DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s Election dated 07/02/2026.
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
Claims 4-5 and 7-8 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 07/02/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-3 and in the reply filed on 07/02/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hu et al [CN-109148397].
► With respect to claim 1,Hu et al (figs 1/2B semiconductor device fig 1 using heat dissipation member 40 of fig 2B, whole text document) discloses the claimed heat dissipation member provided between a first member 30 and a second member (20) in a first direction (z) and compressed by the first member and the second member to conduct heat between the first member and the second member, the heat dissipation member comprising:
thermally conductive members (44) each having one end portion provided at one end (44A) in the first direction and thermally connected to the first member and an other end portion (44B) provided at an other end in the first direction and thermally connected to the second member, the heat conductive members being arranged side by side in a second direction (x) perpendicular to the first direction and conducting heat between the one end portion and the other end portion, wherein each of the thermally conductive members has a curved shape which is bent or curved in a cross section taken along the first direction and the second direction.
► With respect to claim 3, Duan et al discloses wherein the thermally conductive members include graphite.
► With respect to claim 6, Hu et al (figs 1/2B semiconductor device fig 1 using heat dissipation member 40 of fig 2B, whole text document) discloses the claimed semiconductor device comprising:
a first member including a semiconductor element (20) and generating heat;
a second member (30) arranged in a first direction with respect to the first member;
a heat dissipation member (40) provided between the first member and the second member and compressed by the first member and the second member, wherein the heat dissipation member has thermally conductive members (44) each having one end portion (44a) provided on one side which faces the first member in the first direction and thermally connected to the first member and an other end portion (44b) which faces away from the first member in the first direction and thermally connected to the second member, the thermally conductive members are arranged side by side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and conduct heat between the one end portion and the other end portion, and each of the thermally conductive members has a curved shape which is bent or curved in a cross section taken along the first direction and the second direction.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu et al [CN-109148397] in view Duan et al [CN-117059587]
► With respect to claim 2, Hu et al substantially discloses the claim heat dissipation member wherein each of the thermally conductive members having the curved shape but does not expressly teaches the curved shape is a shape that is bent to be convex to one side or an other side in the second direction at an intermediate position away from the one end portion and the other end portion within a range between the one end portion and the other end portion in the first direction.
However, Duan et al (fig 4, whole document) teaches the curved shape being bent to be convex to one side or an other side in the second direction at an intermediate position away from the one end portion and the other end portion within a range between the one end portion and the other end portion in the first direction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for those skilled in the art to modify the heat dissipation member of Hu et al by using the curved shape as being claimed, per taught by Duan et al, to provide a good heat dissipation member with excellent compressible characteristics for excellent flexibility and thermal conductivity.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANHHA S PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/THANHHA S PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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