DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on August 29, 2024.
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 Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 9 should depend on claim 8, not claim 7. Appropriate correction is 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 1-13 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cutts (GB-1549758-A).
With respect to Claim 1:
Cutts discloses a plug-in connector, comprising:
at least one contact device (Fig. 8) configured to transmit electrical energy and/or electrical signals,
the at least one contact device including at least one first connection element 124 (Fig. 8) comprising a coupling portion 126 (Fig. 8) and at least one second connection element 132 (Fig. 8) comprising a coupling portion 132 (Fig. 8),
wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and the at least one second connection element 132 each comprise individual parts (Fig. 8), and
wherein the coupling portions 126&132 are configured to contact one another to form at least one contact device (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 2:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the coupling portion 126 of the at least one first connection element 124 and the coupling portion 132 of the at least one second connection element 132 are configured to form a positive connection with each other at least in portions and/or a non-positive connection with each other at least in portions (this describes the conduction of electric charge of any kind, which is inherent to terminal blocks such as the invention of Cutts).
With respect to Claim 3:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the coupling portion 126 of the at least one first connection element 124 and the coupling portion 132 of the at least one second connection element 132 are configured to form a plug-in connection (Fig. 8; pg. 4, lines 18-21: 132 is a slide connector) and/or a latching connection and/or a press connection.
With respect to Claim 4:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and the at least one second connection element 132 are each produced to form a sheet (Fig. 8: each connection element is formed by bending a metal sheet), wherein the sheet of the at least one first connection element 124 has a first sheet thickness and the sheet of the at least one second connection 132 element has a second sheet thickness, and wherein the first sheet thickness and the second sheet thickness are the same or different (by saying that the first and second sheet thicknesses are "the same or different", all possibilities pertaining to the relationship between sheet thicknesses are encompassed, therefore the claim merely states that the connection elements are formed as sheets).
With respect to Claim 5:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and/or the at least one second connection element 132 is produced from a solid metal material by at least one machining process.
With respect to Claim 6:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts discloses also wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and/or the at least one second connection element is spring-elastic at least in portions (Fig. 8: 124 connects to a downturned tab 88 and to a heavy terminal 134, both of which are spring-elastic).
With respect to Claim 7:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 134 (Fig. 8: 134 satisfies the prior conditions when interpreting a different embodiment of Cutts) and the at least one second connection element 142 (Fig. 8: different embodiment) have a different stiffness (Fig. 8: 134 displays a spring-like design whereas 142 is a stiff terminal attached to a cable) and/or a different electrical conductivity and/or a different relaxation constant.
With respect to Claim 8:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 124 has a receiving portion 134 configured to connect a component 142 (Fig. 8), wherein the coupling portion 126 is arranged at a first free end of the at least one first connection element 124 (Fig. 8) and the receiving portion 134 is arranged at a second free end of the at least one first connection element 124 (Fig. 8), and wherein the at least one first connection element 124 between the coupling portion 126 and the receiving portion 134 comprises a flat strip 128 (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 9:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 8.
Cutts also discloses wherein the receiving portion 134 has two clamping legs (Fig. 8: 136 and the base of 134) that are spaced apart from one another and/or arranged opposite one another (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 10:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one second connection element 132 is U-shaped (Fig. 8: 132 is a slide connector wherein one side comprises a gap, separating two portions and forming a U-shape) and/or bow-shaped and has two coupling portions (Fig. 8: each opposite part of 132 on the side containing the gap, both of which couple to 124) that are identical to one another and/or spaced apart from one another and/or arranged opposite one another (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 11:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 10.
Cutts also discloses wherein at least one coupling portion is flat and/or plate-shaped (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 12:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses the plug-in connector further comprising: at least one second contact device comprising at least one first connection element and at least one second connection element, wherein the at least one first connection element of the at least one first contact device and the at least one first connection element of the at least one second contact device are identical to one another at least in portions, and/or wherein the at least one second connection element of the at least one first contact device and the at least one second connection element of the at least one second contact device are identical to one another (Figs. 1-4: multiple terminals form multiple terminal blocks that stack together in one device).
With respect to Claim 13:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and/or the at least one second connection element is produced at least in portions by at least one punching process and/or at least one bending process, and/or is in each case formed integrally in one piece (Fig. 8: 124 is formed by bending and punching).
With respect to Claim 16:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the plug-in connector is configured to connect at least one electrical conductor, a mating connector, and/or a base strip to the at least one contact device (page 1, lines 23-28: the intention is for the terminal block to connect to a panel).
With respect to Claim 17:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts also discloses wherein the coupling portions 126&132 are configured to contact one another variably in a plug-in direction to form the at least one contact device (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 18:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 4.
Cutts also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 124 and the at least one second connection element 132 are each produced from a flat sheet or thin sheet (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 19:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 8.
Cutts also discloses wherein the flat strip is angled in portions (Fig. 8).
With respect to Claim 20:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 9.
Cutts also discloses wherein the two clamping legs are symmetrical and/or fork-shaped with respect to a plane in order to contact the component in a clamping manner (Fig. 8).
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 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cutts (GB-1549758-A) in view of Chiang (US-20060105637-A1).
With respect to Claim 14:
Cutts discloses the plug-in connector of claim 1.
Cutts does not explicitly disclose wherein the plug-in connector has a first housing part and a second housing part to form a plug-in connection in a plug-in direction, and wherein the at least one first connection element is arranged in the first housing part and the at least one second connection element is arranged in the second housing part.
However, Chiang teaches a terminal-mounting seat comprising a first housing part 20 and a second housing part 300, wherein a first connection element 40 is arranged in the first housing part 20 (Fig. 3) and a second connection element 301 is arranged in the second housing part 300 (Fig. 3).
Thus, Cutts and Chiang each disclose terminal connections made by two separate elements. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized that the separate housings of Chiang could be combined with the connection elements of Cutts because it would provide better mechanical stability during coupling. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the modification.
With respect to Claim 15:
Cutts in view of Chiang discloses the plug-in connector of claim 14.
Chiang also discloses wherein the at least one first connection element 40 is arranged in the first housing part 20 and the at least one second connection element 301 is arranged in the second housing part 300 such that the at least one contact device is formed when the plug-in connection is formed (Figs. 3-5).
Conclusion
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/AMARA ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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