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 § 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, 6,10,12-13 are as best understood and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by K T et al. (US 2022/0263271).
As per claim 1: K T et al. discloses an electrical connector 1, comprising: a plug insert 20, a pin contact 16 arranged within the plug insert 20 (as shown in fig. 3); a contact tip insulator 78 fastened to a front end of the pin contact 16 (as shown in fig. 5); a plurality of contact holding arms (not label, see figs. 3, 5, wherein there are 2 latching arms secured the pin contact) extending from a side wall 22/24/26 of the plug insert 20 towards the pin contact 16 for securing the pin contact 16 in the plug insert 20; and a removable ingress protection frame (as shown in fig. 1, wherein elements 20/22/24/26 located) comprising ingress barriers 72 arranged between the side wall 22/24/26 and the pin contact 16 in front of the contact holding arms (as shown in figs. 2-3).
As per claims 6, 10, 12-13: K T et al. discloses the electrical connector 1, wherein the ingress barriers 72 are generally cuboid (as shown in fig. 5); and wherein the pin contact 16 is secure to the plug insert 20 by the contact holding arms (as shown in figs. 3, 5); and wherein the ingress barriers 72 extend parallel and adjacent to the pin contact 16 (as shown in fig. 5); and wherein the plug insert 20 is one of plurality of plug connector modules arranged in a module holding frame (as shown in figs. 1-3, wherein there are multiple plug insert are admitted to the frame).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2, 7 are as best understood and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over K T et al. (US 2022/0263271).
As per claim 2: K T et al. discloses the electrical connector 1, wherein an ingress opening (not label, see fig. 6, wherein the wall 22 is located) between the side wall 22/24/26 and the contact tip insulator 78, and wherein a remaining ingress opening (not label, see fig. 6, wherein the portion between the wall and the pin/contact) the side wall and the contact tip insulator. However, K T et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein the tip insulator is wider than 12mm when the removable ingress protection frame is removed from the connector for service, and the contact tip insulator is narrower than 12mm when the removable ingress protection frame is installed in the connector.
On the other hand, K T et al. showed the ingress opening and the remaining ingress opening distance between the side wall and the contact tip insulator. Although, K T et al. does not specifically mention the exact length of the ingress opening and the remaining ingress opening between the side wall and the contact tip insulator. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would know that having an exact range can only deal with optimum range because such modification still would not change the function of the electrical connector after all but to further provide a safe area/space once either install or remove in the electrical connector into the ingress opening. Since, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further modify the electrical connector of K T et al. by having the tip insulator is wider than 12mm when the removable ingress protection frame is removed from the connector for service, and the contact tip insulator is narrower than 12mm when the removable ingress protection frame is installed in the connector as taught by the instant invention to further enhance a safety area/space once either install or remove in the electrical connector into the ingress opening.
As per claim 7: K T et al. discloses the electrical connector 1, and the pin contact 16. However, K T et al. does not explicitly mention wherein the pin contact includes an annular groove between a crimp section and a mating section of the pin contact.
On the other hand, K T et al. mentioned wherein the at least one contact element 16 may be pin-shaped, sleeve-shaped, fork-shaped or have any other shape common for electrical contact elements. The at least one contact element 16 may be soldered, crimped, welded and/or connected by any other conventional termination technique to a conductor (not shown) of an electrical cable (not shown) within the connector housing 6.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further modify the electrical connector of K T et al. by having pin contact includes an annular groove between a crimp section and a mating section of the pin contact as taught by the instant invention to further provide a secure structure as the manufacture desire to secure the pin contact to the connector and to enhance a stable, reliable structure of the pin contact in the electrical connector.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8-9, and 11 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-0288. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah 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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/T.H.N/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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