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.
In paragraph [0054] line 2, “elastically contact” should be elastically contacts.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 11 contains two views. These appear to be identical views with different labeling, with the upper view incorrectly labeling some portions of the view. For instance, [0054] references portion 462 curving from the window, and this is correctly labeled in the bottom view.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 6, and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 5, “the insulative base” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 6, lines 2 – 3, the use of the phrase “positioned to” is confusing because the claim recites that the cage has a bottom plate, with the plate “positioned to” itself. This appears to require that the bottom plate be at the bottom portion of the cage.
In claim 9, line 5, “the rear edge” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 10, line 2, “the two sides of the rear plate” lacks antecedent basis. In line 3, “the side plate” lacks antecedent basis. Further, on line 4 “the clip” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate corrections are required.
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 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 204030140 U (“Tan”).
Regarding claim 1, Tan discloses an electrical connector, comprising:
an insulative housing (106), a front end of the insulative housing being provided with at least one mating cavity (107);
at least one insulative base (280) received in the insulative housing, a protrusion (544) protruding from the insulative base (see Fig. 16, 544 protrudes away from a planar portion of 280);
at least one circuit board mounted to a side of the insulative base (external circuit board mounted to bottom side of the base, see at least [0033]);
a plurality of conductive terminals (222) provided in the mating cavity and electrically connecting with the circuit board;
a shielding cage (100) which covers an exterior of the insulative housing and exposes the mating cavity (see Fig. 1); a rear portion (102) of the shielding cage being provided with at least one first grounding elastic piece which bends forwardly (522), the first grounding elastic
piece electrically connecting with the circuit board (connects to the external board through 524, see [0038]), the first grounding elastic piece being provided with a locking hole (520), the protrusion latching in the locking hole (see Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 7, Tan wherein the locking hole penetrates up and down (see Fig. 17);
a rear side of the protrusion has a slope (544), a front side of the protrusion has a vertical abutting surface (see Fig. 17), the abutting surface abuts against an edge of the locking hole (see Fig. 17).
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan in view of U.S. Pat. No. 11,355,884 (“Yang”).
Regarding claim 8, Tan discloses the shielding cage comprises a rear plate and two side plates which are respectively arranged at two sides of the rear plate (lateral sides are on front cage 104 and rear plate is on rear member 102), and the first grounding elastic piece extends forwardly from the rear plate (see Fig. 2). Tan does not disclose the rear plate is further provided with a strengthening protrusion which protrudes rearwardly, the strengthening protrusion extends horizontally toward two sides of the rear plate.
However, Yang teaches an outwardly extending strengthening rib protrusion 213a on sheet metal panels, extending towards lateral sides of a plate portion (213a extends laterally along the length of the plate). It would have been obvious to provide a rib on the back plate of Tan, resulting in a rib extending outwardly toward lateral sides of the rear plate, as taught by Yang because the rib enhances the structural rigidity of the plate portion on which the rib is formed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 6 and 9 – 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form, overcoming the objections above, and including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed electrical connector including the rear portion of the shielding cage provided with at least one window, the first grounding elastic piece comprises a horizontal extending portion which connects with an edge of the window and a contacting portion which bends from the horizontal extending portion toward the circuit board, and the locking hole is provided in the horizontal extending portion, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Regarding Claim 9, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed electrical connector including the shielding cage comprises a rear plate and two side plates which are respectively arranged at two sides of the rear plate, the two side plates are respectively arranged at a left side and a right side of the insulative housing, at least one clip bends forwardly from a rear edge of each side plate, the clips are used to fix the rear plate, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Tan discloses the elastic piece extending from an edge of the rear shield, but the piece does not extend from a window and does not have a further contacting portion extending toward the circuit board. Yang ‘130 discloses clips 116 extending from side plates to secure a rear plate, but the clips bend inwardly, not forwardly as required by the claims.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
