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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-20 are amended. No claims are canceled. Claims 21-23 are added. As a result, claims 1-23 remain under consideration.
The amendment to the specification obviates the previously indicated objection.
The amendments to claims 1-20 obviates the previously indicated 112b rejection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant contends that:
“… the gripper 200 is Shen is a completely separate device from its welding head, which, in arguendo, would be the presser 100 and/or the transparent member 101 holding the soldering operation, wherein the laser transits through the transparent member 101. As the gripper 200 of Shen cannot reasonable be considered a soldering or welding head, Shen does not teach the acknowledged deficiencies of Wang.” See Remarks, page 10, paragraph 3.
Regarding the applicant’s argument to define the welding head, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. The Appellant is reminded that it is the language of the claims that defines the patentable subject matter, and in this case, claim 1 is claimed functionally rather than structurally. The claim language as written only requires the soldering or welding system to have a component to enable movement in at least two directions, a component that is adapted to heat and clamp the wire mounted onto the moving component, and a visual guidance component to allow the component that is adapted to heat and clamp the wire to further move and position the wire. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, the terms “welding head” or “heating head” do not have a defined universal structure in that it specifically encompasses only a single, indivisible structural component that functions as a heat source. Similar to how the presser 100 or transparent member 101 of Shen is not directly the source of heat, but otherwise can be understood as a structural part of the “head” component attached to the moving device that enables the wire to be welded or soldered, the gripper 200 can be understood as a structural part of the “head” component attached to the moving device that enables the wire to be welded or soldered by way of moving and positioning the wire. In this way, the presser 100, transparent member 101 and the gripper 200 define an assembly or combination of cooperating components that broadly encompasses the term “welding head” or “heating head” in a functional context. Because claim 1 merely uses functional language (i.e., “adapted to clamp the wire”) without reciting any specific structural boundaries to define the “welding head” or “heating head,” the claim broadly encompasses any system with a singular component, or components working in concert, that enable the functions as written in the claim.
However, the Examiner notes that the instant specification paragraph [0018] has a different structural arrangement of “welding head” that performs the function of clamping the wire that is not recited in claim 1. If the applicant intends to limit the invention to a singular, integrated structure that performs both heating and clamping without the use of separate, divisible components, the claim must be amended to explicitly recite such structural limitations.
For reasons detailed herein, the Examiner maintains, based on the preponderance of evidence that the rejections of claims 1-23 under 35 U.S.C. 103 are proper.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a moving device movable…” in claim 1 described in paragraph [0015] as “capable of moving in at least two different directions” and “a visual device guiding…” in claim 23 described in paragraph [0015] as providing “visual guidance for the moving device to move the welding head to a predetermined position by the moving device”;
“a vertical moving module movable…” described in paragraph [0020] as “movable in the vertical direction Z” and “a horizontal moving module movable…” described in paragraph [0020] as “movable in the horizontal direction X” in claim 2.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 22 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.
The claim language lacks proper antecedent basis for the phrase "the groove” and it is unclear whether the groove being referenced is taking part of the clamping action in claim 1, or is another characteristic of the welding head capable of clamping the wire independently of any other clamping devices, rendering the claim indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1.
Claim 20. Shen teaches a welding method using a soldering or welding system, comprising steps of:
identifying a position of a wire to be soldered or welded with a visual device of the system; moving a heating head of the system to a clamping position aligned with the wire with a moving device of the system; (Shen, [0023] “The processor executes the program, and the controller automatically controls the motion of the moving system 10 along with the operation of the presser 100, gripper 200, and laser 20 according to instructions contained within the program.”; Fig. 3-6 show the welding head is comprised of the presser 100, gripper 200, and laser 20; [0024] “The gripper 200 grips the object 1 and places the object 1 accurately on the target location 2 under the guidance of the vision system, as shown in FIG. 4.” Shen states that the controller moves the moving system which the welding head is mounted, and the gripper 200 on the welding head grips the object 1. For the act of “gripping” to occur, the gripper must necessarily first be moved to and aligned with the location of the object where the gripping action, corresponding to the claimed clamping action, takes place. This is by definition the gripping position corresponding to the claimed clamping position.)
clamping the wire with the heating head; identifying a position of a welding pad with the visual device; moving the clamped wire to a soldering or welding position aligned with a welding pad with the moving device; and (Shen, [0024] “The gripper 200 grips the object 1 and places the object 1 accurately on the target location 2 under the guidance of the vision system, as shown in FIG. 4. The gripper 200 places the object 1 such that a center line of the object 1 is aligned with a center line of the target location 2. In an embodiment, the object 1 is pre-arranged on the target location 2, manually or by a machine, before being gripped and accurately positioned by the gripper 200.”)
soldering or welding the wire onto the welding pad with the welding head. (Shen, [0026] A laser beam emitted from the laser 20 transmits through the transparent member 101 to heat soldering flux, so as to solder the object 1 onto the respective target location 2.)
