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 of groups Ia, IIa, and IIIa in the reply filed on 2025-11-30 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
In addition claims 6, 14, 17 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group Ib and claims 4, 5, 9, and 10 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group Ic, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. All of claims 4-6, 9-12, 14, and 17 are withdrawn, such claims will be considered for rejoinder in the event of an allowance.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2018/0286924).
Regarding claim 1 Lee discloses:
An electronic device comprising:
an enclosure (e.g. 100 FIG.1A) defining an internal cavity and comprising:
a housing component (e.g. 102 FIG.5B) defining a set of exterior side surfaces of the electronic device and an internal ledge (e.g. 108b FIG.5B) that extends into the internal cavity of the enclosure;
a composite structure positioned within the internal cavity and comprising:
a first sheet (e.g. 231 FIG.13D (i.e. bottom of 151b FIG.5A) paragraph [0162]) formed from a first polymer composite material;
a second sheet (e.g. 141e:PET, paragraph [0122]) formed from a second polymer composite material; and
a metal joining element (e.g. 108a/108c/104 FIG.5B) comprising:
a first portion positioned between the first sheet and the second sheet (e.g. aligned with 108a' FIG.6A); and
a second portion (e.g. 108a around 108b FIG.5B) extending from between the first sheet and the second sheet and attached to the internal ledge of the housing component; and
a cover member (e.g. 151a FIG.5B) coupled to the housing component; and
a display (e.g. top of 151b FIG.5B/FIG.13D) positioned within the internal cavity and under the cover member.
Regarding claim 2 Lee discloses:
the composite structure further comprises a third sheet (e.g. heat dissipation layer(on 101 FIG.12), multiple polymers disclosed (paragraph [0151])) formed from a third polymer composite material and positioned between the first sheet and the second sheet (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B);
the metal joining element defines a ring that defines a hole (e.g. ring with hole shown FIG.6A); and
the third sheet is positioned within the hole of the metal joining element (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B).
Regarding claim 3 Lee discloses:
the housing component defines an opening (e.g. for 151a FIG.5A) to the internal cavity;
the cover member is positioned within the opening (e.g. shown FIG.5A); and
the internal ledge extends around a perimeter defined by an interior surface of the housing component (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5A).
Regarding claim 7 Lee discloses:
the housing component defines a first opening (e.g. for 151a FIG.5A) and a second opening (e.g. for 103 FIG.5B) opposite to the first opening;
the cover member is a first cover member positioned within the first opening of the housing component (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B);
the electronic device further comprises a second cover member (e.g. 103 FIG.5B) positioned within the second opening of the housing component;
the first cover member defines a front exterior surface of the electronic device (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B); and
the second cover member defines a rear exterior surface of the electronic device (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B).
Regarding claim 8 Lee discloses:
An electronic device comprising:
a display (e.g. top of 151b FIG.5B/FIG.13D); and
an enclosure (e.g. 100 FIG.1A) at least partially surrounding the display and comprising:
a first transparent member (e.g. 151a FIG.5B) positioned over the display and defining a front exterior surface of the electronic device;
a second transparent member (e.g. 103 read as inherent transparent section for camera 121b FIG.3B) defining a rear exterior surface of the electronic device;
a housing component (e.g. 102 FIG.5B) coupled to the first and the second transparent members and defining a set of side exterior surfaces of the electronic device (e.g. shown FIG.1A); and
a composite structure comprising:
a first set of polymer composite layers (e.g. 231 FIG.13D (i.e. bottom of 151b FIG.5A) paragraph [0162]) defining a first edge;
a second set of polymer composite layers (e.g. 141e:PET, paragraph [0122]) defining a second edge; and
a metal joining element (e.g. 108a/108c/104 FIG.5B) comprising:
a first portion (e.g. between 151b and 141e shown FIG.5B) disposed between the first and the second sets of polymer composite layers; and
a second portion (e.g. extending beyond 151b and 141e shown FIG.5B) extending beyond the first and the second edges and coupled to the housing component (shown FIG.5B).
Regarding claim 13 Lee discloses:
the housing component defines four interior side surfaces (e.g. shown FIG.4B); and
the composite structure extends between at least two of the four interior side surfaces (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B).
Regarding claim 15 Lee discloses:
An electronic device comprising:
an enclosure (e.g. 100 FIG.1A) defining an internal cavity and comprising:
a housing component (e.g. 102 FIG.5B) defining an exterior surface of the electronic device and an interior ledge (e.g. 108b FIG.5B);
a composite structure positioned within the internal cavity and comprising:
a stack of composite layers (e.g. 141 FIG.5A, heat dissipation layer(on 101 FIG.12)), multiple polymers disclosed (paragraph [0151])) comprising fibers in a polymer matrix (e.g. described claim 5); and
a metal joining element (e.g. 108a/108c/104 FIG.5B) comprising:
a first portion (e.g. aligned with 141 FIG.6A) positioned within the stack of composite layers; and
a second portion (e.g. aligned away from 141 FIG.6A) extending from the stack of composite layers and coupled to the interior ledge (e.g. shown FIG.5B); and
a cover member (e.g. 151a FIG.5B) coupled to the housing component; and
a display (e.g. top of 151b FIG.5B) positioned within the internal cavity and under the cover member.
Regarding claim 16 Lee discloses:
the housing component defines four interior side surfaces (e.g. shown FIG.4B); and
the interior ledge extends along at least two of the four interior side surfaces (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B).
Regarding claim 18 Lee discloses:
the second portion of the metal joining element is mechanically interlocked with the interior ledge (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.5B).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2018/0286924) in view of LI et al. (US 2023/0384829).
Regarding claim 19 Lee discloses: The electronic device of claim 15 and the metal joining element
Lee does not explicitly discuss: a thickness in a range from 0.5 mm to 2 mm
Li teaches: a thickness in a range from 0.5 mm to 2 mm (e.g. 0.8 paragraph [0038]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized the teachings of LI, as pointed out above, in Lee, as one having ordinary skill in the art would have would have recognized the teaching, suggestion, and motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings (as pointed out above) to arrive at the claimed invention, and would have been motivated to do this with a reasonable expectation of success because such a combination and/or modification would have allowed for:
“a lightweight product design and provide larger accommodation space for the battery” (paragraph [0006]).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2018/0286924) in view of LI et al. (US 2023/0384829) in further view of Kim et al. (US 2003/0102789).
Regarding claim 20 Lee as modified discloses: The electronic device of claim 19 and the composite structure
Lee does not explicitly discuss: a thickness in a range from 0.75 mm to 2.5 mm
Kim teaches: a thickness in a range from 0.75 mm to 2.5 mm (e.g. 1 mm [0047]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized the teachings of Kim, as pointed out above, in Lee, as one having ordinary skill in the art would have would have recognized the teaching, suggestion, and motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings (as pointed out above) to arrive at the claimed invention, and would have been motivated to do this with a reasonable expectation of success because such a combination and/or modification would have allowed for:
“it did not spill over or otherwise flow to undesired areas while being applied to the chassis base. As a result, a frame or any other such additional device was not required” (e.g. manufacturing simplification) (paragraph [0065]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references cited on the PTO-892 disclose/teach similar circuit board housings as those disclosed in the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THERON S MILLISER whose telephone number is (571)270-1800. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6.
Limited examiner interviews are available.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached at (571) 270-5528. 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.
/THERON S MILLISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841