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 CONNECTOR WITH OUTER CONDUCTOR HAVING FIXED AND RESILIENT CONTACT POINTS CONTACTING A MATING OUTER CONDUCTOR--.
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.
Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hashimoto et el. (2020/0274265).
With regard to claim 1, Hashimoto teaches, as shown in figures 1-13: “A connector 10, comprising an outer conductor 30 having a hollow cylindrical shape, the outer conductor 30 being crimped to an end part of a cable 70 including a core wire 71, the outer conductor 30 being divided into two including one first region (upper portion of 40 in figure 5) and one second region (lower portion of 40 in figure 5) in a circumferential direction, the outer conductor 30 including: a fixed contact point portion 42 provided in the first region, the fixed contact point portion 42 being fixed in position with respect to the first region, the fixed contact point portion 42 contacting a peripheral surface of a mating outer conductor 130; and a resilient contact point portion 54 provided in the second region, the resilient contact point portion 54 resiliently contacting the peripheral surface of the mating outer conductor 130”.
With regard to claim 6, Hashimoto teaches: “The connector of claim 1”, as shown above.
Hashimoto also teaches, as shown in figures 1-13 and taught in paragraph 35: “wherein a deflection space (space where 53 is bent into, as described in paragraph 35) is formed inside the second region, the resilient contact point portion 51 being insertable into the deflection space when being resiliently deformed”.
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.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashimoto et el. (2020/0274265) in view of Murabayashi (WO2020250832A1).
With regard to claim 2, Hashimoto teaches: “The connector of claim 1”, as shown above.
Hashimoto also teaches, as shown in figures 1-13: “wherein: a plurality of the resilient contact point portions 54 are defined by slits 52 formed in the second region and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction”.
Hashimoto does not teach: “and adjacent resilient contact point portions are facing one common slit”.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Murabayashi teaches, as shown in figure 9: “and adjacent resilient contact point portions 94 are facing one common slit 93A”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Murabayashi with the invention of Hashimoto in order to form multiple resilient contact points for contacting the mating outer conductor (Murabayashi, page 9 lines 17-19).
With regard to claim 3, Hashimoto as modified by Murabayashi teaches: “The connector of claim 2”, as shown above.
Hashimoto also teaches, as shown in figures 1-13: “wherein: the outer conductor 30 is inserted into the mating outer conductor 130, and the slits 52 are surrounded by the mating outer conductor 130”.
With regard to claim 4, Hashimoto as modified by Murabayashi teaches: “The connector of claim 2”, as shown above.
Hashimoto also teaches, as shown in figures 1-13: “comprising a dielectric 23 to be arranged inside the outer conductor 30”.
Murabayashi also teaches, as shown in figures 1-9: “wherein: a thickness in a radial direction of a part (portion of 80 facing 92 in figure 3) facing an inner surface of the first region 92, out of the dielectric 23, is larger than a thickness in the radial direction of a part 82 facing an inner surface of the second region 93, out of the dielectric 80”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Murabayashi with the invention of Hashimoto as modified by Hashimoto in order to allow the outer conductor and the dielectric to crimp an inner contact 73 (Murabayashi, page 7 lines 33-36).
With regard to claim 5, Hashimoto as modified by Murabayashi teaches: “The connector of claim 4”, as shown above.
Hashimoto also teaches, as shown in figures 1-13: “wherein: a coupling slit (lower-left end of 52 in figure 5) partitioning between an end of the resilient contact point portion 54 in an axial direction (left-right direction in figure 11) of the core wire 71 and the outer conductor 30 and connected to the slit is formed in the second region, the connector 10 includes an inner conductor 21, a mating tab 121 being inserted into the inner conductor 21, an exposed part exposed from the inner conductor 21, out of the tab 121, being accommodated in the dielectric 23, and the coupling slit and the exposed part of the tab 121 are different in position in the axial direction of the core wire 71”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A 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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/JUSTIN M KRATT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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