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20200052451 A1 in view of Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1.
Claim 1. Wang discloses a system for soldering or welding a wire to a pad, comprising: (Wang, Abstract)
a moving device movable in at least two different directions; (Wang, [0024] “The moving module 2, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a translation mechanism, which is moveable in a first horizontal direction X, a second horizontal direction Y perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X, and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y.”)
a heating head mounted on the moving device and movable therewith, (Wang, [0013] “A system according to an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a welding module 1 and a moving module 2. The welding module 1 is mounted on the moving module 2 and the moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to a predetermined welding position.”)
a visual device guiding the moving device to move the heating head to a predetermined position, (Wang, [0023] “The moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to the predetermined welding position under the visual guidance of the vision module 3.”)
Wang does not teach the welding head adapted to clamp the wire; and the moving device moving the welding head to a clamping position aligned with the wire and moving the clamped wire to a welding position aligned with the welding pad under the guidance of the visual device.
Shen teaches the heating head adapted to clamp the wire; and… the moving device moving the heating head to a clamping position aligned with the wire and moving the clamped wire to a welding or soldering position aligned with the welding pad under the guidance of the visual device. (Shen, [0024] “The gripper 200 grips the object 1 and places the object 1 accurately on the target location 2 under the guidance of the vision system, as shown in FIG. 4. The gripper 200 places the object 1 such that a center line of the object 1 is aligned with a center line of the target location 2. In an embodiment, the object 1 is pre-arranged on the target location 2, manually or by a machine, before being gripped and accurately positioned by the gripper 200.” For the act of “gripping” to occur, the gripper must necessarily first be moved to and aligned with the location of the object where the gripping action, corresponding to the claimed clamping action, takes place. This is by definition the gripping position corresponding to the claimed clamping position; and [0022] “the target location 2 is a pad on the circuit board.”)
Wang and Shen are analogous art because they are related to welding and soldering systems.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Wang and Shen in order to create a welding head capable of clamping a wire and moving it to a predetermined position under the guidance of a visual device as claimed. Manually soldering hundreds of pins or pads on a complicated circuit board with high precision may take a soldering worker several days even with the assistance of tools, and in the prior art of soldering systems there is a known problem of tightly and reliably pressing a wire onto a pad of a circuit board, which may lead to an improperly formed solder joint and decreased soldering quality of the product, as disclosed by Shen (see Shen, [0003] and [0004]). One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because a welding head that may properly clamp a wire tightly and reliably onto the pad of a circuit board may “increase soldering efficiency while effectively preventing improperly formed solder joints from occurring on the product” as taught by Shen (see [0005]). A visual device may also automate the process allowing the soldering system to automatically perform the soldering operation under the control of the program executed by the processor of the controller of the moving system, as taught by Shen (see [0023]).
Claim 2. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 1, wherein the moving device includes: a vertical moving module movable in a vertical direction; and a horizontal moving module movable in a horizontal direction. (Wang, [0024] The moving module 2, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a translation mechanism, which is moveable in a first horizontal direction X, a second horizontal direction Y perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X, and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y.)
Claim 3. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 2, wherein the heating head is mounted on one of the vertical moving module or the horizontal moving module. (Wang. [0013] “The welding module 1 is mounted on the moving module 2.”)
Claim 4. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 3, wherein the vertical moving module is mounted on the horizontal moving module and movable in the horizontal direction with the horizontal moving module, (Wang, Fig. 1 shows the moving module 2 mounted on a translation mechanism with a component that is movable in a vertical direction Z, the height position of which can be further adjusted by the first adjustment device 400 ([0020]). This vertical moving module is shown to be mounted on the translation mechanism component that is movable in a first horizontal direction X and a second horizontal direction Y.)
and the heating head is mounted on the vertical moving module and movable along the vertical direction with the vertical moving module. (Wang, [0013] The welding module 1 is mounted on the moving module 2 and the moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to a predetermined welding position.)
