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 .
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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by IHARA et al. (US 2011/0058347).
Regarding claim 1 IHARA discloses:
An assembly sheet comprising:
a wiring circuit board (e.g. SR FIG.5) having a support layer (e.g. 10 FIG.2a), an insulating layer (e.g. 11 FIG.2a) disposed on one surface of the support layer in a thickness direction, and a conductive pattern (e.g. 25 FIG.2a) disposed on one surface of the insulating layer in the thickness direction;
a frame (e.g. CR FIG.5, 10 FIG.2) supporting the wiring circuit board and having a through hole (e.g. 26 FIG.2b, H3 FIG.5); and
a reinforcement portion (e.g. 11 FIG.2b) disposed on the edge of the through hole and reinforcing the edge of the through hole (e.g. shown Fig.2b).
Regarding claim 2 IHARA discloses:
the frame is made of a metal foil having a thickness of 50 μm (e.g. described paragraph [0068]) or less and a thickness of the reinforcement portion is 6 μm or more (e.g. described paragraph [0073]).
Regarding claim 3 IHARA discloses:
when a thickness of the frame is 100%, the thickness of the reinforcement portion is 50% or more (e.g. as provided by the dimensions recited paragraphs [0068], [0073]).
Regarding claim 4 IHARA discloses:
the reinforcement portion has a second through hole communicating with the through hole (e.g. shown FIG.1), and an inner surface of the second through hole is flush with the inner surface of the through hole (e.g. they share the surface of 10/11 FIG.2b).
Regarding claim 5 IHARA discloses:
the through hole is capable of receiving an instrument for suspending the assembly sheet (e.g. supported by 51 FIG.7).
Regarding claim 6 IHARA discloses:
the assembly sheet according to claim 1, comprising:
a patterning step of forming an insulating layer and a conductive pattern on one surface of a metal foil drawn from a first roll as a roll of the metal foil (e.g. indicated by the structure shown FIG.2), forming a reinforcement portion on one surface of the metal foil, and forming a through hole in the metal foil to produce a second roll having the plurality of assembly sheets (e.g. indicated by the structure shown FIG.2); and
a cutting step of cutting each of the plurality of assembly sheets from the second roll, wherein the through hole receives an instrument for suspending the cut assembly sheet (e.g. from FIG.4 to FIG.1).
(please note that claim 6 depends from claim 1 and that claim 1 is an apparatus claim, and therefor both claims 6 and 7 are regarded as functional claims of an apparatus. A claim term is functional when it recites a feature “by what it does rather than by what it is” (e.g., as evidenced by its specific structure or specific ingredients). In re Swinehart, 439 F.2d 210, 212, 169 USPQ 226, 229 (CCPA 1971) (MPEP2173.05(g), (MPEP2114). "Functional" terminology may render a claim quite broad. By its own literal terms a claim employing such language covers any and all embodiments which perform the recited function, and so insofar as claims 6 and 7 further limit and refine the limitations of the apparatus of claim 1 IHARA is read to disclose such structural characteristics for the reasons noted in the rejection above and shown in the prior art (MPEP 2114(II))
Regarding claim 7 IHARA discloses:
a plating step of plating a terminal of the conductive pattern (e.g. plating shown FIG.2a), wherein the through hole receives the instrument in the plating step (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.7).
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 structures 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.
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.
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/THERON S MILLISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841