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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/26/2025 has been entered.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-5, 7, and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo et. al. (US 8514565 B2), hereafter referred to as Foo, in view of Zang (CN 204316560 U), in further view of Gabara (US 20060122504 A1) and further in view of Aleksandrovich (RU 2657913 C1).
Regarding claim 1, Foo teaches a solid-state drive (Col 1, line 13) with detachable capacitor housing portion (capacitor array, col 4 lines 62-64), comprising a first housing portion (Fig 2, frame cover 19) a second housing portion (Fig 2, frame base 18), and the capacitor housing portion (Fig 4, capacitor array 23), wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion are detachably connected (Fig 3, frame cover 19 and frame base 18) the capacitor housing portion is detachably connected to at least one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion (Fig 2, capacitor array 23 is in power pack 20), the solid-state drive is provided with a printed circuit board 28 (Fig 3, motherboard 21 and daughterboard 22 form printed circuit board assembly; col 5, lines 9-13), and when the capacitor housing portion is connected to at least one of the first housing portion or the second housing portion (Fig 2, capacitor array 23 is in power pack 20; col 4, lines 59-64).
Foo fails to teach a metal embedded in the capacitor housing portion and the metal is configured to connect to connecting points on the printed circuit board. However, Zang teaches teach a metal dome embedded in the capacitor housing portion (pp 29, Fig 1, see figure below) and the metal dome is configured to connect to connecting points (Fig 1, 11) on the printed circuit board (pp 29). Foo and Zang are both in the industry of printed circuit boards, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Foo to include the metal dome in order to increase the firmness of the arm and circuit board contact point and improve reliability of the connection.
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Foo in view of Zang fails to teach an electrical signal is generated to indicate whether the capacitor housing portion and the printed circuit board are correctly installed, and the capacitor housing portion to be snapping fit and be separated under an action of force, and used to allow the capacitor housing portion to be disassembled separately from the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein the capacitor housing portion has a snap structure, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are provided with a snap fitting structure. However, Gabara teaches an electrical signal is generated to indicate (paragraph 37 detachable module includes a sensor which detects a particular condition then generates a signal that is transmitted to a master module) and the capacitor housing portion to be snapping fit and be separated under an action of force, (paragraph 24, detachable units 34 and 36 are snap fit. Paragraph 29, earpiece 34 has capacitor 34.5 and mouthpiece 36 has capacitor 36.5 in them) and used to allow the capacitor housing portion to be disassembled separately from the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein the capacitor housing portion has a snap structure, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are provided with a snap fitting structure (paragraph 24, detachable units 34 and 36 are snap fit. Paragraph 29, earpiece 34 has capacitor 34.5 and mouthpiece 36 has capacitor 36.5 in them). Foo, Zang and Gabara are all in the industry of electronic modules with integrated circuit boards therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Foo and Zang in order to have a sensor designed to detect if the capacitor is attached properly and send a signal and give the user more information about the status of the device. (col 4, lines 53-64).
Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Gabara fail to teach the capacitor housing portion is made of carbon fiber. However, Aleksandrovich teaches the capacitor housing portion is made of carbon fiber. Foo, Zang, Gabara, and Aleksandrovich are all in the industry of electronic modules with integrated circuit boards therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Foo, Zang, and Gabara to include carbon fiber in order to most effectively solve the problem of thermal deformations and residual stresses (pg 4 ¶3)
Regarding claim 2, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor housing portion (Foo Fig 5, capacitor array 23) is configured to be snapping fit (Gabara paragraph 24, detachable units 34 and 36 are snap fit) with the first housing portion and the second housing portion (Foo Fig 2, housing 26 and capacitor array 23 are in power pack 20, col 5, lines 37-40, col 6 lines 8-15).
Regarding claim 3, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 2, wherein the snap structure includes a protruding portion, the snap fitting structure includes a recessed portion, and the protruding portion is configured to be snapping fit with the recessed portion. (Gabara, paragraph 24, see figure below)
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Regarding claim 4, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor housing portion is inserted into and connected to the first housing portion or the second housing portion (Foo, col 6 lines 34-37).
Regarding claim 5, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor housing portion is connected to at least one of the first housing or the second housing through screws (Foo, col 6 lines 33-46).
Regarding claim 7 Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor housing portion is made of plastic (Foo, col 6, lines 16-18).
Regarding claim 9, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor housing portion is connected to both the first housing portion and the second housing portion (Foo, Fig 2, power pack 20 with capacitor array 23 and housing 26, col 5, lines 30-35), and the capacitor housing portion as a whole is U shaped (Fig 2)
Regarding claim 10, Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the metal dome has a U-shaped cross section (Zang Fig 1) and the metal dome is configured to clamp the printed circuit board so that the metal dome contacts the connecting point(s) on the printed circuit board (Zang, pp 26, clamping arms 11)
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Foo in view of Zang and further in view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara fail to teach the electrical signal is configured to serve as an indicator by converting into data display, optical signal or acoustic signal in the combination of claim 1. However, Gabara teaches the electrical signal is configured to serve as an indicator by converting into data display, optical signal or acoustic signal (pp 18, control signal). Foo, Zang, Aleksandrovich and Gabara are all in the industry of solid-state hard drives, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Foo, Aleksandrovich and Zang in order to send a signal to give the user more information about the status of the device. (¶18)
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo, in view of Zang in further view of Aleksandrovich and Gabara as applied in claim 1, and further in view of Okubo (US 20220394862 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Foo in view of Zang and Gabara teach the solid-state drive with the detachable capacitor housing according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state drive also includes a capacitor that is exposed when the capacitor housing is removed (Foo, Fig 4 and 5 capacitors 24a-24d).
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Foo in view of Zang, Aleksandrovich, and Gabara fail to teach electrolytic capacitors. However, Okubo teaches electrolytic capacitors (pp 37). Foo, Zang, Aleksandrovich, Gabara, and Okubo are all in the industry of solid-state hard drives so it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Foo, Zang, Aleksandrovich, and Gabara with the electrolytic capacitors in order to provide power to the unit. (¶37)
Conclusion
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/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/E.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2841