Claim 5. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal moving module is mounted on the vertical moving module and movable along the vertical direction with the vertical moving module, (Wang, Fig. 1 shows the moving module 2 mounted on a translation mechanism with a component that is movable in a vertical direction Z. This vertical moving module is shown to be mounted on the translation mechanism component that is movable in a first horizontal direction X and a second horizontal direction Y.)
and the heating head is mounted on the horizontal moving module and movable along the horizontal direction with the horizontal moving module. (Wang, [0013] The welding module 1 is mounted on the moving module 2 and the moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to a predetermined welding position.)
Although Wang discloses a vertical moving module mounted on a translation mechanism movable in the horizontal directions, rearranging the horizontal module to be mounted onto the vertical module is an obvious permutation of the structure disclosed by Wang and would have yielded predictable results with high expectation of success. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to rearrange the stacking order of the moving modules in order to achieve a functionally equivalent moving system capable of positioning the welding head along multiple dimensions, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 6. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 3, further comprising a bracket including a support plate extending in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the moving device mounted on the support plate of the bracket. (Wang, Fig. 1 (see Wang, Fig. 1 below) the brackets including the support plate extending in the horizontal X, horizontal Y and vertical Z directions. Moving module 2 is mounted on the support plate of the bracket.)
PNG
media_image1.png
613
835
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim 17. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 1, wherein the heating head is a laser welding head or a soldering iron head. (Shen, Fig. 1-4 shows the laser 20 mounted on the moving system 10.)
Claim 18. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 1, wherein the moving device is a translation mechanism, a robot or a mechanical arm movable in at least two different directions. (Wang, [0024] “The moving module 2, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a translation mechanism, which is moveable in a first horizontal direction X, a second horizontal direction Y perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X, and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y. In another embodiment, the moving module 2 comprises a robot having a plurality of degrees of freedom.”)
Claims 7-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20200052451 A1 in view of Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1, in further view of Takeuchi et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20210060697 A1.
Claim 7. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 6, but does not explicitly disclose a first movable plate; and a first driving device for driving the first movable plate to move in the vertical direction or the internal structure of the moving module being used.
Takeuchi discloses wherein the vertical moving module includes: a first movable plate; and a first driving device for driving the first movable plate to move in the vertical direction. (Takeuchi, [0027] “The rotating unit 15 and the chuck table 10 are movable in the X-axis directions by an X-axis moving unit 50 of the moving assembly 40, which is operatively coupled to the X-axis movable plate 16.”)
Wang, Shen and Takeuchi are analogous art because they are related to moving a mounted object in the cartesian plane commonly seen in welding or soldering systems.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to implement the well-known driving mechanism as taught by Takeuchi as the moving module disclosed by Wang. Although Takeuchi’s translation mechanism moves the chuck table in both horizontal axes, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to arrange the welding head in any orientation necessary to properly work for its intended purpose, such as orienting one horizontal moving unit disclosed by Takeuchi into a vertical moving unit to enable the mechanism to position a welding head on a horizontal and vertical direction as claimed, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ.70.
Claim 8. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 7, wherein the horizontal moving module includes: a second movable plate; and a second driving device for driving the second movable plate to move in the horizontal direction. (Takeuchi, [0027] “The rotating unit 15 and the chuck table 10 are also movable in the Y-axis directions by a Y-axis moving unit 60 of the moving assembly 40…”)
Claim 9. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 8, wherein:
the heating head is mounted on the first movable plate; (Wang, Fig. 2 shows a plurality of tooth-shaped welding heads 110 of the welding tool 100 mounted on the mounting bracket 600, corresponding to the claimed first movable plate, which is movable by the moving system 2.)
the first movable plate and the first driving device are mounted on the second movable plate; and the second movable plate and the second driving device are mounted on the support plate. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 and [0027] “The rotating unit 15 and the chuck table 10 are also movable in the Y-axis directions by a Y-axis moving unit 60 of the moving assembly 40, which is operatively coupled to the X-axis movable plate 16, the X-axis moving unit 50, and a Y-axis movable plate 17 on which the X-axis moving unit 50 is mounted”; the moving assembly 40 is arranged to be mounted on the apparatus body 2 which correspond with the claimed support plate.)
