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
Claim 1 and 2 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/21/2025.
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.
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) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biggs (US 4,455,134) in view of Saito (PG-PUB 2017/0100882).
Regarding claim 3, Biggs teaches a method for placing an insert into an appropriately sized hole in a plastic part (Col 1, ln 56-63), comprising:
(a) beginning from initial conditions wherein an insert staking device is in a home position (Figure 1 and Col 2, ln 54- Col 3, ln 25);
(b) engaging the insert staking device (Figure 2 and Col 2, ln 54- Col 3, ln 25);
(c) acquiring the insert with the insert staking device (Figure 2);
(d) positioning the insert into a prepared hole in the plastic part (Figure 1 and Col 4, ln 24-37);
(e) supplying a heat to the insert staking device (Col 3, ln 52- Col 4, ln 15);
(f) heating the insert with the thermally conductive tip (Col 3, ln 52- Col 4, ln 15);
(g) pressing the heated insert into the plastic part using a linear force transmitted through the device (Figure 3 and Col 3, ln 26-35 and Col 5, ln 41-67);
(h) releasing the insert from the insert staking device (Col 3, ln 26-36 and Col 6, ln 9-18); and
(i) returning the insert staking device to the home position (Col 3, ln 26-36 and Col 6, ln 9-18).
Biggs teaches the heating element comprises a conventional electrical soldering unit with a thermally conductive core (Col 3, ln 42- Col 4, ln 15).
Biggs does not teach:
using impulse heating through electrically conductive wires,
(e) supplying a controlled electrical impulse to the insert staking device via the wires to heat a thermally conductive tip and (f) heating the insert with the thermally conductive tip.
Saito teaches an impulse thermally processing tip 2 of a thermally welding apparatus 1 has a heat generating press surface 6 so formed at a front end 3 of the tip 2 as to surround a clearance hole 4 (Claim 16, [0027] and [0060]). Saito teaches a ring-shaped thermally processing rib 5 is so provided as to protrude from the inner side of the heat generating press surface 6, and a gate rib 7 is so provided as to protrude from the outer circumferential edge of the heat generating press surface 6 [0060]-[0061]. Saito teaches the thermally welding tip is heated and pressed by a drive apparatus against a molded article [0073]-[0074]. Saito teaches the thermally welding tip is heated and controlled by a power supply connected to lead wires [0070]-[0072], [0102].
Both Biggs and Saito are drawn to the same field of endeavors pertaining to a heated apparatus for pressing applications. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the process of Biggs, in particularly the heating mechanism of Biggs, with the impulse-based heating mechanism of Saito, a known heating mechanism suitable for use in heated apparatus tip used for pressing, to yield the predictable result of providing a thermally conductive tip as desired by Biggs.
Accordingly, the process of Biggs in view of Saito would include supplying a controlled electrical impulse to the insert staking device via the wires to heat the thermally conductive tip and, therefore, insert to dispose the insert into the plastic part.
Regarding claim 4, Biggs in view of Saito teaches the process as applied to claim 3, wherein the insert is pre-placed in the prepared hole in the plastic part before heating (Biggs, Figure 1), and the method further comprises:
(a) engaging the insert staking device (Biggs, Figure 2 and Col 2, ln 54- Col 3, ln 25);
(b) contacting the insert with the thermally conductive tip (Biggs, Figure 2 and Col 3, ln 26-65);
(c) delivering a controlled impulse of electrical current to heat the thermally conductive tip (Saito, Claim 16, [0027] and [0060]-[0061]);
(d) conducting heat to the insert (Biggs, Col 3, ln 52- Col 4, ln 15);
(e) pressing the insert into the plastic part using the insert staking device (Biggs, Figure 3 and Col 3, ln 26-35 and Col 5, ln 41-67); and
(f) withdrawing the insert staking device after releasing the insert (Biggs, Col 3, ln 26-36 and Col 6, ln 9-18).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANA C PAGE whose telephone number is (571)272-1578. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:00-5:30.
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HANA C. PAGE
Examiner
Art Unit 1745
/HANA C PAGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1745