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
Claims 9-28 are objected to because of the following informalities: the use of “contact partner” is not standard terminology. It is inaccurate to recite “at least one” contact spring since the invention would not function properly with only one contact spring. It is inaccurate to recite the springs as being “mounted” on the rings since they are unitarily formed together. It is inaccurate to recite the welding lugs as being “mounted” in the contact cage since they are unitarily formed together. It is unclear whether the springs recited in the dependent claims are the same as those recited in the independent claims. Appropriate correction is required.
Drawing Objections
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the spring cutout must be shown (with reference numeral) or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). Since the spring cutout is apparently not shown, and it is not understood exactly what it is, this limitation has not been considered in the prior art rejection below. No new matter should be entered.
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.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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(s) 9-11, 14-23 and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo et al 6254439 in view of Listing et al 2021/0273364.
Regarding claim 9, Endo et al (front page) substantially discloses the claimed invention, including a contact partner configured as a socket contact that can be plugged together with a pin contact to form a plug-in connection, wherein the socket contact is configured as a punched rolling part and comprising a contact area 10 and a crimp area 15, wherein the contact area is formed by a circumferential housing 10 and two rings 32 are provided within the circumferential housing, the two rings are spaced apart from one another and are connected to one another via at least one elongated contact spring 31, the at least one elongated contact spring including a rear collar 32 and a one-side spring cutout (unnumbered) at the rear collar, wherein the contact partner is configured such that contacting takes place via the at least one elongated contact spring to a main body 10. Listing et al (Figure 2) discloses contacting takes place via rigidly embossed contact domes 56 on an outer side radially of the rear collar 44 of the at least one elongated contact spring and also directly via a radial inner surface of the main body, and to provide Endo et al with such contact domes thus would have been obvious, for better electrical contact.
Regarding claim 10, Endo et al discloses a group of springs 31 is non- detachably mounted on the two rings 32.
Regarding claim 11, Endo et al discloses a group of springs 31 together with the two rings 32 form a one-piece component.
Regarding claim 14, Listing et al discloses one of the two rings 44 includes one or more welding lugs 74, and to provide Endo et al with same thus would have been obvious, for better securement to the main body.
Regarding claims 15-17, Listing et al discloses the one or more welding lugs comprise one or more initially protruding and/or curved welding lugs 74 on a front of a contact cage. It would have been an obvious matter of design to weld the lugs 74 of Endo et al to the main body 10 after being mounted in the contact cage, to prevent separation between the contact cage and the main body. Endo et al (as modified by Listing et al) discloses a front ring of the two rings includes one or more welding lugs.
Regarding claim 18, Endo et al discloses at least one spring 31 of the contact partner is configured as an elongated narrow spring plate.
Regarding claim 19, Endo et al discloses all springs 31 of the contact partner are configured as elongated narrow spring plates.
Regarding claim 20, Endo et al discloses the at least one elongated contact spring 31 comprises a second elongated contact spring that includes the one-side spring cutout at the rear collar 32.
Regarding claim 21, Endo et al discloses the contact partner is configured such that contact points takes place via the at least one elongated contact spring 31 to the main body.
Regarding claims 22, 23 and 26-28, the subject matter thereof has been dealt with above.
Claim(s) 12, 13, 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo et al in view of Listing et al as applied to claims 9 and 22 above, and further in view of Szymura et al 10,784,609.
Regarding claims 12 and 24, Szymura et al (front page) discloses another group of springs is
mounted only on one ring of the two rings, and to form the springs of Endo et al in this way thus would have been obvious, for better electrical engagement with an inserted pin.
Regarding claims 13 and 25, Szymura et al (front page) discloses the ends of the another group of springs together with the one ring from which the another group of springs extends form a one-piece component, wherein the other end of each spring of the another group of springs is free and ends at a distance from the other one of the two rings, and to form the springs of Endo et al in this way thus would have been obvious, for better electrical engagement with an inserted pin.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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