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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
The claim to priority filled on 12/13/2026 acknowledged in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/27/2023 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1. 97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION—the specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “at least at one of their ends” in line 6 rendering the claim indefinite. It is unclear what this “their” stands for? Appropriate correction/ clarification is required.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “each metallic strip” in line 7 rendering the claim indefinite. It is unclear what the relation between “each metallic strip” and a plurality of metallic strips mentioned in line 4? Appropriate correction/ clarification is required.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “neighboring metallic strips” in line 2 rendering the claim indefinite. It is unclear what the relation between “neighboring metallic strips” and a plurality of metallic strips mentioned in line 4 of claim 1? Appropriate correction/ clarification is required.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “a connector” in line 1 rendering the claim indefinite. It is unclear what the relation between “a connector” and A connector mentioned in line 1 of claim 1? Appropriate correction/ clarification 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 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
1-5, 7-8 and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BOGEN et al. (US 2021/0336370 A1) in view of Schwan (US 2022/0294153 A1).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, BOGEN et al. disclose a connector (a power semiconductor module has a substrate, load and auxiliary connector elements, Abstract) for a high voltage connection inside an electrical device, said connector comprising:
a plastic body (a plastic body, Abstract); and
a plurality of metallic strips (a press-fit contact element 1, [0033], Figs 1-7) that each have two ends that protrude from the plastic body (1 protrude from housing 66 of a power semiconductor module 6, [0043], Figs 4-5);
wherein the metallic strips form press-fit contacts at least at one of their ends (press-fit portion 2, [0033], Figs 1-7) and each metallic strip has a through hole that matches with a corresponding opening of the plastic body (The housing 66 represented in a detail is realized as a plastic molded body and has a channel 660, in which the press-fit contact element 1 is arranged substantially with its compensating portion 4, [0047], Fig 6); and
BOGEN et al. disclose the invention as claimed and as discussed above; except does not disclose: the plastic body comprises ring shaped beads that each surround one of the openings.
Schwan teaches a connector (a press-fit contact element 1m [0033], Figs 1-7) for a high voltage connection (the electrical plug connector 2 to be usable in high-voltage applications, [0015], Figs 2-3), and the plastic body (body of connector 2, Figs 2-3. Note: “the plastic body” taught by BOGEN et al. already) comprises ring shaped beads (Outer face 46, in particular an end face 48, of creepage distance increase section 20 can be corrugated, grooved, or slotted, i.e. have a corrugation, groove or slot structure, [0023], Figs 2-3) that each surround one of the openings (opening 12, [0028], Figs 2-3. Note: “the openings” taught by BOGEN et al. already). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify BOGEN et al. with Schwan’s further teaching of the plastic body comprises ring shaped beads that each surround one of the Openings; because Schwan teaches, in Para. [0003], of providing an excellent plug connector for reasons of electrical safety and for improved handling during operation.
Claim 2, wherein the metallic strips form solder pads at one of their ends (the foot portion to be a solderable, [0008]).
Claim 3, wherein the ends that are solder pads are bent at a right angle with respect to the press-fit contacts (see the foot portion 5 are bent at a right angle with respect to the press-fit contacts, Fig 5).
Claim 4, wherein the plastic body comprises protrusions (see protrusions in Fig 6) configured for insertion into holes of a printed circuit board (a creepage distance increase section 20 configured for insertion into holes 12 of circuit board 8, [0027], Fig 3, Schwan).
Claim 5, wherein the protrusions are arranged between the press-fit contacts of neighboring metallic strips (see Fig 6, between press-fit contact element 1).
Claim 7, wherein the press-fit contacts each have a bulging middle section (details see Fig s1-7).
Claim 8, wherein the bulging middle section has a through hole (details see Fig s1-7).
Claim 10, wherein the through holes of the metallic strips and the matching openings of the plastic body are through holes of the connector (see Figs 1-3, Schwan).
Claim 11, A heating device, comprising a heating plate (heat-conducting bridge 80, [0029], Fig 3, Schwan), a printed circuit board (circuit board 8, [0028], Figs 2-3, Schwan), and a connector according to claim 1 electrically connecting the heating plate to the printed circuit board (to establish detachable connections for the transmission of electrical currents and/or signals, [0003], Schwan).
Claim 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BOGEN et al. (US 2021/0336370 A1) in view of Schwan (US 2022/0294153 A1) as applied to claim 1, further in view of ZHAO et al. (WO 2012103836 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, BOGEN et al. in view of Schwan teach the invention as claimed and as discussed above; except does not disclose Claim 6.
ZHAO et al. teach an electrical connector (electrical connector (1), Abstract, Fig 1), and Claim 6, wherein each metallic strip (the first terminal 11, Fig 2. Note: “each metallic strip” taught by BOGEN et al. already) forms at least two press-fit contacts at one end (at least two pin 1131, Fig 2. Note: “press-fit contacts” taught by BOGEN et al. already). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify BOGEN et al. in view of Schwan with ZHAO’s further teaching of Claim 6; because ZHAO teaches the limitation only involves applying a known teaching to a similar device to yield predictable results.
Claim 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BOGEN et al. (US 2021/0336370 A1) in view of Schwan (US 2022/0294153 A1) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Sadeghi et al. (US 2020/0343656 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, BOGEN et al. in view of Schwan teach the invention as claimed and as discussed above; except does not disclose Claim 9.
Sadeghi et al. teach electrical press-fit contacts (see Title), and Claim 9, wherein the press-fit contacts (contact pin 6, [0031], Fig 1. Note: “the press-fit contacts” taught by BOGEN et al. already) are coated with nickel and/or tin (an electrical press-fit contact pin, which has a core of copper or a copper alloy, and is surrounded by a layer containing tin, [0011]). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify BOGEN et al. in view of Schwan with Sadeghi et al.’s further teaching of Claim 9; because Sadeghi et al. teach the limitation only involves applying a known teaching to a similar device to yield predictable results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant is advised to refer to the Notice of References Cited for pertinent prior art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUANGYUE CHEN whose telephone number is 571/272-8224. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00-5:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, supervisor Ibrahime Abraham can be reached on 571/270-5569, supervisor Steven Crabb can be reached on 571/270-5095, or supervisor Edward Landrum can be reached on 571/272-5567. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571/273-8300.
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/KUANGYUE CHEN/
Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
