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 .
Claims 1-5 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2, line 8: “an elastic body elastically supporting the terminal plate the housing” should read “an elastic body elastically supporting the terminal plate in the housing”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20100110056), hereinafter Kim and in view of Doi (EP 3799216A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an electrical connector (connector assembly 250, Fig. 2) for supplying a utility, the electrical connector comprising: a first coupling member (first connector 253, Fig. 2) provided on any one of a utility supplying end or a utility receiving end; a first terminal (first terminal part 260, Fig. 2) provided on the first coupling member; a second coupling member (second connector 270, Fig. 2) provided on other one of the utility supplying end or the utility receiving end and configured to be coupled to the first coupling member (Fig. 2); and a second terminal (second terminal part 272, Fig. 2) provided on the second coupling member.
However, Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second terminal provided on the second coupling member is configured to be elastically in contact with the first terminal.
Doi teaches wherein the second terminal (terminal 92, Fig. 2) provided on the second coupling member (counterpart connector 91, Fig. 2) is configured to be elastically in contact (spring portion 37, Fig. 6) with the first terminal.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Doi to modify the invention of Kim to provide an electrical connector wherein the second terminal is configured to be elastically in contact with the first terminal. One would be motivated to make this modification to keep continuous normal force at the contact interface ensuring a stable contact between the first and second terminals after the two connectors are brought together.
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the second terminal comprises: a housing (second body 271, Fig. 2) fixed to the second coupling member.
However, Kim fails to disclose a terminal plate formed in a plate shape and configured to move back and forth within the housing in a coupling direction of the first coupling member and the second coupling member; and an elastic body elastically supporting the terminal plate the housing.
Doi teaches a terminal plate (contact portion 35, Fig. 6) formed in a plate shape and configured to move back and forth within the housing in a coupling direction of the first coupling member and the second coupling member; and an elastic body (spring portion 37, Fig. 6 and 12) elastically supporting the terminal plate in the housing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Doi to modify the invention of Kim to provide an electrical connector comprising a terminal plate configured to move back and forth within the housing in a coupling direction and an elastic body supporting the terminal plate in the housing. One would be motivated to make this modification to keep continuous normal force at the contact interface ensuring a stable contact between the first and second terminals after the two connectors are brought together.
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first terminal comprises: a terminal mold (first body 255, Fig. 2) fixed to the first coupling member; and a terminal bar (first terminal part 260 is formed within recess 257, Fig. 2) fixed to the terminal mold (see Figs. 7-8C).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal comprise: a power terminal unit (first power terminals 262, Fig. 2, second power terminals 274, Fig. 3A) for supplying power; and a signal terminal unit (first signal terminals 264, Fig. 2, second signal terminals 276, Fig. 3A) for inputting and outputting a detection signal of a sensor.
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first coupling member and the second coupling member further comprise respective coupling guide members for male-female coupling (see Figs. 8A-8C).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin et al. (CN 114069292A) discloses an electric connector assembly and plate end connector having first and second terminals and configured to connect to each other.
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/JEFFREY MOUNTAIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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