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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 8/24/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung (WO2019059539) with citations made to attached machine translation.
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Fig. 3 of Jung
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Fig. 5 of Jung
Regarding claim 1, Jung teaches a PTC heating device comprising:
a frame (100) surrounding an accommodation space and including at least two frame segments (110, 120);
at least one PTC element (300) accommodated in the accommodation space ([0034] arranged inside the upper frame 110 and the lower frame 120); and
conductor elements (400 and 410, 400 and 420) which are connected to the PTC element (300) in an electrically conductive manner and which enclose the PTC element (300) between them (Fig. 3), wherein each of the conductor elements (400 and 410, 400 and 420) is surrounded at least partially by at least one of the frame segments (110, 120 Fig. 3), and wherein the frame segments are ultrasonically welded together to enclose the PTC element in the accommodation space ([0061-0062] the upper frame (110) and the lower frame (120) are integrated through welding; welding is performed by laser, ultrasonic wave or pressure welding).
Regarding claim 2, Jung teaches the PTC heating device according to claim 1,
wherein the frame (100) is formed by two frame segments (110, 130), each of which surrounds conductor elements (400 and 410, 400 and 420) abutting against the PTC element (300) and which forms interacting connection segments (Fig. 5 113, 123) which are ultrasonically welded to each other ([0061-0062] the upper frame (110) and the lower frame (120) are integrated through welding; welding is performed by laser, ultrasonic wave or pressure welding).
Regarding claim 3, Jung teaches the PTC heating device according to claim 2, wherein a depression (M; [0041] coupling groove (113) is provided with a melting space (M)) adapted to accommodate melt generated during welding ([0041] coupling groove (113) is provided with a melting space (M) so that a portion of the base material of the coupling groove (113) or the coupling projection (123) can be melted and flow down during welding), is formed adjacent to the connection segments (113, 123) on at least one of the frame segments (110, 120).
Regarding claim 4, Jung teaches the PTC heating device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the frame segments (120) has a pin (123) that is associated with a depression (113) on the other frame segment that holds the pin (123).
Regarding claim 5, Jung teaches the PTC heating device according to claim 2, wherein, adjacent to the connection segments (123) on at least one of the frame segments (120), a web (124, taken to be the equivalent of a structural support web) is formed that is configured to prevent spillover of melt generated during welding over and beyond a contour of the frame ([0044] a melting step portion (124) is additionally formed along the perimeter of the lower frame (120) so that the base material that flows down during welding is not lost and can be fixed).
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.
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.
Claim 6-7 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung (WO2019059539) in view of Bohlender (US11035589) and further in view of Golan (US5889260) with citations made to attached machine translation.
Regarding claim 6, Jung teaches the PTC heating device according to claim 1, but is silent on wherein each of the conductor elements is sealed in the associated frame segment by overmolding a plastic forming the associated frame segment and wherein the conductor elements comprise connecting webs protruding from an edge, which connecting webs are covered by positioning projections which are formed on a portion of the frame and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame.
Bohlender teaches wherein each of the conductor elements (42, 128) is sealed in the associated frame segment (132) by overmolding a plastic forming the associated frame segment (Col. 12 lines 15-20 plastic frame 134 is formed as an elastomeric plastic frame 134 by overmolding elastomeric material).
Jung and Bohlender are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of heaters. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Jung to incorporate the teachings of Golan to have the conductor be sealed by overmolding in order to establish a close sealing connection between the components (Bohlender Col. 5 lines 1-15).
Jung and Bohlender are silent on wherein the conductor elements comprise connecting webs protruding from an edge, which connecting webs are covered by positioning projections which are formed on a portion of the frame and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame.
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Fig. 1a of Golan
Golan teaches wherein the conductor elements (Col. 2 lines 55-65 electrodes 14) comprise connecting webs (Fig. 1A conductors 14 shown to be in the shape of a structural web) protruding from an edge (14), which connecting webs (Fig. 1A) are covered by positioning projections (19) which are formed on a portion of the frame (16b) and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles (18) on another portion of the frame (12).
Jung, Bohlender, and Golan are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of heaters. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Jung and Bohlender to incorporate the teachings of Golan to have the conductors be webs that are covered by position projections on the frame that cooperate with positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame so that heating elements are further held in place and in good thermal and electrical contact (Golan Col. 2 lines 1-10).
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Annotated Fig. 3 of Jung
Regarding claim 7, Jung, Bohlender, and Golan teach the PTC heating device according to claim 6, and Jung teaches wherein a contact tongue (150), protruding externally from the frame (110, 120), is guided through the frame (110, 120) below one of the positioning projections (Annotated Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Jung teaches a PTC heating device comprising:
a frame (100, 110, 120) surrounding an accommodation space (Fig. 3);
at least one PTC element (300) accommodated in the accommodation space ([0034] arranged inside the upper frame 110 and the lower frame 120); and
conductor elements (400 and 410, 400 and 420) which are connected to the PTC element (300) in an electrically conductive manner and which enclose the PTC element (300) between them (Fig. 3),
wherein each of the conductor elements (42, 128) is sealed in the frame (134) by overmolding a plastic forming the frame (plastic frame 134 is formed as an elastomeric plastic frame 134 by overmolding elastomeric material).
Jung is silent on wherein each of the conductor elements is sealed in the associated frame segment by overmolding a plastic forming the associated frame segment and wherein the conductor elements comprise connecting webs protruding from an edge, which connecting webs are covered by positioning projections which are formed on a portion of the frame and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame.
Bohlender teaches wherein each of the conductor elements (42, 128) is sealed in the associated frame segment (132) by overmolding a plastic forming the associated frame segment (Col. 12 lines 15-20 plastic frame 134 is formed as an elastomeric plastic frame 134 by overmolding elastomeric material).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Jung to incorporate the teachings of Golan to have the conductor be sealed by overmolding in order to establish a close sealing connection between the components (Bohlender Col. 5 lines 1-15).
Jung and Bohlender are silent on wherein the conductor elements comprise connecting webs protruding from an edge, which connecting webs are covered by positioning projections which are formed on a portion of the frame and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame.
Golan teaches wherein the conductor elements (Col. 2 lines 55-65 electrodes 14) comprise connecting webs (Fig. 1 conductors 14 shown to be in the shape of a structural web) protruding from an edge (14), which connecting webs (Fig. 1) are covered by positioning projections (19) which are formed on a portion of the frame (16b) and which cooperate with associated positioning projection receptacles (18) on another portion of the frame (12).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Jung and Bohlender to incorporate the teachings of Golan to have the conductors be webs that are covered by position projections on the frame that cooperate with positioning projection receptacles on another portion of the frame so that heating elements are further held in place and in good thermal and electrical contact (Golan Col. 2 lines 1-10).
Regarding claim 11, Jung, Bohlender, and Golan teach the PTC heating device according to claim 10, and Jung teaches wherein a contact tongue (150), protruding externally from the frame (120), is guided through the frame (120) below one of the positioning projections (Annotated Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Jung, Bohlender, and Golan teach the PTC heating device according to claim 10, and Jung teaches wherein the frame (100) is formed from first and second frame segments (110, 120) that are ultrasonically welded together to enclose the PTC element in the accommodation space ([0061-0062] the upper frame (110) and the lower frame (120) are integrated through welding; welding is performed by laser, ultrasonic wave or pressure welding).
Conclusion
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/ABIGAIL H RHUE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 9/1/2026
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