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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phelps et al. (International application publication WO 2019147294 A1, hereinafter “Phelps”), in view of Macgillivray (US 20210230986 A1, and hereinafter “Macgillivray”).
Regarding claim 1, Phelps teaches a detonator module comprising:
a housing comprising:
a first housing half (Fig. 7, [0099] : a half of the detonator block 640); and
a second housing half (Fig. 7, [0099] : a half of the detonator block 640);
a detonator (Fig. 7, [0099] : detonator 642) contained within the housing (Fig. 7, [0099] : detonator 642 is within the detonator block 640);
a child board (Fig. 7, [00100-00101] : printed circuit board PCB 648) comprising a terminal
header (Fig. 7, [00100-00101] wire header 654), wherein the child board is contained within the housing (Fig. 7, [00100-00101] : printed circuit board 648 is within the detonator block 640 )
a plurality of switch leads (Fig. 7, [00101-00103] : addressable switch assembly 232’s leads)
connecting the switch to the terminal header (Fig. 7, [00101-00103] : addressable switch assembly 232 connects with the wire header 654).
Phelps does not teach the first housing half exposes the terminal header to an exterior of
the housing; a switch mounted on an exterior surface of the second housing half.
However, Macgillivray teaches the first housing half exposes the terminal header to an exterior
of the housing (Fig. 2-3, [0030-0032] : housing of detonator module 200 exposes the wire-to-board connection 240, 250, and 270 to an exterior of the housing of the detonator module 200); a switch (Fig. 2-3, [0030-0032] : communication pads 245 and 265) mounted on an exterior surface of the second housing half (Fig. 2-3, [0030-0032] : communication pads 245 and 265 are mounted on an exterior surface of the housing of the detonator module 200).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate terminal header and the switch as taught by Macgillivray into Phelps’ detonator module by adding the wire-to-bard connection and the communication pads to the exterior of the detonator housing. The suggestion / motivation for doing so would be to provide the user a quick access to the detonator terminal header, provide the user an additional access to the internal circuitry without the need to dismantle the detonator, and allow external communication ([0030-0032] of Macgillivray).
Regarding claim 2, Phelps as modified by Macgillivray teaches the detonator module of claim 1, wherein the child board further comprises a pin connection (Fig. 7, [00100] of Phelps : pins 646A-A and 646B-B) at an uphole end to communicate with an uphole assembly (Fig. 7, [00100] of Phelps : pins 646A-A and 646B-B include thru-lines that continue to next gun assembly) and a pin connection (Fig. 7, [00100] of Phelps : pins 647A to 647C) at a downhole end to communicate with a downhole assembly Fig. 7, [00100] of Phelps : pins 647A to 647C include thru-line to continue to next assembly).
Claim(s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phelps and Macgillivray combination as applied above, in view of Katsuzawa et al. (US 20020050752 A1, hereinafter “Katsuzawa”)
Regarding claim 3, Phelps as modified by Macgillivray teaches the detonator module of claim 1.
Phelps as modified by Macgillivray does not teach wherein the terminal header is a screw terminal type.
However, Katsuzawa teaches wherein the terminal header is a screw terminal type (Fig. 2-3, [0036] : cables 70 is fixed to the conducting portion 23 of the lead connector 21 by means of screw 24).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate screw type lead connector as taught by Katsuzawa into Phelps and Macgillivray combination’s detonator module. The suggestion / motivation for doing so would be to hold the leads firmly.
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phelps and Macgillivray combination as applied above, in view of Keppler et al. (US 20150107090 A1, hereinafter “Keppler”)
Regarding claim 4, Phelps as modified by Macgillivray teaches the detonator module of claim 1,
Phelps as modified by Macgillivray does not teach wherein the switch is a flying lead addressable switch.
However, Keppler teaches wherein the switch is a flying lead addressable switch (Fig. 2, [0051] : detonator system 200 with addressable switch 201 with flexible wires 203).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the flexible wires as taught by Keppler into Phelps and Macgillivray combination’s detonator module. The suggestion / motivation for doing so would be to allow flexibility in housing structure and component location.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phelps and Macgillivray combination as applied above, in view of Shinotake (US 20180005733 A1, hereinafter “Shinotake”)
Regarding claim 5, Phelps as modified by Macgillivray teaches the detonator module of claim 1.
Phelps as modified by Macgillivray does not teach wherein a mouse ear shunt is connected to the child board.
However, Shinotake teaches wherein a mouse ear shunt (Fig. 1A-1B, [0046-0054] : shunt with portion 132, 134, and 136) is connected to the child board (Fig. 1A-1B, [0046-0054] : shunt 132, 134, and 136 is connected to the printed circuit board 105).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the shunt as taught by Shinotake into Phelps and Macgillivray combination’s detonator module. The suggestion / motivation for doing so would be to provide safety mechanism against overcurrent.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/KEON NMN KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2841