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 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 1-4, and 9-10 as best understood and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Liskow et al. (WO 2018001612).
As per claim 1: Liskow et al. discloses an electronic assembly 10 comprising: a first housing portion 20; a second housing portion 22 coupled to the first housing portion 20 to form a cavity (see fig. 1, wherein there is a chamber within the housings); a circuit board 30 residing within the cavity; the second housing 22 portion having a connector body (not label, see figs. 1, 3; wherein it housed the connector pins 40-43) with a hollow core extending outward from the second housing portion 22 (as shown in figs. 1, 3) and wherein the connector body has walls (not label, see figs. 1, 3) with corresponding wall mating surface that faces a respective circuit board mating surface 32 of the circuit board 30; an adhesive sealant 45 configured to adhere to the wall and circuit board mating surfaces (as shown in fig. 3).
(Note: Claim 1 can be rejected by reference Blasko et al. (US 2005/0152084); or Manushi et al. (US 2018/0294594); or Wickett (US 7234950)
As per claims 2-4, 9-10: Liskow et al. discloses the electronic assembly 10, wherein the connector body is integral with the second housing body 22; and wherein unitarily with the second housing body (as shown in figs. 1; 3); and wherein the wall mating surface comprising a lower skirt of the connector body that has an inwardly tapered bottom portion (as shown in fig. 3); and wherein the adhesive sealant 45 is adhesively bonded to the wall and circuit board mating surfaces to form a barrier to prevent the ingress of moisture, water, contaminants or debris from the within the hollow core from entering into the cavity in which the circuit board resides (as shown in figs. 3-4, wherein the porting layer is adhesively bonded to the wall of the connector body and the circuit board 45 in order to seal the circuit board from harsh environments); and wherein the barrier exists even when the connector is unmated or disconnected (see figs. 3-4).
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.
Claim(s) 5 as best understood and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liskow et al. (WO 2018001612).
As per claim 5: Liskow et al. discloses the electronic assembly 10. However, Liskow et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein a bead or ridge of adhesive sealant is aligned the tapered bottom portion of the lower skirt.
On the other hand, Liskow et al. showed that the sealant (potting layer 45) (see fig. 4) is covered between the tapered bottom portion and the circuit board to further enhance a secure sealant between the connector body and the circuit board. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art would know that having a bead or ridge of adhesive sealant is aligned the tapered bottom portion of the lower skirt only deal with manufacture desire design, because such modification still would not change the function of the electronic assembly but to further enhance the sealant to the electronic assembly. Further, since Applicant has not disclosed that having a bead or ridge of adhesive sealant is aligned the tapered bottom portion of the lower skirt solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with the prior art of record.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further modify the electronic assembly of Liskow et al. by having a bead or ridge of adhesive sealant is aligned the tapered bottom portion of the lower skirt to further enhance the stability, reliability and secure structure of the sealant within the connector body.
Claim(s) 6-8 are as best understood and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liskow et al. (WO 2018001612) in view of Wickett (US 7234950).
As per claims 6-8: Liskow discloses the electronic assembly 10, wherein one or more conductors or conductive pins (40-43) extend upward within the hollow core. However, Liskow does not explicitly disclose wherein the conductors are supported by one or more dielectric footings or bases; and wherein the combination of the conductors and dielectric footings are surface mounted on the circuit board, and wherein the conductors are electrically connected to corresponding conductive traces on the circuit board; and wherein the combination of the conductors and dielectric footings are mounted on the circuit board, and wherein the conductors are electrically connected to corresponding conductive traces on the circuit board via plated through-holes or metallized blind vias.
Wickett discloses an electronic assembly 10 (as shown in figs. 2-3), wherein the conductors 20 are supported by one or more dielectric bases (guides 50); and wherein the combination of the conductors 20 and dielectric footings (guide 50) (see fig. 3) are surface mounted on the circuit board 24 in order to provide a secure, stabilize the conductors in the electronic assembly, and wherein the conductors 20 are electrically connected to corresponding conductive traces on the circuit board 24; and wherein the combination of the conductors and dielectric footings are mounted on the circuit board, and wherein the conductors are electrically connected to corresponding conductive traces on the circuit board via plated through-holes or metallized blind vias (inherent to not having the conductors/terminals/pins in contact with the circuit board in order for the electronic assembly to perform its function as the manufacture desired).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further modify the electronic assembly of Liskow et al. by having the conductors are supported by one or more dielectric footings or bases; and wherein the combination of the conductors and dielectric footings are surface mounted on the circuit board, and wherein the conductors are electrically connected to corresponding conductive traces on the circuit board as taught by Wickett to further enhance a secure, stabilize the conductors in the electronic assembly and in order for the connector assembly to perform its function as best.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
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/T.H.N/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831