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.
The following title is suggested: Electrical apparatus with substrate mounted cover assembly for receptacle connector
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 1, 3, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao (US Publication No. 2013/0072042) in view of Lin (US Publication No. 2013/0137283),
Regarding claim 1, Liao discloses an electronic apparatus (electronic product) comprising: a flat chassis (casing 10) composed of an upper plate (upper casing 11), a lower plate (comprised of arc plate 124 and base plate 125), and a side plate (front plate 123) having four peripheral sides (top and inner edges of 123); a substrate (circuit board 40) provided in the chassis (10); a receptacle connector (connector main body comprised of 20, 30) which is attached to the substrate (40) and has a plug insertion opening (cavity 21) directed to a side of the chassis (side of 10); a cover fitting cutout (opening 121) formed in the side plate (123) of the chassis (10) so as to extend from a point (see Figure 6), where the plug insertion opening (21) is exposed (see Figures 4-6) to the lower plate (124, 125); and a cover assembly (cover 60), wherein the cover assembly (60) includes: a cover (60) which rotates to close the cover fitting cutout (121) in a closed state (see Figure 4) and expose the plug insertion opening (21) in an open state (see Figure 5),
Liao does not disclose a cover assembly attached to the substrate, wherein the cover assembly includes: a block detachably fixed to the substrate, and a cover which is journaled to the block and rotates to close the cover fitting cutout in a closed state and expose the plug insertion opening in an open state.
However, Lin teaches a substrate (circuit board 50); a receptacle connector (base 110) which is attached to the substrate (50) and has a plug insertion opening (recess 112); and a cover assembly (comprised of base 130, cover 140, pivot mechanism 170, and elastic element 180) attached to the substrate (50), wherein the cover assembly (130, 140, 170, 180) includes: a block (130) detachably fixed (via 150) to the substrate (50), and a cover (140) which is journaled to the block (130) and rotates to close in a closed state (see Figures 1-2) and expose the plug insertion opening (112) in an open state (see Figures 3A-3B).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the cover assembly of Liao to be connected directly to the substrate in the manner taught in Lin. Doing so would have allowed for a slimmer device by providing a receptacle connector with a reduced overall height (see Paragraphs [0006]-[0011] in Lin).
Regarding claim 3, Liao in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1, and further teaches (in Liao) wherein the side plate (123) is formed as an upright wall (see Figure 2) provided upright (see Figures 5-7) from an edge of the upper plate (edge of 11), the lower plate (124, 125) has an inclined plate (124) formed so as to approach the upper plate (111) sideways until an end thereof substantially comes in contact with a lower end of the side plate (lower end of 124), the cover (60) has a lateral cover (front portion of 60) which forms the same surface as the side plate (123, see Figure 4) when viewed in the closed state from outside (see Figure 4), and an inclined cover (portion of 60 corresponding to 124) which forms the same surface as the inclined plate (124), the receptacle connector (20, 30) includes a plug-holding cylindrical body (20; NOTE: see Paragraphs [0020], [0040] of instant application) which forms a peripheral wall of the plug insertion opening (wall of 21), and the plug-holding cylindrical body (20) has an inclined cutout (Figure 7, inclined portion of 20) formed in a lower side portion (lower portion of 20) in such a manner as to provide a gap (see Figure 7) of a substantially constant interval relative to an inner surface of the inclined cover (inner surface 124).
Regarding claim 8, Liao in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Liao) wherein the receptacle connector (20, 30) has a tongue portion (30) provided with an electrode terminal (see Paragraph [0025] and Figure 3) at a substantially vertical middle of the plug insertion opening (middle of 21).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao (US Publication No. 2013/0072042), Lin (US Publication No. 2013/0137283), and in further view of Hung (US Publication No. 2010/0248554).
Regarding claim 2, Liao in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, but does not teach wherein the cover has a stopper that abuts against an inner surface of the side plate to restrict rotation in an opening direction.
However, Hung teaches a chassis (casing 2) comprising a side plate (side plate of 2); and cover assembly (comprised of rotatable element 210 and elastic element 212) comprising a cover (210), wherein the cover (210) has a stopper (second blocking portions 22) that abuts against an inner surface of the side plate (inner surface of side plate of 2) to restrict rotation in an opening direction (see Paragraph [0041]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have combined the stopper of Hung to the side plate of Liao as modified by Lin. Doing so would have ensured the cover did not over-rotate (see Paragraph [0041] in Hung).
Claims 1, 4, and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US Publication No. 2014/0106584) in view of Lin (US Publication No. 2013/0137283).
