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 .
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer has been submitted by the applicant and is hereby acknowledged by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11, Lines 1-2, “a molding material” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art how this recitation of “a molding material” is related to the “a molding material” previously recited in Claim 6 from which this claim depends and thus it is unclear whether it is the same molding material or a different type of material entirely and how these two recitations are related, thereby leaving boundaries of the claim unclear.
Appropriate correction is required.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/11/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On Pages 6-8 of the applicant’s remarks, the applicant argues:
On Page 6, the applicant states that the non-statutory double patenting rejection of Claim 1 should be withdrawn in view of the submission of the terminal disclaimer.
On Pages 6-7, the applicant states that Claims 6 and 10 have been amended to address the claim objection issues.
On Pages 6-7, the applicant states that Claims 6 and 8-12 have been amended to address the 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) issues and that “the molding material” of Claim 11, Lines 1-2, has been amended to “a molding material” consistent with the introduction of “a molding material” in Claim 6.
In response to the applicant’s arguments above:
The submission of the terminal disclaimer has been received and is sufficient and overcomes the previous non-statutory double patterning rejection of claim 1, therefore the double patenting rejection is hereby withdrawn.
The amendments and arguments regarding Claims 6 and 10 are sufficient and overcome the previous claim objections, therefore they are withdrawn.
The amendments and arguments regarding Claims 6, 8-10, Claim 11, Line 1, and 12 are sufficient and overcome the previous 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) rejections, therefore they are withdrawn. Although, The examiner notes that it remains unclear whether the recitation of “a molding material” as defined in claim 11, Lines 1-2 is the same or different from the “a molding material” as defined in claim 6, from which this claim depends, and no clarification as previously requested was given, thereby the 35 U.S.C. 112 (b) rejection of Claim 11, Lines 1-2, remains as stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8-10 and 12-17 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8-10 and 12-17 are allowable over the prior art of record, since the closest prior art of record to Wu (US 20150102873) in view of Masao (JP 2017228721) with a teaching from Parker O-ring Handbook, Wu and Masao previously cited by applicant, while teaching a filter body, relevant PCB and an annular gasket to block signal leak, fails to teach or suggest the gasket being made of rubber and being an electrical insulator as recited in independent claims 1, 4 and 6.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ABIGAIL YALDO whose telephone number is (703)756-1784. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7 AM - 4 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABIGAIL AMIR YALDO/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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