Appeal No. 2002-0572 Page 4
Application No. 09/302,584
additional notches outboard of the first and second connective regions, and non-
connective regions outboard of the additional notches. Referring to the marked up copy
of Figure 1 of Goshorn attached to the examiner’s answer, the examiner has labeled
the connective regions E1 and E2, the right hand non-connective region E3, the
centrally located notch between the connective regions E4, and the right hand
additional notch E5. The specification of Goshorn is silent as to the function of the
notches.
The examiner considers (answer, page 4) that Goshorn substantially discloses
the structure of the claimed invention, but does not specifically disclose that the notches
E4 and E5 function as polarizing and non-polarizing keyways, as called for by the last
two paragraphs of claim 11. To cure this shortcoming, the examiner turns to Andrews.
Andrews pertains to a dual purpose card edge connector 10 which can accept a
printed circuit card 12 having closely spaced conductive pads or another printed circuit
card 16 having less closely spaced conductive pads. More particularly, Andrews
explains that
. . . contact portions on contact elements disposed in an insulating
housing are alternatively located at two different levels to cooperate with
positioning members [34] in the card receiving slot [22] so that a circuit
card not having edge notches [i.e., card 16] is positioned on the
positioning members [34] and the conductive pads are engaged by the
contact portions at the upper level while a circuit card having edge
notches [i.e., card 12 having notches 74] slide [sic, slides] past the
positioning members [34] and the conductive pads thereon is [sic, are]
engaged by the contact portions at both levels. [Abstract.]
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