Regarding claim 1, Huang discloses an electronic apparatus (electronic device 10) comprising: a flat chassis (housing assembly 100) composed of an upper plate (top plate 111), a lower plate (second casing 120), and a side plate (side plate 112) having four peripheral sides (Paragraph [0016], 10 being a tablet computer; see also edges of 112); a substrate (mainboard 40) provided in the chassis (100); a receptacle connector (socket 200) which is attached to the substrate (40) and has a plug insertion opening (slot 210) directed to a side of the chassis (side of 100); a cover fitting cutout (notch 113) formed in the side plate (112) of the chassis (100) so as to extend from a point (see Figures 2A-2B), where the plug insertion opening (210) is exposed to the lower plate (120); and a cover assembly (comprised of cover 300 and elastic member 400), wherein the cover assembly (300, 400) includes: a cover (300) which rotates to close the cover fitting cutout (113) in a closed state (see Figures 1 and 4A) and expose the plug insertion opening (210) in an open state (see Figure 4C).
Huang does not disclose a cover assembly attached to the substrate, wherein the cover assembly includes: a block detachably fixed to the substrate, and a cover which is journaled to the block and rotates to close the cover fitting cutout in a closed state and expose the plug insertion opening in an open state.
However, Lin teaches a substrate (circuit board 50); a receptacle connector (base 110) which is attached to the substrate (50) and has a plug insertion opening (recess 112); a cover assembly (comprised of base 130, cover 140, pivot mechanism 170, and elastic element 180) attached to the substrate (50), wherein the cover assembly (130, 140, 170, 180) includes: a block (130) detachably fixed (via 150) to the substrate (50), and a cover (140) which is journaled to the block (130) and rotates to close in a closed state (see Figures 1-2) and expose the plug insertion opening (112) in an open state (see Figures 3A-3B).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the cover assembly of Huang to be connected directly to the substrate in the manner taught in Lin. Doing so would have allowed for a slimmer device by providing a receptacle connector with a reduced overall height (see Paragraphs [0006]-[0011] in Lin).
Regarding claim 4, Huang in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Huang) wherein downward displacement of a lower surface of a plug connector (lower surface of electrical connector 20) connected to the receptacle connector (200) is restricted by the cover (300, corresponding to 140 in Lin).
Regarding claim 6, Huang in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Lin) wherein the cover assembly (130, 140, 170, 180) has an elastic member (180) which elastically urges the cover in a closing direction (see Paragraph [0025]).
Regarding claim 7, Huang in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Huang) wherein a plug connector (connector 20) to be connected to the receptacle connector (200) includes a plug (Figure 4C, portion of 20 within 200) to be inserted into the plug insertion opening (210), and a housing (end of 20 opposite 200) with the plug (portion of 20 within 200) protruding from an end thereof (see Figure 4C), the housing (end of 20 opposite 200) has a sectional area which is larger than that of the plug (see Figure 4C) and has a stepped portion (vertical mid-wall of 20) between the housing (end of 20 opposite 200) and the plug (portion of 20 within 200), and the cover (300, as modified by Lin) does not come in contact with the stepped portion (vertical mid-wall of 20) in an open state (see Figure 4C).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US Publication No. 2014/0106584), Lin (US Publication No. 2013/0137283), and in further view of Wee (US Publication No. 2014/0104795).
Regarding claim 5, Huang in view of Lin teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, and further teaches (in Lin) wherein the substrate (50) and the block (130) are tightened together and fixed by a screw (150).
Huang in view of Lin does not teach wherein an intermediate fixing member is fixed to an inner surface of the upper plate, the substrate is held between the block and the intermediate fixing member, and the substrate, the block, and the intermediate fixing member are tightened together and fixed by a screw.
However, Wee teaches a flat chassis (housing 120) comprising an upper plate (upper housing 121), a substrate (mainboard 110) provided in the chassis (200), a receptacle connector (socket connector 111) attached to the substrate (110), and a block (boss 138, corresponding to 130 in Lin) detachable fixed to the substrate (110),
wherein an intermediate fixing member (boss 1216) is fixed to an inner surface of the upper plate (inner surface of 121), the substrate (110) is held between the block (138) and the intermediate fixing member (1216), and the substrate (110), the block (138), and the intermediate fixing member (1216) are tightened together and fixed by a screw (fastening device 142; see Paragraph [0061]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective file date of the claimed invention to have modified the connection between the block and substrate of Huang as modified by Lin to be between the block, substrate, and casing, as taught in Wee. Doing so would have ensured all of the components were properly aligned (see Paragraphs [0060]-[0061] in Wee).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Nos. 11146013 9257802 8465304 9083106 8986023 8882531 8777656 8764465 8758032 8500481 8079864 7850371 7841876 7950936 6155882 also teach elements of the claimed device.
US Publication Nos. 20130059454 20130130523 20130130524 20140134858 20150140842 also teach elements of the claimed device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GAGE STEPHEN CRUM whose telephone number is (571)272-3373. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Parker can be reached at (303)297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GAGE CRUM/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
gsc
Prosecution Insights