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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because Fig. 3a shows 12, 13 in the opposite orientation as Fig. 2 and these are supposed to show the same face “FZ”.
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 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 15, 19-24 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.
Claim 15 recites “an edge of the first face” – however, claim 12 already recites “an edge of the first face” and it is unclear whether this is the same edge of claim 12 or a different edge. See also claim 23 for the same issue with claim 16.
Claim 15 “wherein at least two contact-connection surfaces, which are electrically conductively joined to a respective end of the electrically conductive device” is unclear whether both of “at least two contact-connection surfaces” are connected to the same “respective end” or whether there are multiple respective ends. See also claim 23 for analogous issue.
Claim 19 “ wherein respective second faces of the two shaped metal sheets are arranged facing one another and the two shaped metal sheets are joined to one another at respective second beads formed on respective edges of the respective second faces, fourth beads, provided on the respective second faces, are joined to one another, and a flow path is therefor defined between the respective second faces of the two shaped metal sheets, which flow path is designed such that a fluid can flow from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.” This is indefinite because claim 16 already sets forth “wherein respective first faces of the two shaped metal sheets are arranged facing one another, and the two shaped metal sheets are joined to one another at the respective first beads and third beads” from “A coolable resistor, comprising: two shaped metal sheets, each sheet comprising: a first face coated with an electrically insulating layer, wherein an electrically conductive device is applied to or embedded in the electrically insulating layer; a second face; an inlet opening and an outlet opening provided in the shaped metal sheet; a first bead provided on an edge of the first face, and third beads respectively surrounding the inlet opening and the outlet opening on the first face; wherein respective first faces of the two shaped metal sheets are arranged facing one another, and the two shaped metal sheets are joined to one another at the respective first beads and third beads.” As claim 16 already sets forth the first faces face each other for the two sheets, the opposite second faces cannot simultaneously face each for the same two sheets.
Claim 20 “wherein the first, third and/or fourth beads” is unclear whether the first beads is mandatory and the “and/or” refers to the third and/or fourth beads or if applicant envisions only a single option e.g. just a fourth bead is required.
Claim 21 is unclear because “any desired number of shaped metal sheets, or pairs of shaped metal sheets are joined to one another” is unclear and reads on e.g. two sheets and it is unclear how when there are two sheets, this is supposed to meet rest of the claim limitations “wherein a respective end plate is provided as an outer boundary, wherein a second face of the first shaped metal sheet is joined to a first end plate and together form a flow channel, and wherein a second face of a last pair of shaped metal sheets is joined to a second end plate and together form a flow channel, wherein any desired number of shaped metal sheets are arranged in parallel.” Furthermore, any desired number of shaped metal sheets can be an odd number and applicant has not defined how to use this for an odd number of sheets in the specification as well as claims. Additionally “respective end plate” is unclear as to the relationship with the “first end plate” and “second end plate.”
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to TED KIM whose telephone number is 571-272-4829. The Examiner can be reached on regular business hours before 5:00 pm, Monday to Thursday and every other Friday.
The fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is 571-273-8300.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Devon Kramer, can be reached at 571-272-7118. Alternate inquiries to Technology Center 3700 can be made via 571-272-3700.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center. Should you have questions on Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). General inquiries can also be directed to the Inventors Assistance Center whose telephone number is 800-786-9199. Furthermore, a variety of online resources are available at https://www.uspto.gov/patent
/Ted Kim/
Telephone
571-272-4829
Primary Examiner
Fax
571-273-8300
June 13, 2026
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