Appeal No. 2007-1530
Application 10/095,112
Appellants’ invention is a shield connector having a conductive connector
housing made of a composite material comprising a lightweight metal (e.g.,
aluminum) and hollow ceramics grains (Specification 12:11-16).
The only independent claim on appeal is claim 1:
1. A shield connector for connecting a braid of a shielded wire to a metal
casing of an equipment, the shield connector comprising:
a connector housing including,
a mounting portion for mounting directly on the metal casing, and
a tubular body capable of covering an end portion of the shielded wire so as
to be electrically connected to the braid of shielded wire,
wherein the connector housing is made of a metal composite material
comprising lightweight metal and hollow ceramics grains.
Claim 2, the only dependent claim separately argued in the Briefs, reads:
2. The shield connector according to claim 1, wherein the volume content of
the hollow ceramics grains relative to the total volume of the connector housing is
30% to 60%.
Claims 1-5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) for obviousness over the
Admitted Prior Art in view of the following patent document:
Pyzik US 5,780,164 July 14, 1998
(Answer 3.)
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013