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 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) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by TYLER et al. (US Patent Application Publication 20110171856 A1).
As per claim 1, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, in particular an angled plug connector 100, comprising; at least one electric contact element 220, a plug connector housing 106 with multiple chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1) running side by side that can be equipped with the contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220), and a support arrangement 112, wherein at least one of the chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1) is equipped with one of the contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220), so that a rigid longitudinal section A of the contact element 220 rests against the inner wall of the equipped chamber (shown in figure 9) at an axial bearing position (along 804), and wherein the support arrangement 112 comprises at least one support element 206 that can be inserted into an unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) of the plug connector housing 106 instead of one of the contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220), wherein adjacent to the at least one equipped chamber (shown in figure 9), the support element 206 is arranged in at least one further unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) instead of a contact element 220, in order to support the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) on the inside at least at one axial support position (along 804), wherein the axial support position (along 804) is arranged at least substantially at the same axial position as the axial bearing position (along 804) of the adjacent, equipped chamber (shown in figure 9).
As per claim 2, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the outer geometry of the support element 206 is functionally different from the outer geometry of the at least one contact element 220 of the plug connector 100, wherein the support element 206 is particularly shorter along the longitudinal extent than the at least one contact element 220 of the plug connector 100.
As per claim 3, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the cross section of the support element 206 decreases towards one of its ends to form a centering tip 318 for insertion of the support element 206 into the associated unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8).
As per claim 4, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the support element 206 is designed as a solid body (along 104, shown in figure 5) and is preferably made of a dielectric material (see paragraph 23), in particular plastic (see paragraph 23).
As per claim 5, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the support element 206 has one or multiple support surfaces arranged distributed along the circumference of the support element 206 for supporting the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) from the inside, which support surfaces are designed to rest against the inside of the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8).
As per claim 6, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, further comprising a plate-shaped base body 304, from which the at least one support element 206 rises in a dome-like manner (along 104), wherein the base body 304 has at least one latching element for latching with the plug connector housing 106 to hold the at least one support element 206 in the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) in a loss-proof manner (shown in figure 8 and 9).
As per claim 7, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein multiple support elements 206 rise from a common plate-shaped base body 304.
As per claim 8, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the support element 206 stiffens the plug connector housing 106 mechanically, in particular increases the transverse tensile strength of the plug connector housing 106, preferably at least substantially comparably with a plug connector housing 106 completely equipped with contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220).
As per claim 9, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the at least one contact element 220 is designed as an outer conductor contact element (along 220) and has a primarily sleeve-shaped structure (along 104, shown in figure 9), at least in the rigid longitudinal section A.
As per claim 10, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein all chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1) of the plug connector housing 106 that can be equipped with contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220) have a functionally identical internal geometry (along 104).
As per claim 11, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein all chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1) of the plug connector housing 106 that can be equipped with contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220) are either equipped with a contact element 220 or have a support element 206.
As per claim 12, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the plug connector housing 106 has a connection section 200 for connecting to a corresponding mating plug connector (see paragraph 20-21), into which the chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1) of the plug connector housing 106 that can be equipped with contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220) open, wherein the support elements 206, starting from a rear side (along 112) facing away from the connection section 200 of the plug connector housing 106 can be inserted into the chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1).
As per claim 13, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the support elements 206, when fully received in the assigned unequipped chambers (shown in figure 8), project towards the rear side (along 112) of the plug connector housing 106 from the respective unequipped chambers (shown in figure 8).
As per claim 14, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein a respective chamber (500, 502) equipped with one of the contact elements (see paragraph 2, 220) and the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) adjacent to this equipped chamber, which is supported on the inside by the support element 206, have a common partition wall (surface in-between 500 and 502) separating both chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1).
As per claim 15, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, in particular an angled plug connector 100, comprising at least the following method steps: - equipping at least one chamber of a plug connector housing 106 with a contact element 220, so that a rigid longitudinal section A of the contact element 220 rests against at least one axial bearing position (along 804) on the inside of the equipped chamber; and - positioning a support element 206 instead of a contact element 220 in at least one other, unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) adjacent to one of the equipped chambers (along 1 and 2, shown in figure 1), so that the support element 206 supports the unequipped chamber (shown in figure 8) on the inside at least at one axial support position (along 804), which at least substantially corresponds to the axial bearing position (along 804) of the adjacent, equipped chamber (see figure 9).
As per claim 16, TYLER teaches an electric plug connector 100, wherein the support body is made of plastic (see paragraph 23).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON R BURGOS-GUNTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-0574. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00PM, Monday-Friday.
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, Abdullah A. Riyami can be reached on (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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/Nelson R. Burgos-Guntin/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
