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
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 1-6 and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated Imano et al. (US20120062428).
Regarding claim 1, Imano teaches an electronic-component-protection structure comprising:a circuit board 19 on which an electronic component (31, 33) is mounted; a ground member having conductivity, which is integrally formed with the circuit board or that is electrically connected to the circuit board (the circuit board itself acts as grounding board, see paragraph 55); a housing (11, 15) including a base member 11 and a case member 15, which accommodates the circuit board and the ground member; and a conductive elastic member 13 disposed between the base member and the case member (part 37 of the elastic member 13 is a conductive, see paragraph 59), wherein at least a portion of the conductive elastic member is exposed to outside of the housing (the sealing member expose outside the housing, see Fig. 13), and the conductive elastic member is not in contact with the ground member (the elastic member 13 including the extension 37, does not directly contact the circuit board but through the contact portion 29a/b, see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Imano teaches a switch device comprising: an operation unit provided so as to be able to reciprocate in at least one direction (Imano device is related to mobile phones, and mobile phones are commonly includes mechanical buttons that reciprocate in pressing direction, see paragraph 50); and an electronic-component-protection structure comprising:a circuit board 19 on which an electronic component (31, 33) is mounted; a ground member having conductivity, which is integrally formed with the circuit board or that is electrically connected to the circuit board (the circuit board itself acts as grounding board, see paragraph 55); a housing (11, 15) including a base member 11 and a case member 15, which accommodates the circuit board and the ground member; and a conductive elastic member 13 disposed between the base member and the case member (part 37 of the elastic member 13 is a conductive, see paragraph 59), wherein at least a portion of the conductive elastic member is exposed to outside of the housing (the sealing member expose outside the housing, see Fig. 13), and the conductive elastic member is not in contact with the ground member (the elastic member 13 including the extension 37, does not directly contact the circuit board but through the contact portion 29a/b, see Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Imano teaches the electronic-component-protection structure wherein an electric resistance value of the conductive elastic member is less than an electric resistance value of any of the base member and the case member (the conductive part 37 of the elastic member 13 is consist of carbon black, while the housing is made of non-conductive resins, see paragraphs 59-63).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Imano teaches the electronic-component-protection structure wherein a shortest distance between the conductive elastic member and the ground member is shorter than a shortest distance between the conductive elastic member and the electronic component (the elastic member 13 directly contacts the circuit board 19 “ground” via terminal 29a/extension part 27, see paragraph 56; while the electronic component positioned further inside, see Figs. 1-3) .
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Imano teaches the electronic-component-protection structure wherein the conductive elastic member 13 is disposed so as to surround entire perimeters of the circuit board and the ground member 19 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Imano teaches the electronic-component-protection structure wherein the conductive elastic member is elastically sandwiched between the base member and the case member (Fig. 2 and paragraph 56).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Imano teaches the electronic-component-protection structure wherein the conductive elastic member 13 (conductive section 37 of the elastic member) is exposed to outside through between opposing surfaces of the base member and the case member 11 (Fig. 13).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that “Accordingly, the conductive elastic member 13 of Imano, which defines the antenna element 17, is in contact with the circuit board 1 9, which defines the ground member”. However, the examiner cannot concur. In Imano, the ground of the antenna is formed by the ground conductor pattern (ground plane) on the circuit board 19, such as the conductor patterns 31/33. The elastic member 13 which includes the extension part 37 forming the antenna 17, does not directly contact the circuit board 19 or the ground pattern. Instead, the extension part 37 contacts the contact portion 29a/b, which are mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to the ground pattern. According, the elastic member is electrically coupled to the ground through the intermediate contact portions, rather than directly contacting the circuit board or grounding structure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Watchko and Kido each teaches an electronic-component-protection structure.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571) 272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833