little teaches all the limitations of claim 7 and further teaches wherein the low-speed signal group comprises five stacked low-speed connection devices, and wherein an arrangement direction of the five stacked low-speed connection devices matches a direction in which the first cable assembly group points toward the second cable assembly group.
Little does not explicitly teach low-speed signal group comprises five stacked low-speed connection devices, and wherein an arrangement direction of the five stacked low-speed connection devices matches a direction in which the first cable assembly group points toward the second cable assembly group.
Wolfe teaches a low-speed signal group 14 comprises five stacked low-speed connection devices 14-1 through 14-5 (see Fig. 4), and wherein an arrangement direction of the five stacked low-speed connection devices 14 matches a direction in which a first cable assembly group 12 points toward a second cable assembly group 12 (see Figs. 1-4).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to be able to modify the invention with low-speed signal group comprises five stacked low-speed connection devices, and wherein an arrangement direction of the five stacked low-speed connection devices matches a direction in which the first cable assembly group points toward the second cable assembly group as taught by Wolfe into the connector of Little in order to achieve the advantage of mechanically and electrically connecting various cable assembly groups and provide low speed connection.
Regarding claim 9: Little, in view of Wolfe, teaches all the limitations of claim 8 and Wolfe further teaches wherein each low-speed connection device 14 comprises: a metal terminal 42; and an injection molding plastic 40 that encapsulates a part of the metal terminal (see Fig. 11 of Wolfe).
Regarding claims 17-18: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 8-9, respectively.
Regarding claim 20: Rejected for substantially the same reasons as claims 8.
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:
Zerebilov (US 2020/0274267) teaches a connector assembly comprising a housing, a housing fastener, and multiple cable modules comprising terminal pairs;
Herring (US 2015/0194751) teaches a connector assembly comprising a housing, a housing fastener, and multiple cable modules comprising terminal pairs and shielding;
Blackburn (US 2020/0005966) teaches a connector assembly comprising a housing, a housing fastener, and multiple cable modules comprising terminal pairs and shielding;
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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