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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 4, the limitation “a lower surface of the housing includes a protruded portion protruded downward, and a lower surface of the protruded portion is in contact with an upper surface of the printed circuit board” is unclear.
It is unclear whether reference should be made to the housing including the protruded portion, as the position of the printed circuit board becomes unclear and so the interpretation of the directional terms or if reference should be made to the cover including the protruded portion, which would clarify the position of the printed circuit board the interpretation of the directional terms.
For the purpose of examination, the Examiner will interpret claim 4 as “a lower surface of the cover includes a protruded portion protruded downward, and a lower surface of the protruded portion is in contact with an upper surface of the printed circuit board”.
Claims 5-6 depending from claim 4 are therefore also rejected.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7, 11-19 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jenkins US 6560840.
Regarding claim 1, Jenkins US 6560840 discloses an electric equipment comprising:
a housing (10a in Fig. 2e-2g);
a printed circuit board (10c in Fig. 2e-2g) disposed inside the housing (10a) and including a first hole (24 in Fig. 2e-2g); and
a cover (10b in Fig. 2e-2g) coupled to an upper surface of the housing (10b) and including a second hole (22 in Fig. 2e-2g),
wherein the housing (10a) includes:
a first region (portion of 20 in Fig. 2e-2f penetrating through 24) disposed to penetrate through the first hole (24);
a second region (portion of 20 in Fig. 2e-2f penetrating through 22) disposed at an upper portion of the first region (portion of 20 penetrating through 24) and disposed to penetrate through the second hole (22); and
a third region (portion of 20 in Fig. 2g disposed on 10b) disposed at an upper portion of the second region (portion of 20 penetrating through 22) and disposed on an upper surface of the cover (10b).
Regarding claim 2, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim1, wherein the cover (10b) is more recessed downwardly from an upper surface than the first, second, and third regions (respective portions of 20; as depicted in Fig. 2e-2f the cover 10b is recessed downwardly while the first, second and third regions protrude upwardly) and includes a coupling groove (recessed groove of 10b having second hole 22 in Fig. 2e-2g) with the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) disposed inside thereof (as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 3, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 2, wherein a lower surface of the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) is in contact with a bottom surface of the coupling groove (recessed groove of 10b having second hole 22; as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 4 (as best understood), Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the cover (10b) includes a protruded portion (protruded portion of 10b in Fig. 2g) protruded downward, and a lower surface of the protruded portion is in contact with an upper surface of the printed circuit board (10c as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 7, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein a groove (stepped portion on outer sided of 20 in Fig. 2e-2g) being formed along an edge of the second region (portion of 20 in Fig. 2e-2f penetrating through 22) is disposed on an upper surface of the first region (portion of 20 in Fig. 2e-2f penetrating through 24).
Regarding claim 11, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the cover comprise plastic (see Col. 1 Ln. 15-18).
Regarding claim 12, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 11, wherein the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) is a fused area (as depicted in Fig. 2e-2g).
Regarding claim 13, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first region (portion of 20 penetrating through 24) is greater than a thickness of the printed circuit board (10c as depicted in Fig. 2e-2g).
Regarding claim 14, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface (upper surface 20 in Fig. 2g) of the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) is disposed below an upper surface of the cover (10b as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 15, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 2, wherein a side surface (side surface of top portion of 20 in Fig. 2g) of the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) is spaced apart from an inner surface (inner surface of recessed groove of 10b having second hole 22) of the coupling groove (recessed groove of 10b having second hole 22; as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 16, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein the housing (10a) includes a side portion (side portion of 20 below 10c in Fig. 2f), a lower surface portion (lower surface of 10a in Fig. 2f) disposed at a bottom of the side portion (side portion of 20 below 10c), and an upper surface portion (portion of 20 supporting 10c in Fig 2f) disposed at an upper end of the side portion (side portion of 20 below 10c), and wherein the first region (portion of 20 penetrating through 24) protrudes upward from the upper surface of the upper surface portion (portion of 20 supporting 10c as depicted in Fig. 2e-2g).
Regarding claim 17, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b) has a hemispherical shape (as depicted in Fig. 2f).
Regarding claim 18, Jenkins discloses the electric equipment according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cover (10b) is disposed in the third region (portion of 20 disposed on 10b as depicted in Fig. 2g).
Regarding claim 19, Jenkins discloses (a structure that would follow steps of) a method for manufacturing an electric equipment comprising:
a housing (10a in Fig. 2e-2g) including a first coupling portion (20 in Fig. 2e-2g) protruded upward from an upper surface (inner surface of 10a in Fig. 2e-2g);
a printed circuit board (10c in Fig. 2e-2g) disposed at an upper portion of the housing (10a) and including a first hole (24 in Fig. 2e-2g); and
a cover (10b in Fig. 2e-2g) comprising a second coupling portion (coupling portion of 10b in Fig. 2e-2g) disposed at an upper portion of the printed circuit board (10c),
having a coupling groove (coupling groove of 10b having 22 in Fig. 2e-2g) formed on an upper surface (upper surface of 10b in Fig. 2e) and protruded upward from a bottom surface (bottom surface of coupling groove of 10b having 22 in Fig. 2e-2g) of the coupling groove (coupling groove of 10b having 22 as depicted in Fig. 2e-2g), and
a second hole (22 in Fig. 2e) penetrating a lower surface from the bottom surface (bottom surface of coupling groove of 10b having 22) of the coupling groove (coupling groove of 10b having 22),
wherein the method comprises the steps of:
(a) penetrating through the first hole (24) and the second hole (22) by the first coupling portion (20); and
(b) forming a protrusion (protrusion of 20 shown in Fig. 2f) inside the coupling groove (coupling groove of 10b having 22) by fusing the first coupling portion (20) with heat or laser (as depicted in Fig. 2f-2g; see Col. 1 ln. 54-60).
Regarding claim 22, Jenkins discloses the method for manufacturing an electric equipment according to claim 19, wherein a fusion area (of Fig. 2g) of the first coupling portion (20) surrounds the second coupling portion (coupling portion of 10b in Fig. 2g).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-21 and 23 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 20, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 19, a combination of limitations that “wherein a height of the first coupling portion protruded from the bottom surface of the coupling groove is the same as a height of the second coupling portion protruded from the bottom surface of the coupling groove”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 21, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 19, a combination of limitations that “wherein a height of the first coupling portion protruded from a bottom surface of the coupling groove is greater than a height of the second coupling portion protruded from a bottom surface of the coupling groove”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 19, a combination of limitations that “wherein a protruding height of the second coupling portion from a bottom surface of the coupling groove is less than 1/2 of a protruding height of the first coupling portion from the bottom surface of the coupling groove”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 5-6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Salvador US 8226871 Fig. 4-9 discloses protruding fasteners deformed to fasten.; Best US 20200053888 Fig. 2-4 discloses an electronic housing with a lid and circuit board fastener.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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