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 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ashibu (9,093,795).
Regarding claim 1, Ashibu discloses an electrical connector, comprising:
a body (100, Fig. 2) comprising a receiving cavity;
a terminal (200) arranged in the receiving cavity and including a contact portion (270, Fig. 4) and a pre-pressing portion (250, fig. 4); and
a cover (500, Fig. 2) assembled onto the body, the cover defining a pre-pressing groove (510, Fig. 2), the pre-pressing portion adapted to abut against the pre-pressing groove (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, the terminal includes a first terminal (200, Fig. 2) and a second terminal (400), and the pre-pressing groove includes a first pre-pressing groove (510, Fig. 2) for pre-pressing the first terminal (Fig. 4) and a second pre-pressing groove (530, Fig. 2) for pre-pressing the second terminal (Fig. 6).
Claims 1-9, 11-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Broeksteeg et al. (5,173,058).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Broeksteeg et al. disclose an electrical connector, comprising:
a body (8, Fig. 2) comprising a receiving cavity (54 and 70, Fig. 2);
a terminal (150, Fig. 9) arranged in the receiving cavity and including a contact portion (166 and 170, Fig. 9) and a pre-pressing portion (158 and 162, Fig. 9); and
a cover (6, Fig. 2) assembled onto the body, the cover defining a pre-pressing groove (a groove between 26, Fig. 2), the pre-pressing portion adapted to abut against the pre-pressing groove (Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 2 and 16, the cover comprises a first cover (100, Fig. 2) and a second cover (6), the first cover is rotatably connected to the body (Fig. 3), and the second cover includes the pre-pressing groove engaging with the pre-pressing portion.
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 2 shows a plurality of the pre-pressing grooves (grooves between 26) are arranged in an array on an upper surface of the second cover.
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 1 shows the second cover and the body together define an insertion slot (not labeled) adapted to receive a conductive connecting element (220), such that the conductive connecting element is electrically connectable with the terminal.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 11 shows the conductive connecting element is a flexible printed circuit board or a flat cable.
Regarding claim 6, Fig. 5 shows the contact portion is biased to drive the pre-pressing portion to move away from the pre-pressing groove when the conductive connecting element is inserted into the insertion slot.
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 10 shows an elastic latch (202) fixed inside the receiving cavity and defining a snap portion.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 7 shows the elastic latch is adapted to lock a conductive connecting element in a preset position after insertion of the conductive connecting element into the insertion slot.
Regarding claim 9, Fig. 7 shows the first cover is operable to rotate relative to the body and to bias the elastic latch to elastically deform and drive the snap portion to move, so as to unlock the conductive connecting element.
10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the snap portion has a bevel adapted to guide an insertion path of the conductive connecting element during the insertion of the conductive connecting element.
Regarding claim 11, Fig. 9 shows the contact portion is a structure curved (170) toward a bottom of the receiving cavity.
Regarding claim 12, Fig. 9 shows and the pre-pressing portion is a structure curved away (a curved between 158 and 162) from the bottom of the receiving cavity.
Regarding claim 13, the terminal is electrically connectable to a conductive connecting element via the contact portion.
Regarding claim 17, Fig. 1 shows the first cover and the body define an insertion slot therebetween adapted to receive a conductive connecting element (220).
Regarding claim 18, an elastic latch (200, Fig. 7) arranged within the receiving cavity and adapted to lock a conductive connecting element (220, Fig. 1) in a preset position after insertion of the conductive connecting element into the insertion slot.
Regarding claim 19, Fig. 7 shows the second cover is rotatable relative to the body and biases the elastic latch to elastically deform and unlock the conductive connecting element from the insertion slot.
Regarding claim 20, the terminal is electrically connectable to the conductive connecting element via the contact portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 08/22/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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