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 .
35 USC 102 Rejections
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8-12 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al 2009/0130908.
Regarding claim 1, 11, 12, 18 and 19, Park et al (Figure 9) discloses an apparatus comprising: a seal 210 to prevent a cooling liquid from causing electrical contact with a pin (circuit trace, not shown) of an edge card 10 to be inserted in a connector 202, the seal at least one of covering a top surface of the connector or sealing an aperture of the pin; and an adhesive 230 to prevent the cooling liquid from causing electrical contact with a terminal 204 of the connector, the adhesive covering the terminal of the connector and sealing a gap between the connector and a printed circuit board 300, wherein the connector is to be coupled to the printed circuit board prior to application of the adhesive.
Regarding claim 2, Park et al discloses the connector 202 is to be coupled to the printed circuit board 300 via soldering. Note that the soldering is not positively recited, and thus Park et al is deemed to disclose the positively recited structure.
Regarding claim 3, the cooling liquid is not positively recited, and thus Park et al is deemed to disclose the positively recited structure.
Regarding claims 8, 17 and 20, Park et al discloses the edge card 20 comprises one or more of: a processor, a storage device, a communication device, or an input/output device (very broadly recited, inherent in the function of an edge card).
Regarding claims 9 and 10, the processor is not positively recited, and thus Park et al is deemed to meet the positively recited structure.
35 USC 103 Rejections
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) 4, 6, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Bailey et al 2967284.
Bailey et al discloses seal 18 comprises silicone gel, and to form the seal of Park et al of this material thus would have been obvious, to better prevent ingress of contaminants.
Claim(s) 5, 7, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, to form the adhesive of Park et al as hot glue is deemed to have been an obvious substitution of equivalents.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, to form the adhesive of Park et al of the same material as the seal (i.e. silicone) is deemed to have been an obvious substitution of equivalents since silicone is widely used as an adhesive in many environments.
Response To Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
Finality
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 GARY F PAUMEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2013. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th.
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/GARY F PAUMEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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