DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to Amendment filed June 22, 2026.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “plurality of lead-frame paddles provided in multiple connected rows and columns” recited on lines 3-4 of claim 1, and the “plurality of clips provided in multiple connected rows and columns” recited on line 17 of claim 1 must be shown or the features canceled from the claim, see also 35 USC 112(a) and 112(b) rejections below. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-4 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventors, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
(1) Regarding claim 1, Applicants did not originally disclose the configuration corresponding to the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on lines 3-4, because (a) the limitation appears to be grammatically incorrect due to the combination of two words “multiple connected” as discussed below under 35 USC 112(b) rejections, (b) Applicants did not use the phrase “multiple connected” and the words “rows” and “columns” in the original disclosure, (c) therefore, the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” may refer to (i) the arrangement of two paddles or dual paddles 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application, or (ii) the twelve dual paddles 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application, (d) however, Applicants did not originally disclose the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” correspond to both configurations, (e) furthermore, the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” can suggest that (i) multiple rows are connected with each other, (ii) multiple columns are connected with each other, or (iii) multiple rows and multiple columns are connected with each other, and (f) however, Applicants did not originally disclose the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” correspond to all of the three possible configurations, either.
(2) Further regarding claim 1, Applicants did not originally disclose the configuration corresponding to the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on line 17, because (a) the limitation appears to be grammatically incorrect due to the combination of two words “multiple connected” as discussed below under 35 USC 112(b) rejections, (b) Applicants did not use the phrase “multiple connected” and the words “rows” and “columns” in the original disclosure, (c) therefore, the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” can suggest that (i) multiple rows are connected with each other, (ii) multiple columns are connected with each other, or (iii) multiple rows and multiple columns are connected with each other, and (d) however, Applicants did not originally disclose the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” correspond to all of the three possible configurations.
Claims 2-4 and 8-14 depend on claim 1, and therefore, claims 2-4 and 8-14 also fail to comply with the written description requirement.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 8-14 are 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.
(1) Regarding claim 1, it is not clear what the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on lines 3-4 refer to, because (a) the limitation appears to be grammatically incorrect due to the combination of two words “multiple connected”, (b) Applicants did not use the phrase “multiple connected” and the words “rows” and “columns” in the original disclosure, (c) therefore, it is not clear whether the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” refers to (i) the arrangement of two paddles or dual paddles 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application, or (ii) the twelve dual paddles 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application, and (d) furthermore, it is not clear whether the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” suggests that (i) multiple rows are connected with each other, (ii) multiple columns are connected with each other, or (iii) multiple rows and multiple columns are connected with each other.
(2) Also regarding claim 1, it is not clear what the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on line 17 refer to, because (a) the limitation appears to be grammatically incorrect due to the combination of two words “multiple connected”, (b) Applicants did not use the phrase “multiple connected” and the words “rows” and “columns” in the original disclosure, (c) therefore, it is not clear whether the clips 310 shown in Fig. 3A of current application are “provided in multiple connected rows and columns”, and (d) furthermore, it is not clear whether the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” suggests that (i) multiple rows are connected with each other, (ii) multiple columns are connected with each other, or (iii) multiple rows and multiple columns are connected with each other.
(3) Further regarding claim 1, it is not clear whether the word “connected” in the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on liens 3-4 and 17 implies that the rows and columns of the plurality of lead-frame paddles and the plurality of clips are directly or physically connected, or electrically connected, because (a) it appears that the “paddles” and “clips” may not be directed to any specific structural features or shapes in view of the clips 310 shown in Fig. 3A of current application and the dual paddles 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application, (b) for example, while Applicants refer to the element 404 shown in Fig. 4 of current application as dual paddles, Tee et al. (US 9,659,843) disclose that a die paddle 106 is connected to a plurality of leads 108 in Fig. 1 of Tee et al., and therefore, it does not appear that the claimed “paddles” and “clips” may be directed to any specific structural features or shapes to show “multiple connected rows and columns”, and (c) therefore, it appears that the terms “paddles” and “clips” are arbitrary terms with Applicants’ dual paddles 404 comprise paddles 106 and leads 108 of Tee et al., in which case, it is not clear what the word “connected” in the limitation “multiple connected rows and columns” recited on lines 3-4 and 17 implies.
Claims 2-4 and 8-14 depend on claim 1, and therefore, claims 2-4 and 8-14 are also indefinite.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments with respect to claim 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Khoo et al. (US 9,754,834)
Xue et al. (US 11,688,671)
Applicants' amendment necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicants are 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 JAY C KIM whose telephone number is (571) 270-1620. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST.
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, Joshua Benitez can be reached at (571) 270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAY C KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
/J. K./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815 September 14, 2026
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