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 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 10 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.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the third end" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the fourth end" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
(Note: for purpose of examination, Examiner interprets that claim 10 is a dependent of claim 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 11, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. (US 10840642 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Kwon et al. discloses a guiding connection structure 100 (figures 9A-11) comprising:
a guide pin 24 is installed on a first object (the horizontal surface of housing 2 in fig. 1), and
a guide sleeve 33 (see fig. 11) configured to guide insertion of the guide pin 24, wherein the guide sleeve 33 is installed on a second object (reference number 1 in fig. 1); and comprises an inner hole path comprising a variable-diameter section,
wherein the variable-diameter section comprises a first hole diameter, a first end 3312, and a second end 3311,
wherein the first hole diameter gradually increases from the first end 3312 to the second end 3311,
wherein the guide pin 24 is configured to be inserted into the second end 3311 from the first end 3312 for implementing a mutual guiding connection between a first plug-in part (male connector on housing 2) on the first object and a second plug-in part (female connector on PCB P) on the second object.
Regarding claim 11, Kwon et al. discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a first object (the horizontal surface of housing 2 in fig. 1);
a first plug-in part (male connector on housing 2) is installed on the first object;
a second object (reference number 1 in fig. 1);
a second plug-in part (female connector on PCB P) is installed on the second object; and
a guiding connection structure 100 (figures 9A-11) configured to implement mutual guiding connection between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part and comprising:
a guide pin 24 installed on the first object; and
a guide sleeve 33 (see fig. 11) configured to guide insertion of the guide pin, wherein the guide sleeve is installed on the second object, and comprises an inner hole path comprising a variable-diameter section,
wherein the variable-diameter section includes a first hole diameter and comprises a first end 3312 and a second end 3311,
wherein the first hole diameter gradually increases from the first end to the second end,
wherein the guide pin is inserted into the second end from the first end, and
wherein the guiding connection structure is configured to implement accurate plugging between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part when the guide pin is inserted into the guide sleeve.
Regarding claim 20, Kwon et al. discloses the first object is a backplane (the horizontal surface of housing 2 in fig. 1), wherein the second object is a pluggable system 1, wherein the pluggable system 1 is perpendicular to the backplane, wherein the first plug-in part is a male connector, and wherein the second plug-in part is a female connector.
8. Claim(s) 1, 2, 11, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baechle et al. (US 9281641 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Baechle et al. discloses a guiding connection structure 100 (figures 1, 2, 4) comprising:
a guide pin 68 is installed on a first object 20, and
a guide sleeve 62 configured to guide insertion of the guide pin 24, wherein the guide sleeve is installed on a second object 18; and comprises an inner hole path comprising a variable-diameter section,
wherein the variable-diameter section comprises a first hole diameter, a first end 60, and a second end 64,
wherein the first hole diameter gradually increases from the first end 60 to the second end,
wherein the guide pin 68 is configured to be inserted into the second end from the first end 60 for implementing a mutual guiding connection between a first plug-in part 80 on the first object 20 and a second plug-in part 54 on the second object 18.
Regarding claim 2, Baechle et al. discloses the first end 60 comprises a fine guide hole, and wherein a second hole diameter of the fine guide hole is configured to adapt to an outer diameter of the guide pin to make an accurate plugging between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part when the guide pin is inserted into the fine guide hole.
Regarding claim 11, Baechle et al. discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a first object 20;
a first plug-in part 80 is installed on the first object;
a second object 18;
a second plug-in part 54 is installed on the second object; and
a guiding connection structure 10 configured to implement mutual guiding connection between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part and comprising:
a guide pin 68 installed on the first object; and
a guide sleeve 62 configured to guide insertion of the guide pin, wherein the guide sleeve is installed on the second object, and comprises an inner hole path comprising a variable-diameter section,
wherein the variable-diameter section includes a first hole diameter and comprises a first end 60 and a second end 64,
wherein the first hole diameter gradually increases from the first end to the second end,
wherein the guide pin is inserted into the second end from the first end, and
wherein the guiding connection structure is configured to implement accurate plugging between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part when the guide pin is inserted into the guide sleeve.
Regarding claim 12, Baechle et al. discloses the first end 60 comprises a fine guide hole, and wherein a second hole diameter of the fine guide hole is configured to adapt to an outer diameter of the guide pin to make an accurate plugging between the first plug-in part and the second plug-in part when the guide pin is inserted into the fine guide hole.
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 3-9, 13-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
10. Claim 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO D. TA whose telephone number is (571)272-2014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdt
10/13/2026
/THO D TA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
