DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 12 are ambiguously written with regards to whether the second circuit board is positively part of the elastic connection structure or whether the elastic connection structure is capable of being used with the second circuit board but the second circuit board is not part of the claimed elastic connection structure. Correction is required. It is assumed below that the second circuit board is positively part of the elastic connection structure.
Regarding claim 12, the limitation that “the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board through the elastic connection structure” is ambiguous because it is unclear what exactly the “elastic connection structure” is consists of. It is ambiguous whether the first and/or second circuit boards are positively part of the “elastic connection structure” or whether the elastic connection structure is only the structure that connects the first and second circuit boards, i.e., that the first and second boards are not part of the “elastic connection structure.” Correction is required.
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 anticipatory rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 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.
Claims 1-7, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Templin et al. US 6863578 (“Templin”).
Regarding claim 1, Templin discloses an elastic connection structure, comprising:
a pair of mount members (labeled mm below), respectively electrically connected to a first circuit board 37;
at least one first contact member (labeled cm below), configured to be in elastic connection to one of the pair of mount members and be electrically connected to one side of a second circuit board; and
at least one second contact member (labeled cm below), configured to be in elastic connection to the other of the pair of mount members and be electrically connected to another side of the second circuit board, wherein,
the second circuit board is clamped between the first contact member and the second contact member, such that and the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board through the elastic connection structure.
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Per claim 2, there is a limit member (labeled Lm above), configured to be in elastic connection to the first contact member and the second contact member, such that and to receive one end of the second circuit board positioned therein.
Per claim 3, the first contact member comprises one or more first protrusions (labeled prt above), each of the first protrusions is configured to be in electrical connection to the one side of the second circuit board.
Per claim 4, the second contact member comprises: one or more second protrusions (labeled prt above), each of the second protrusions is configured to be in electrical connection to the another side of the second circuit board.
Per claim 5, a number of the first protrusions of the first contact member is same to or different than a number of the second protrusions of the second contact member.
Per claim 6, the first protrusions and the second protrusions are of symmetrical or asymmetrical shape.
Per claim 7, the limit member comprises: a first limit sub-member, configured to limit movement of the second circuit board along a vertical direction.
Per claim 9, the first circuit board includes a connect part (at 38), and so that the pair of mount members are fixed on the connect part, and the first contact member, the second contact member, and the limit member are arranged above the connect part.
Per claim 11 the first contact member is in elastic connection to the corresponding mount member to form a first slope (labeled s1), and the second contact member is in elastic connection to the corresponding mount member to form a second slope (labeled s2); the first slope and the corresponding second slope form a guide member.
Claims 12, 13, 14, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Molnar et al. US 8246358 (“Molnar”). Regarding claim 12, Molnar discloses an elastic connection structure, comprising
a mount member (10A at 12), electrically connected to a first circuit board B; and
at least one contact member 14, configured to be in elastic connection to the mount member and be electrically connected to one side of a second circuit board C,
wherein the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board through the elastic connection structure.
Per claim 13, the contact member comprises: one or more protrusions 14b, each of the protrusions is configured to be in electrical connection to the one side of the second circuit board.
Per claim 14 the elastic connection structure further comprises: a block member 10B, configured to limit movement of the second circuit board, and hence to keep electrical connection between the second circuit board and the contact member.
Per claim 17, when the elastic connection structure includes a plurality of contact members (14, 16), the plurality of contact members are arranged at intervals and in elastic connection to the mount member.
Claims 12, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Osawa et al. US 8113887 (“Osawa”). Regarding claim 12, Osawa discloses an elastic connection structure, comprising:
a mount member (labeled mm below), electrically connected to a first circuit board 60A; and
at least one contact member (labeled cm below), configured to be in elastic connection to the mount member and be electrically connected to one side of a second circuit board 80,
wherein the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board through the elastic connection structure.
Per claim 14the elastic connection structure further comprises:
a block member 10A, configured to limit movement of the second circuit board, and hence to keep electrical connection between the second circuit board and the contact member.
Per claim 16 the first circuit board includes a connect part (labeled CP below), so that and the mount member is electrically connected to the connect part, the block member and the mount member are positioned on the connect part, and wherein the contact member is positioned above the connect part.
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Claim Rejections - and 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 2, 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flanagan, Jr., et al. (“Flanagan”) in view of Templin.
Regarding claim 1, Flanagan discloses an elastic connection structure, comprising:
a pair of mount members (labeled mm below), respectively electrically connected to a first circuit board 14;
at least one first contact member (labeled cm below), configured to be in elastic connection to one of the pair of mount members and be electrically connected to one side of a second circuit board (at location of blade 43); and
at least one second contact member (labeled cm below), configured to be in elastic connection to the other of the pair of mount members and be electrically connected to another side of the second circuit board, wherein,
the blade is clamped between the first contact member and the second contact member, such that and the first circuit board is electrically connected to the blade 43 through the elastic connection structure.
To the extent that claim is interpreted to mean that the second circuit board is positively part of the elastic connection structure, Flanagan does not disclose a second circuit board at the location of blade 43.
Templin discloses connection to a second circuit board 37. It would have been obvious that the element 43 could take the form of various electrical components, including being a printed circuit board 43. In other words, it would have been obvious to replace blade 43 with a printed circuit board as taught in Templin. The reason would have been to connect the board 14 to another board as taught in Templin.
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Per claim 2, there is a limit member (labeled Lm above), configured to be in elastic connection to the first contact member and the second contact member, such that and to receive one end of the second circuit board positioned therein.
Per claim 7, the limit member comprises: a first limit sub-member, configured to limit movement of the second circuit board along a vertical direction.
Per claim 8, the first circuit board is provided with a mount hole 12, such that and the pair of mount members are fixed outside of the mount hole, wherein the first contact member, the second contact member, and the limit member are arranged inside of the mount hole; wherein, the limit member further comprises a second limit sub-member (labeled LM2 below), the second limit sub-member contacts an inner wall of the mount hole, and is configured to limit movement of the second circuit board along a horizontal direction.
Per claim 10, the Flanagan elastic connection structure includes a plurality of first contact members (see legs 20) and a plurality of second contact members, the plurality of the first contact members are arranged at intervals and in elastic connection to one of the pair of mount members, and the plurality of second contact members are arranged at intervals and in elastic connection to another of the pair of mount members (see figure 7).
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Molnar.
Per claim 15 the first circuit board is provided with a mount hole SL1, such that and the mount member is fixed outside of the mount hole and the contact member is positioned inside of the mount hole.
Molnar discloses opposing terminals 10A and 10B in the slot SL1 rather than a terminal. It would have been obvious to use a single terminal 10A in the slot. The reason would have been to connect the second board C to a single location E1. The result would be that the wall of the slot would act as the block member to keep electrical connection between the second circuit board and the contact member. It would have been obvious to adjust the width of the slot SL1 as desired to fit the width of the board C as a matter of engineering design choice.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS GUSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-2005. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30 - 5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached on 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROSS N GUSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834