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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-7 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 1 line 2, the phrase “a terminal” should read --the terminal--, since a terminal is introduced in the preamble. Claims 2-7 include all the limitations of claim 1 and are objected to for the same reasons. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ludwig et al. (2020/0343655) in view of Kato et al. (2019/0237887).
With regard to claim 1, Ludwig teaches, as shown in figures 1-6 and taught in paragraphs 25-28: “A method for processing a conductive terminal 10, comprising: determining a contact region 12 on a terminal 10 to have a press-fit connection with a circuit board 3, the contact region 12 comprising a… layer; generating laser light ZI using one or more lasers, and projecting the laser light ZI to the contact region 12 (paragraph 28 describes the laser light transferring heat to the contact region); and subjecting the contact region 12 to… irradiation for a predetermined time, wherein the… in the contact region (portion 14.2 of contact region 12) undergoes melting, diffusion and re-solidification during the laser irradiation, and a… intermetallic compound is formed on an outer surface of the contact region 12”.
Ludwig does not teach the contact region comprising a “tin-containing layer”, the laser aimed directly at the contact region, or the intermetallic compound formed on the outer surface being a tin-containing intermetallic compound.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Kato teaches, as shown in figures 1A-2 and taught in paragraph 35, the contact region 14 comprising a “tin-containing layer 14” and the intermetallic compound 13 formed on the outer surface being a tin-containing intermetallic compound 13. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kato with the invention of Ludwig in order to reduce the contact resistance of the contact region (Kato, paragraph 36).
Neither Ludwig nor Kato teach the laser aimed directly at the contact region. However, Kato teaches in paragraph 35, applying heat to the contact region to form the intermetallic layer. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a laser to apply heat to the contact region since lasers are a known method for applying heat.
With regard to claim 2, Ludwig as modified by Kato teaches: “The method for processing a conductive terminal according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Kato also teaches, as shown in figures 1A-2 and taught in paragraph 35: “wherein the terminal 50 comprises: an intermediate layer 11 containing a conductive metal as a terminal base material; a first layer 12 covering the intermediate layer and containing nickel; and a second layer 14 covering the first layer and containing tin”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kato with the invention of Ludwig as modified by Kato in order to reduce the contact resistance of the contact region (Kato, paragraph 36).
With regard to claim 3, Ludwig as modified by Kato teaches: “The method for processing a conductive terminal according to claim 2”, as shown above.
Kato also teaches, as shown in figures 1A-2 and taught in paragraph 31: “wherein the conductive metal 11 comprises one or more of the following components: iron, copper, silver, gold, copper alloy, and silver alloy”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kato with the invention of Ludwig as modified by Kato in order to increase the conductivity of the terminal (Kato, paragraph 31).
With regard to claim 7, Ludwig as modified by Kato teaches: “The method for processing a conductive terminal according to claim 1”, as shown above.
Ludwig teaches, as shown in figures 1-6: “wherein the terminal 10 comprises: two contact portions (left and right portions 14 in figure 1) each comprising the contact region 12; and a yielding portion (hole between the left and right portions of 14 in figure 1) positioned between the contact portions 14, and at least partially deforming when the terminal 10 is inserted into the circuit board 3 so that the contact portions 14 fit with a mounting hole 5 on the circuit board 3, wherein the yielding portion has one of the following forms: a through-hole, a wavy profile comprising a series of protrusions and depressions, and a profile comprising an irregular distribution of protrusions and depressions”.
With regard to claim 8, Ludwig teaches, as shown in figures 1-6 and taught in paragraphs 25-28: “An electrical assembly, comprising: a circuit board 3 comprising one or more mounting holes 5, wherein an inner wall 8 of each mounting hole 5 comprises a conductive conductor 14; and an electrical element (the element 10 extends upward from in figure 1) comprising one or more terminals 10, the terminals 10 inserted into the mounting holes 5, and each terminal 10 comprising a… layer and a contact region 12 in contact with the conductor 14 of the inner wall 8 of the mounting hole 5, wherein before the terminal 10 is connected to the circuit board 3, the contact region of the terminal 10 is subjected to laser irradiation (paragraph 28 describes the laser light transferring heat to the contact region), and undergoes melting, diffusion and re-solidification to form a… intermetallic compound layer on an outer surface of the contact region (portion 14.2 of contact region 12), and the intermetallic compound layer covers the contact region so that the contact region 12 has a reduced tin whisker formation rate when the terminal 10 is connected to the circuit board 3”.
Ludwig does not teach the contact region comprising a “tin-containing layer” or the intermetallic compound layer covers the contact region.
In the same field of endeavor before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, Kato teaches, as shown in figures 1A-2 and taught in paragraph 35, the contact region 14 comprising a “tin-containing layer 14” and the intermetallic compound 13 formed on the outer surface being a tin-containing intermetallic compound 13. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kato with the invention of Ludwig in order to reduce the contact resistance of the contact region (Kato, paragraph 36).
With regard to claim 9, Ludwig as modified by Kato teaches: “The electrical assembly according to claim 8”, as shown above.
Kato also teaches, as shown in figures 1A-2 and taught in paragraph 35: “wherein the terminal 50 comprises: an intermediate layer 11 containing a conductive metal as a terminal base material; a first layer 12 covering the intermediate layer 11 and containing nickel; and a second layer 14 covering the first layer and containing tin”. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the features of Kato with the invention of Ludwig as modified by Kato in order to reduce the contact resistance of the contact region (Kato, paragraph 36).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 10 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN M KRATT whose telephone number is (571)270-0277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at (571)270-3119. 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.
/JUSTIN M KRATT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831