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 § 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.
Claim 14 is 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.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the receiving part" in the first line of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 - 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pascal et al (DE 102016113985).
With regards to claims 1, 17, 19 and 20, Pascal teaches a press comprising:
A thermos-compression chamber (Figure 1 item 2)
A device to produce multi-layer circuit boards (paragraph 1) comprising:
A heating plate (Figure 1 item 7)
A multi-part tool with a tool lower part (Figure 1 items 4 and 10) and a tool upper part (Figure 1 item 6), where during normal use of the multi-part tool, at least two functional layers and at least one insulation layer of a multi-layer circuit board to be produced are adapted to be arranged between the tool lower part and the tool upper part (Figure 3 items 17 and 19), a side of the tool lower part facing away from the tool upper part is positioned against the heating plate (as seen in Figure 1 items 4 and 7)
At least one measurement value sensor provided between the tool upper part and the tool lower part and is adapted to be placed against at least one functional layer and/or insulation layer of the multi-layer circuit board to be produced (paragraphs 11, 19 and 20)
A tool logic module (paragraph 12)
A measurement value transmission module with a receiver and with a transmitter cooperating with the receiver, the tool logic module being held on the tool and is arranged for reception of measurement values from the measurement value sensor, the transmitter being arranged for wireless forwarding of the measurement values and/or data obtained therefrom to the receiver of the measurement value transmission module (paragraph 13)
A data line running from the transmitting unit of the measurement value transmission module to a superordinate production control device (Figure 5 item 23)
Where the transmitter is arranged for onward transmission of the measurement values received by the receiver and/or of the data obtained therefrom to the superordinate production control device via the data line (as seen in Figure 5).
Where the tool upper part, the tool lower part, the tool logic module, the measurement value sensor and the receiver are configured to be disposed in the thermos-compression chamber (as seen in Figure 1 items 2, 4, 6 and 14)
With regards to claim 2, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that a signal line is provided in order to transmit the measurement values of the measurement value sensor to the tool logic module (Figure 1 items 11 and 13).
With regards to claim 3, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that a pressure sensor and/or temperature sensor and/or moisture sensor are provided as the measurement value sensor (paragraph 19).
With regards to claim 4, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that a thermos-wire is provided which at the same time forms the temperature sensor and the signal line (paragraph 20).
With regards to claims 5 and 13, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that a lower side of the tool lower part is placed against the heating plate (paragraph 26).
With regards to claims 6 and 15, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the tool logic module is fixed to the tool lower part (Figure 2 item 13).
With regards to claim 7, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the receiving unit of the measurement value transmission module is fixedly allocated to the heating plate and/or mounted on the heating plate (Figure 2 item 11).
With regards to claim 8, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the tool logic module provides a housing, in which a module receiver for reception of the measurement values is arranged and/or a processor for aggregating and/or post-processing of the measurement values is arranged and/or the transmitter is arranged, where an inlet opening and an outlet opening for cooling fluid are formed on the housing, and where the housing forms a fluid duct for the cooling fluid or surrounds such a duct (Figure 2 item 13).
With regards to claim 9, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the measurement value transmission module provides a support body, and where the support body is fixedly allocated to and/or mounted on the heating plate (Figure 2 item 11).
With regards to claim 10, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the fluid lines for cooling fluid are run to the support body of the measurement value transmission module, and where elastic connection sleeves are provided between the support body and the housing of the tool logic module, which connection sleeves connect the fluid lines to the inlet opening and the outlet opening (paragraphs 22 and 24).
With regards to claim 11, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the receiver of the measurement value transmission module is fixed to the support body (Figure 2 item 11).
With regards to claim 12, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the device is part of a multi-platen heat press for the production of multi-layer circuit boards by lamination (Abstract, paragraph 1).
With regards to claim 14, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the receiving part is permanently mounted on the heating plate (Figure 1 item 8).
With regards to claim 16, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the receiver and the transmitter are disposed physically separate from each other (Figure 1 items 11 and 13).
With regards to claim 18, the teachings of Pascal are presented above. Additionally, Pascal teaches that the transmitter is configured to be disposed outside of the thermos-compression chamber (Figure 1 item 13).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 9, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to the rejection of claims 5 – 7 and 10 under 35 USC 112(b), due to the Applicant’s amendment the rejection has been withdrawn. Yet, the newly added claim 14 has been rejected under 35 USC 112(b) because there is no mention of a receiving part in claim 1.
With regards to the rejection of claims 1 – 12 under 35 USC 102(a)(1), the Applicant argues that the prior art made of record does not teach or suggest a heating plate and that a side of the tool lower part facing away from the tool upper part is positioned against the heating plate. The Examiner respectfully disagrees. First Pascal discloses that the multitool has multiple heating plates (Figure 1 item 7), where each pressing module (Figure 1 item 8) has a heating plate in its lower part. It can be seen that the lower tool part (Figure 1 items 4 and 10) is in direct contact with one of the heating plates. For the same reason as to why claims 1 – 12 are not allowable can be stated that claims 13 – 20 are not allowable as well.
Conclusion
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 JOSHEL RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)270-7655. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm - 8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at (571) 270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHEL RIVERA/Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746