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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/17/2024 and 11/27/2024 was filed on and after the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soave et al. US 11,236,818 in view of Blossfeld et al. US 8,627,564.
Regarding claim 1, Soave discloses an actuator for a vehicle driveline component, comprising: a housing (fig. 1; 12, 14, 16) including first (12) and second housing portions (16), the housing (12, 14, 16) providing an electrical connector (fig. 1; 35 and indention in 16 that corresponds to 35); a motor (fig. 1; 104, 106) configured to move an output shaft (fig. 1; 80, 90) between first (figs. 2-3) and second positions (figs. 4-5), the motor (104, 106) and the output shaft (80, 90) arranged in the housing (12, 14, 16); a gear train (fig. 1; 98) arranged in the housing (12, 14, 16), the gear train (98) coupling the motor (104, 106) to the output shaft (80, 90); and a printed circuit board (PCB) (fig. 1; 30) electrically connected to the electrical connector (35) and the motor (108 which is connected to 104 and 106, is configured to signal to the PCB what state 104 and 80 are in), the PCB (30) retained in a desired location (location of 30 once assembled to 12, 14, 16).
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Soave does not disclose the PCB retained by a clamping force exerted on the PCB by the first and second housing portions [claim 1]; the PCB includes apertures, and the first housing portion includes locating features extending into and cooperating with the apertures to provide the desired location, the first housing portion engaging one side of the PCB, and the second housing portion engaging another side of the PCB opposite the one side [claim 2].
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Blossfeld teaches the PCB (fig. 3; 18) retained by a clamping force (fig. 3; force between 12 and 26) exerted on the PCB (18) by the first (12) and second housing portions (26); the PCB (18) includes apertures (fig. 1; 36), and the first housing portion (12) includes locating features (fig. 3; 38, 30) extending into and cooperating with the apertures (36) to provide the desired location (fig. 3; location of 18), the first housing portion (12) engaging one side (top) of the PCB (18), and the second housing portion (26) engaging another side (bottom) of the PCB (18) opposite the one side (top).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the PCB retained by a clamping force exerted on the PCB by the first and second housing portions and the PCB including apertures, and the first housing portion includes locating features extending into and cooperating with the apertures to provide the desired location, the first housing portion engaging one side of the PCB, and the second housing portion engaging another side of the PCB opposite the one side as suggested by Blossfled for the benefit of providing improved stability of a PCB once loaded into a mechanical housing.
Regarding claim 7, Soave disclose all of the claim limitations except wherein conductive pins extend from the first housing portion, the conductive pins are in electrical communication with the electrical connector, and the conductive pins extend through the PCB and are electrically connected thereto.
However, Blossfeld teaches conductive pins (fig. 3; 24) extend from the first housing portion (12), the conductive pins (24) are in electrical communication with the electrical connector (fig. 3; 82), and the conductive pins (24) extend through the PCB (18) and are electrically connected thereto.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate conductive pins extend from the first housing portion, the conductive pins are in electrical communication with the electrical connector, and the conductive pins extend through the PCB and are electrically connected thereto as suggested by Blossfled for the benefit of optimizing the mating interface of the first housing in order to improve an electrical connection between a mating connector and the PCB.
Regarding claim 12, Soave modified by Blossfeld has been discussed above. Soave discloses a plate (fig. 1; 109) secured to the first housing portion (12; see Col 10 Ln 21-26), the plate (109) locating the gear train (98), and the PCB (30) spaced apart from and in non-engagement with the plate (109), the output shaft (80, 90) includes a first position sensing element (fig. 1; 108), and the PCB (30) has a second position sensing element (Col 9 Ln 49-51; sensor on PCB 30), the desired location (location of 30 once assembled to 12, 14, 16) corresponding to a desired alignment (alignment between 108 and 30) between the first (108) and second position sensing elements (sensor on PCB).
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soave et al. US 11,236,818 and Blossfeld et al. US 8,627,564 as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of CN 115548726.
Soave and Blossfled disclose all of the claimed limitations except wherein the apertures include at least one notch located at a perimeter of the PCB, and the locating features includes at least one boss.
However, CN ‘726 teaches the apertures (fig. 4; 21) include at least one notch (21 are notches) located at a perimeter of the PCB (fig. 4; 2), and the locating features (fig. 4; 12) includes at least one boss (outside perimeter of 12 is configured as a boss to fit inside of 21).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the apertures including at least one notch located at a perimeter of the PCB, and the locating features includes at least one boss as suggested by CN ‘726 for the benefit of providing addition ways to improve the process of guiding the PCB into the housing.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soave et al. US 11,236,818 and Blossfeld et al. US 8,627,564 as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Ho US 10,420,245.
Soave discloses all of the claim limitations except wherein the apertures includes at least one hole, and the locating features incudes at least one standoff having a first width portion and a second width portion, the second width portion is smaller than the first width portion in an unmelted state to form a shoulder that engages the one side of the PCB, wherein the second width portion is disposed in the at least one hole.
However, Blossfled teaches the apertures (36) includes at least one hole (one 36), and the locating features (38) incudes at least one standoff (38 is a standoff from the top wall of 12) having a first width portion (width of 38) and a second width portion (fig. 3; width of 44), the second width portion (width of 44) is smaller than the first width portion (width of 38) in an unmelted state (38 nor 44 are melted) to form a shoulder (section of 44 that abuts 18) that engages the one side (top) of the PCB (18).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the apertures includes at least one hole, and the locating features incudes at least one standoff having a first width portion and a second width portion, the second width portion is smaller than the first width portion in an unmelted state to form a shoulder that engages the one side of the PCB, wherein the second width portion is disposed in the at least one hole as suggested by Blossfled for the benefit of providing improved alignment between a PCB and housing.
Furthermore, Soave modified by Blossfeld still does not disclose the second width portion is disposed in the at least one hole.
However, Ho teaches the second width portion (fig. 5; 102) is disposed in the at least one hole (fig. 5; hole of 12).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the second width portion being disposed in the at least one hole as suggested by Ho for the benefit of further providing improved stability of internal parts of a housing/casing once everything is assembled together.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-16 are allowed.
Claims 3-6, 10 and 11 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 13, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest the exact method steps of b) installing a gear train into the first housing portion, the gear train coupling the motor to an output shaft; c) locating a printed circuit board (PCB) at a desired location on the first housing portion; and d) securing a second housing portion to the first housing portion to enclose the motor, the gear train and the PCB, wherein the securing step creates a clamping force on the PCB that retains the PCB in the desired location relative to the first and second housing portions combined with the remaining limitations of the base claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 3, the prior art of record fails to, disclose, teach, provide or suggest the PCB is retained in the desired location against movement in X-, Y- and Z-directions with melted weld material from the locating features in a melted state, wherein the clamping force is maintained in the melted state and 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 6, the prior art of record fails to, disclose, teach, provide or suggest the PCB is retained in the desired location against movement in X- and Y-directions with melted weld material from the locating features that expands outward to the PCB filling any gaps and 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 10, the prior art of record fails to, disclose, teach, provide or suggest the PCB has a thickness extending a first height, and the second width portion has a second height greater than the first height in an unmelted state, the second width portion in engagement with the second housing portion in the unmelted state and the melted state, the second width portion wider in the melted state to fill the at least one hole more than in the unmelted state and 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 11, the prior art of record fails to, disclose, teach, provide or suggest the second housing portion includes a protrusion extending to engage the PCB on the one side, and the second housing portion includes a cavity adjoining the protrusion, the cavity arranged over an electronic component on the PCB that extends into the cavity and would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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