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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-9 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teichmann (US2018/0337475A1) in view of Gueckel (WO2015/049076A1).
Teichmann discloses the claimed invention as follows (refer to Fig. 3 and [0034] but also to [0028] to [0033] for elements already described with respect to Figs. 1 and 2 and not described again for Fig. 3; limitations not disclosed are crossed out, below):
Claim 1. An electric contact assembly, comprising:
- an installation ring (5) having an opening (at upper end of 5), wherein the installation ring is configured to be fastened to a printed circuit board (2),
- a press-in pin (3) having a first zone (31; see also Figs. 7A-8 and [0045]-[0047]) and a second zone (30), wherein the first zone has greater mechanical flexibility (see Figs. 7A-8 and [0046]) than the second zone, and
- wherein the first zone is configured to be connected to a further electronic component (200), and
- wherein the second zone is fitted in the opening of the installation ring by means of a first interference fit (see “pressed into the sleeve 5” in [0034]).
Claim 2. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the press-in pin is made in one piece of one material (see [0040]).
Claim 3. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the first zone of the press-in pin is a geometrically reshaped region. The pin has a geometric shape. The language “geometrically reshaped” implies a process limitation. However, this limitation does not further limit the structure of the contact assembly.
Claim 4. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the second zone is made of a solid material (see [0040]).
Claim 6. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the first zone is configured for a second interference fit with the further electronic component (200; see Fig. 3; see [0017]).
Claim 7. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:
- a first printed circuit board (2) comprising a base region (21) made of an electrically conductive material and an insulation layer (20) which is disposed on said base region and is made of an electrically non-conductive material, and
- an electric contact assembly (3)
- wherein the installation ring (5) of the electric contact assembly is fastened to the insulation layer (see Fig. 3).
Claim 8. The printed circuit board assembly according to Claim 7, wherein a solder connection (see “solder layer” in [0032]) or a weld connection is configured between the first printed circuit board and the installation ring.
Claim 9. The printed circuit board assembly according to Claim 7, further comprising a second printed circuit board (200), wherein a second press connection is configured between the second printed circuit board and the first zone of the press-in pin (see Fig. 3; see Fig. 1 and [0017]).
Claim 13. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 3,
Claim 14. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 4, wherein the second zone is made of a cylindrical solid material. The language in italics is a product-by-process limitation, which does not limit the final structure. The pins 3 of Teichmann may or may not have been made of a cylindrical solid object, without affecting the final structure. The claim language does not describe the current structure of the second zone.
Claim 15. The electric contact assembly according to Claim 1,
Gueckel shows it is known to provide press-in pins (10a, 10b, 10c) with a press-in aid (15) which is a peripheral annular flange, such that a tool (20) can be used to engage the press-in aid. See abstract and Figs. 1-3. Additionally, Gueckel also shows it is known to form a geometrically-shaped press-in portion of a press-in pin in the form of an eyelet (see 12 in Figs. 1 and 2).
In view of the teachings of Gueckel, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide the press-in pin 3 of Teichmann with an oval eyelet portion, as a conventional alternative to press-fit section 31, with predictable results, and to also provide the pin with a press-in aid comprising a peripheral annular flange on the second zone 30, to facilitate pressing of the pin into the ring 5 by means of a tool.
Claim(s) 10-12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teichmann in view of Gueckel and Torigian (US6623283B1).
Teichmann further discloses the claimed invention as follows (limitations not disclosed are crossed out, below):
Claim 10.
Claim 11.
Claim 12. A method for producing a printed circuit board assembly comprising a first printed circuit board (200)
- providing the first printed circuit board (2),
- carrying out an SMD process for fastening at least one SMD component (not-shown other rings 5) and at least one installation ring (5) of an electric contact assembly within the SMD process,
- pressing a press-in pin (3) into the installation ring fastened to the first printed circuit board (see Fig. 3 and [0034])
- pressing the second printed circuit board onto the at least one press-in pin on the first zone of the press-in pin to produce a second press connection between the press-in pin and the second printed circuit board (see Fig. 1 and [0017]; the same applies to Fig. 3).
Claim 16.
Claim 17.
Claim 18. The method according Claim 12,
Regarding claims 12 and 18, Gueckel shows it is known to provide press-in pins (10a, 10b, 10c) with a press-in aid (15) which is a peripheral annular flange, such that a tool (20) can be used to engage the press-in aid. See abstract and Figs. 1-3.
In view of the teachings of Gueckel, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide the press-in pin 3 of Teichmann with a press-in aid comprising a peripheral annular flange on the second zone 30, to facilitate pressing of the pin into the ring 5 by means of a tool. Further, whereas the figures show a single press-in pin 3 and ring 5, it is understood from the overall disclosure that additional pins and corresponding rings are present. However, if Applicant disagrees, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide additional rings 5 and corresponding press-in pins 3, for example as part of a multi-pin connector, or, generally, to allow multiple connection paths between the two circuit boards.
Regarding the first printed circuit board being an IMS substrate, Torigian discloses an IMS board 22 having an insulation layer 22b on one side of a metal base region 22a. See col. 4, lns. 23-30. A connector 10 including a pin 12 (see Fig. 1) is soldered to the circuit board 22. See Figs. 2 and 3. A second printed circuit board 25 (Fig. 3) is pressed onto the pin to produce a press connection between the pin and the second printed circuit board (see col. 4, lns. 12-22).
Teichmann gives an example of a circuit carrier 2 including a ceramic dielectric layer 20 and metallization layers 21 and 22 (see [0029]), but does not require a specific type of circuit board. In view of the teachings of Torigian, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to utilize an IMS board as board 2, as a choice among conventional circuit board substrate types, with predictable results.
Regarding claims 11 and 17, Torigian discloses FR-4 as a conventional substrate material (used in board 22; see col. 4, lns. 23-30).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to utilize the same type of FR-4 material as the insulating layer 20 of board 2 of Teichmann, as a matter of selecting among suitable conventional insulating layer materials for circuit board fabrication.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: DE102007035325A1 is another example of a reference disclosing a press-in aid (see 4 in Fig. 5).
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 LIVIUS R CAZAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8032. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday noon-8:30 pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at 571-272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LIVIUS R. CAZAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
Prosecution Insights