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 § 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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Provencher et al. (US 2020/0303879) in view of Stokoe et al. (US 6,776,659).
Regarding claim 1, Provencher et al. disclose an electrical connector with a high speed mounting interface for mounting the electrical connector (600) to a substrate (1902), the electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of pairs of signal conductors (1300, see Fig. 13), wherein for each pair of signal conductors of the plurality of pairs of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors comprises:
a mating contact portion (1318A, 1318B);
a contact tail (1330A, 1330B, see Fig. 13) exposed at the mounting interface; and
an intermediate portion (1314A, 1314B) coupling the mating contact portion to the contact tail,
electromagnetic shielding (110) comprising tails (146) exposed at the mounting interface, wherein the tails are configured for insertion into holes (154) in the surface of the substrate and are disposed such that, for each pair of signal conductors of the plurality of pairs of signal conductors, a respective set of four tails of the electromagnetic shielding are adjacent contact tails of the pair of signal conductors.
Provencher et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the signal conductor comprise a compliant portion configured to generate a force pressing the contact tail towards the substrate when the mounting interface of the electrical connector is pressed against the substrate such that the signal conductor is configured for pressure mounting to a pad on a surface of the substrate; and
Stokoe et al. teach signal terminal (124) comprise a compliant portion (133) configured to generate a force pressing the contact tail towards a circuit board (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the compliant portion into Provencher’s signal terminal, as taught by Stokoe et al. for reliable contact and eliminate holes which are weakening the circuit board structure.
Regarding claim 2, in the modified connector, Stokoe et al. disclose the compliant portion is configured as a spring that is configured to compress in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate when a force along the first direction is exerted on the contact tail.
Regarding claim 3, in the modified connector, Payne et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the range of spring force is between 20-60 gram of force.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was to made to provide the range of spring force in between of 20-60 gram of force created by the compliant portion to ensure an optimal contact, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim a are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 4, in the modified connector, Provencher et al. in view of Payne et al. disclose:
the mating contact portion is configured to mate with a mating contact portion (314) of another connector (300) in a mating direction;
the contact tail is configured for mounting to a pad on a surface of a substrate in a mounting direction that is orthogonal to the mating direction; and
the intermediate portions of each pair of signal conductors are spaced from one another in a direction that is orthogonal to each of the mating direction and the mounting direction and are configured for broadside-coupling.
Regarding claim 5, in the modified connector, Provencher et al. disclose the tails of the electromagnetic shielding are press-fits.
Regarding claim 6, in the modified connector, Provencher et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the tails of the electromagnetic shielding are configured to retain the electrical connector to the substrate when the electrical connector is mounted to the substrate such that the contact tails are compressed in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.
Stokoe et al. teach ground terminal (250) comprise contact tails (255) are compressed in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the portion allows for compression on the circuit board into Provencher’s ground terminal, as taught by Stokoe et al. for eliminating holes which are weakening the circuit board structure.
Regarding claim 7, in the modified connector, Provencher et al. disclose the signal conductor of each pair of signal conductors of the plurality of pairs of signal conductors, broadsides of the intermediate portions within the pair of signal conductors are parallel with one another.
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Claims 1 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Geest et al. (US 9,515,429) in view of Phillips (US 2002/0142669).
Regarding claim 1, De Geest et al. disclose an electrical connector with a high speed mounting interface for mounting the electrical connector (22) to a substrate (24), the electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of pairs of signal conductors (46), wherein for each pair of signal conductors of the plurality of pairs of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors comprises:
a mating contact portion;
a contact tail exposed at the mounting interface; and
an intermediate portion coupling the mating contact portion to the contact tail,
electromagnetic shielding (52) comprising tails (58, see Fig. 2B) exposed at the mounting interface, wherein the tails are configured for insertion into holes (80) in the surface of the substrate and are disposed such that, for each pair of signal conductors of the plurality of pairs of signal conductors, a respective set of four tails of the electromagnetic shielding are adjacent contact tails of the pair of signal conductors.
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De Geest et al. substantially disclosed the claimed invention except the signal conductor comprise a compliant portion configured to generate a force pressing the contact tail towards the substrate when the mounting interface of the electrical connector is pressed against the substrate such that the signal conductor is configured for pressure mounting to a pad on a surface of the substrate; and
Phillips teaches a terminal (2) comprise a compliant portion (8) configured to generate a force.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the compliant portion into Provencher’s signal terminal, as taught by Phillips for increasing contact force thus providing reliable contact.
Regarding claim 8, in the modified connector, De Geest et al. disclose each signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors comprise a distal edge and the signal conductor is configured for making and edge to pad connection when the connector is mounted to the substrate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-30 are allowed. The claims are allowed per Applicant’s argument in the Remark filed on 3/19/26.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRUC T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2011. The examiner can normally be reached monday-friday (7-4).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRUC T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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