Claim 10. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 9, wherein the first driving device includes: a first lead screw rotatably mounted on the second movable plate; (Takeuchi, [0034] “The X-axis moving unit 50 includes a known ball screw 51, a known stepping motor 52, and a pair of known guide rails 53. The ball screw 51 is rotatable about its own central axis.”; Fig. 1 shows ball screw 51 mounted on the Y-axis moveable plate 17.)
a first nut threaded with the first lead screw and fixed to the first movable plate; and (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the known ball screw 51 of X-axis moving unit 50 is fixed onto the X-axis moveable plate 16 in order to move it along the X-axis.)
a first motor fixed on the second movable plate and driving the first lead screw to rotate. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the stepping motor 52 which rotates the ball screw 51of the X-axis moving unit 50 about its own central axis is mounted on the Y-axis moveable plate 17.)
Claim 11. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 10, wherein the second driving device includes: a second lead screw rotatably mounted on the support plate; (Takeuchi, [0035] “The Y-axis moving unit 60 includes a known ball screw 61, a known stepping motor 62, and a pair of known guide rails 63. The ball screw 61 is rotatable about its own central axis. The stepping motor 62 rotates the ball screw 61 about its own central axis. The guide rails 63 support the Y-axis movable plate 17 for movement therealong in the Y-axis directions. The guide rails 63 are fixedly mounted on the apparatus body 2.”)
a second nut threaded with the second lead screw and fixed to the second movable plate; and (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the known ball screw 61 of Y-axis moving unit 60 is fixed onto the Y-axis moveable plate 17 in order to move it along the Y-axis.)
a second motor fixed on the support plate and driving the second lead screw to rotate. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the stepping motor 62 which rotates the ball screw 61of the Y-axis moving unit 60 about its own central axis is mounted on the apparatus body 2.)
Claim 12. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 9, wherein the first movable plate is slidably mounted to the second movable plate. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the X-axis movable plate 16 is slidably mounted onto the Y-axis movable plate 17 by guard rails 53 in addition to the ball screw 52 of the X-axis moving unit 50.)
Claim 13. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 12, wherein one of the first movable plate or the second movable plate includes a first sliding rail extending in the vertical direction, and (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows Y-axis movable plate 17 includes guide rails 53 for movement along the X-axis directions.)
the other of the first movable plate or the second movable plate is slidingly fit with the first sliding rail. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows X-axis moveable plate 16 slidingly fit with guide rails 53.)
Claim 14. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 13, wherein the second movable plate is slidably mounted on the support plate. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows the Y-axis movable plate 16 is slidably mounted onto the apparatus body 2, which corresponds with the claimed support plate, by guard rails 63.)
Claim 15. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 14, wherein one of the support plate or the second movable plate includes a second sliding rail extending in the horizontal direction, and (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows apparatus body 2 includes guide rails 63 for movement along the Y-axis directions.)
the other one of the support plate or the second movable plate is slidingly fit with the second sliding rail. (Takeuchi, Fig. 1 shows Y-axis moveable plate 17 slidingly fit with guide rails 63.)
Claim 16. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 9, wherein the visual device and the heating head are mounted on the first movable plate such that the visual device and the heating head are moved together. (Wang, [0023] “The vision module 3 is mounted on the moving module 2 so as to be movable in synchronization with the mounting bracket 600 and the welding module 1.”)
Claims 19 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20200052451 A1 in view of Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1, in further view of Mishima et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20220193835 A1.
Claim 19. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 1, but do not explicitly disclose wherein a V-shaped groove is formed on an end of the heating head and extends a predetermined length along an axial direction of the wire, the heating head and the V-shaped groove are adapted to clamp wires of different diameters.
Mishima discloses wherein a V-shaped groove is formed on an end of the heating head and extends a predetermined length along an axial direction of the wire, the heating head and the V-shaped groove are adapted to clamp wires of different diameters. (Mishima, Fig. 8-10 shows various simple geometric profiles for soldering tips including a V-shaped groove.)
Wang, Shen and Mishima are analogous art because they are related to welding or soldering systems. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to simply substitute the tooth-shaped welding heads disclosed by Wang with a soldering head with a V-shaped groove as taught by Mishima in order to tightly and effectively clamp wires of different diameters to be welded/soldered as claimed. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification with reasonable expectation of success because this is merely a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results. Wang differs from the claimed invention only in that Wang does not use a welding head with a V-shaped groove. Mishima teaches this soldering head with a V-shaped groove as one conventional soldering head shape among many for the purposes of testing. One of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted one known element for another and the results of the substitution would have been predictable as the soldering head with a V-shaped groove as taught by Mishima is a known and conventional alternative for the purpose of holding and welding/soldering a wire.
Claim 23. Wang discloses a system for joining a wire to a pad, comprising: a moving device movable in at least two different directions; (Wang, [0024] “The moving module 2, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a translation mechanism, which is moveable in a first horizontal direction X, a second horizontal direction Y perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X, and a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y.”)
a soldering or welding head mounted on the moving device and movable therewith, (Wang, [0013] “A system according to an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a welding module 1 and a moving module 2. The welding module 1 is mounted on the moving module 2 and the moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to a predetermined welding position.”)
a visual device guiding the moving device to move the head to a predetermined position, (Wang, [0023] “The moving module 2 is adapted to move the welding module 1 to the predetermined welding position under the visual guidance of the vision module 3.”)
Wang does not teach the welding head adapted to clamp the wire; and the moving device moving the welding head to a clamping position aligned with the wire and moving the clamped wire to a welding position aligned with the welding pad under the guidance of the visual device.
Shen discloses the head adapted to clamp the wire; and… the moving device adapted to: move the head to a clamping position […] move the clamped wire to a soldering or welding position aligned with the pad under the guidance of the visual device. (Shen, [0024] “The gripper 200 grips the object 1 and places the object 1 accurately on the target location 2 under the guidance of the vision system, as shown in FIG. 4. The gripper 200 places the object 1 such that a center line of the object 1 is aligned with a center line of the target location 2. In an embodiment, the object 1 is pre-arranged on the target location 2, manually or by a machine, before being gripped and accurately positioned by the gripper 200.” For the act of “gripping” to occur, the gripper must necessarily first be moved to and aligned with the location of the object where the gripping action, corresponding to the claimed clamping action, takes place. This is by definition the gripping position corresponding to the claimed clamping position.)
Wang and Shen are analogous art because they are related to welding and soldering systems. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Wang and Shen in order to create a welding head capable of clamping a wire and moving it to a predetermined position under the guidance of a visual device as claimed. Manually soldering hundreds of pins or pads on a complicated circuit board with high precision may take a soldering worker several days even with the assistance of tools, and in the prior art of soldering systems there is a known problem of tightly and reliably pressing a wire onto a pad of a circuit board, which may lead to an improperly formed solder joint and decreased soldering quality of the product, as disclosed by Shen (see Shen, [0003] and [0004]). One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because a welding head that may properly clamp a wire tightly and reliably onto the pad of a circuit board may “increase soldering efficiency while effectively preventing improperly formed solder joints from occurring on the product” as taught by Shen (see [0005]). A visual device may also automate the process allowing the soldering system to automatically perform the soldering operation under the control of the program executed by the processor of the controller of the moving system, as taught by Shen (see [0023]).
Modified Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein the wire is clamped by and within a groove formed into the head; and.
Mishima discloses wherein the wire is clamped by and within a groove formed into the head; and (Mishima, Fig. 8-10 shows various simple geometric profiles for soldering tips including a V-shaped groove.)
Wang, Shen and Mishima are analogous art because they are related to welding or soldering systems. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to simply substitute the tooth-shaped welding heads disclosed by Wang with a soldering head with a V-shaped groove as taught by Mishima in order to tightly and effectively clamp wires of different diameters to be welded/soldered as claimed. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification with reasonable expectation of success because this is merely a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results. Wang differs from the claimed invention only in that Wang does not use a welding head with a V-shaped groove. Mishima teaches this soldering head with a V-shaped groove as one conventional soldering head shape among many for the purposes of testing. One of ordinary skill in the art could have substituted one known element for another and the results of the substitution would have been predictable as the soldering head with a V-shaped groove as taught by Mishima is a known and conventional alternative for the purpose of holding and welding/soldering a wire.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20200052451 A1 in view of Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1 and in further view of Sugiyama et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 11121114 B2.
Claim 22. Modified Wang discloses the system according to claim 1.
Modified Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein the groove is V-shaped and formed on an end of the soldering or welding head and extends a predetermined length along an axial direction of the wire, the V-shaped groove adapted to clamp the wire independent of any additional clamping devices as the wire is moved from the clamping position to the soldering or welding position.
Modified Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein the groove is V-shaped and formed on an end of the soldering or welding head and extends a predetermined length along an axial direction of the wire, the V-shaped groove adapted to clamp the wire independent of any additional clamping devices as the wire is moved from the clamping position to the soldering or welding position.
Sugiyama discloses wherein the groove is V-shaped and formed on an end of the soldering or welding head and extends a predetermined length along an axial direction of the wire, (Sugiyama, Fig. 2 shows a V-shaped groove formed on the end of the welding tip; and col. 2 line 59 “… a groove that is provided in the end portion of the wedge tool body, that is configured to extend along a longitudinal direction of said wiring member…”)
the V-shaped groove adapted to clamp the wire independent of any additional clamping devices as the wire is moved from the clamping position to the soldering or welding position. (Sugiyama, col. 5 line 30 “… when the bonding wire 1 is supplied, the wedge tool 51 moves downward (in FIG. 1), holds the bonding wire 1 with the groove, and presses the bonding wire 1 against a portion, such as an electrode, of the semiconductor element 40 to which the bonding wire 1 is to be bonded”; and Figs. 4-6 show the movement of the wedge tool 51 which is solely responsible for clamping the wire against the electrode 41 of the semiconductor element.)
Wang, Shen and Sugiyama are analogous art because they are related to welding or soldering systems. Shen differs from the claimed invention only in that it does not explicitly disclose the wire clamped only by the groove of the heating head as it is moved from the clamping to welding position. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the tip shape of the transparent member of Shen from an arc recess surface to a V-shaped wedge recess surface as taught by Sugiyama. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification so that the bonding wire fits the groove of the wedge in the longitudinal direction of the wire and is pressed against the electrode, while the corner portions 51c3 and 51c4 detailed in Fig. 2 do not contact or damage the electrode.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 20160346858 A1, in view of Sugiyama et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 11121114 B2.
Claim 21. Shen discloses the method of claim 20, wherein: the step of clamping the wire includes clamping the wire by and within a groove formed in the heating head; and (Shen, [0019] “As shown in FIG. 3, the transparent member 101 protrudes from the presser 100, and has an arc recess surface at an end opposite the presser 100” where the arc recess surface corresponds to the claimed groove formed on the heating head; and [0025] “The arc recess surface of the transparent member 101 directly presses on a top surface of the object 1” corresponding to the claimed step of clamping included in addition to the gripper 200 clamping as defined in claim 20.)
Shen does not explicitly disclose the wire is clamped only by the groove of the heating head as it is moved from the clamping position to the soldering or welding position.
Sugiyama discloses the wire is clamped only by the groove of the heating head as it is moved from the clamping position to the soldering or welding position. (Sugiyama, col. 5 line 30 “… when the bonding wire 1 is supplied, the wedge tool 51 moves downward (in FIG. 1), holds the bonding wire 1 with the groove, and presses the bonding wire 1 against a portion, such as an electrode, of the semiconductor element 40 to which the bonding wire 1 is to be bonded.”)
Shen and Sugiyama are analogous art because they are related to welding or soldering systems. Shen differs from the claimed invention only in that it does not explicitly disclose the wire clamped only by the groove of the heating head as it is moved from the clamping to welding position. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the tip shape of the transparent member of Shen from an arc recess surface to a V-shaped wedge recess surface as taught by Sugiyama. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification so that the bonding wire fits the groove of the wedge in the longitudinal direction of the wire and is pressed against the electrode, while the corner portions 51c3 and 51c4 detailed in Sugiyama, Fig. 2 do not contact or damage the electrode.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Gustafsson, Jukka et al., US 20050021170 A1, related to welding equipment operable in a three-dimensional X-Y-Z coordinate system; Walker, US 8820609 B2 related to V-shaped welding tip.
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 KRYSTENE NHELLE B MACEDA whose telephone number is (571)272-2380. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30a-5:00p.
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, Steven Crabb can be reached at (571) 270-5095. 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.
/K.B.M./
Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/JUSTIN C DODSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
Prosecution Insights