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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I (claims 9-15) and Group II (claim 16) in the reply filed on 02/12/2026 is acknowledged. The Election/Restrictions is not required after the amendment filed on 02/12/2026.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 02/12/2026 has been entered. Claims 9-16 remain pending in the application.
Election/Restrictions is not required after the amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 02/12/2026 have been fully considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 objected to because of the following informalities: “the housing parts” in lines 4-5. It appears that it should be “the first housing part and the second housing part”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 objected to because of the following informalities: “the fill level” in line 4. It appears that “the radar-based fill level”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 9-11, 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Orth et al. (US 7.550,826, hereafter Orth) in view of Kawashima et al .(US 11,162,828, hereafter Kawashima).
Regarding claim 9, Orth (‘826) discloses that A field device {title}, comprising:
a housing including a first housing part that forms a first interior, a second housing part that forms a second interior that adjoins the first interior { Fig.2 items 202 (housing), 210 (upper portion), 212 (lower portion); col.4 lines 31-32 (housing 202 includes an upper portion 210 and a lower portion 212.) ; Examiner’s note: Fig.2 shows interiors of each housing portion and “a second interior that adjoins the first interior”}, and
a connecting means that mechanically connects the first housing part to the second housing part { Fig.2 item 288 (fasteners); col.5 lines 19-20 (the fasteners 288 need not be threaded, and may include fasteners such as pins, drive screws)} ;
a first electronics module that is arranged rigidly in the first interior { Fig.2 item 262 (local operator interface board), 272 (standoffs); col.5 lines 3-5 (Local Operator Interface (LOI) board 262, access to field device elements); Examiner’s note: Fig.2 item 272 for “arranged rigidly” };
a second electronics module that is arranged in the second interior { Fig.2 item 292 (transmitter circuit card assembly), 294 (flexible circuit); col.5 lines 57-58 (a transmitter circuit card assembly (CCA) 292 via a flexible circuit 294) }
a transmission means that mechanically connects the second electronics module to the first electronics module and/or to the first housing part { Fig.2 items 262(Local Operator Interface (LOI) board), 270 (coupling board), 272 (standoffs), 274 (clamping ring), 292 (transmitter circuit card assembly), 294 (flexible circuit), 297 (connector); col.5 lines 1 (coupling board 270.), 3-4 (The Local Operator Interface (LOI) board 262 connects to the coupling board 270), 12 (standoffs 272, clamping ring 274), 57-58 (CCA 270 is coupled to a transmitter circuit card assembly (CCA) 292 via a flexible circuit 294), 60 (Connector 297 couples the other end of the flex circuit 294); Examiner’s note: Fig.2 items 262, 270, 272, 274, 292, 294, 297 for “transmission means that mechanically connects the second electronics module to the first electronics module and/or to the first housing part” } .
However, Orth (‘826) does not explicitly disclose (see words with underline) “a connecting means that mechanically connects the first housing part to the second housing part such that the housing parts are rotatable relative to one another by at least 90° about a common housing axis”, “a second electronics module that is arranged in the second interior so as to be rotatable about the housing axis”, and “a transmission means that mechanically connects the second electronics module to the first electronics module and/or to the first housing part so that the transmission means transmits a rotation about the housing axis of the first housing part relative to the second housing part to the second electronics module”. In the same field of endeavor, Kawashima (‘828) discloses that
a connecting means that mechanically connects the first housing part to the second housing part such that the housing parts are rotatable relative to one another by at least 90° about a common housing axis { Fig.5 item 102a-d; Fig.6 item 213a-d; col.9 lines 15-20 (In the example in FIG. 5, the sensor 20 of the sensor probe 100 includes one first connector 101 and four first holes 102a to 102d as the first connecting portion. In the example in FIG. 6, the casing 210 of the circuit housing 200 includes four second connectors 212a to 212d and four second holes 213a to 213d as the second connecting portion.), 45-52 (the sensor probe 100 and the circuit housing 200 can be connected via the first connector 101 and one of the four second connectors 212a to 212d at positions substantially 90° apart from one another around the connection axis B. In other words, the rotation positions that the circuit housing 200 can adopt when connecting to the sensor probe 100 include four rotation positions differing by substantially 90°.); Examiner’s note: items 102a-d and 213a-d for “a connecting means” };
a second electronics module that is arranged in the second interior so as to be rotatable about the housing axis { Fig.4 item 200 (circuit housing unit), 220 (circuit unit), 100 (sensor probe); Fig.5 item 101 (first connector); Fig.6 item 200 (circuit housing), 212a-d (second connectors); col.9 lines 19-20 (in FIG. 6, the casing 210 of the circuit housing 200 includes four second connectors 212a to 212d), 32-35 (The sensor 20 and the circuit portion 220 are electrically connected when the first connector 101 is connected to one of the four second connectors 212a to 212d. first connector 101)};
a transmission means that mechanically connects the second electronics module to the first electronics module and/or to the first housing part so that the transmission means transmits a rotation about the housing axis of the first housing part relative to the second housing part to the second electronics module { Fig.5 item 101 (first connector); Fig.6 item 212a-d (second connectors); col.9 lines 15-16 (in FIG. 5, the sensor 20 of the sensor probe 100 includes one first connector 101), 19-20 (in FIG. 6, the casing 210 of the circuit housing 200 includes four second connectors 212a to 212d), 32-35 (The sensor 20 and the circuit portion 220 are electrically connected when the first connector 101 is connected to one of the four second connectors 212a to 212d. first connector 101), 45-52 (the sensor probe 100 and the circuit housing 200 can be connected via the first connector 101 and one of the four second connectors 212a to 212d at positions substantially 90° apart from one another around the connection axis B. In other words, the rotation positions that the circuit housing 200 can adopt when connecting to the sensor probe 100 include four rotation positions differing by substantially 90°.); Examiner’s note: item 101 and 212a-d for “a transmission means” }.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Orth (‘826) with the teachings of Kawashima (‘828) {make two parts of a field device rotatable } to make two parts of a field device rotatable. Doing so would provide a flexible circuit housing about an axis along the direction of sensor probe so as to allowing a measurement apparatus having a display direction of a display to be selected regardless of the orientation of a sensor probe, as recognized by Kawashima (‘828) {col.1 lines 51-54 (The circuit housing is fixable at a plurality of rotation positions relative to the sensor probe about an axis along the insertion direction of the sensor probe.); col.2 lines 28-31 (provide a measurement apparatus allowing the display direction of the display to be selected regardless of the orientation of the sensor probe.)}.
Regarding claim 10, which depends on claim 9, the combination of Orth (‘826) and Kawashima (‘828) discloses that in the field device,
the second electronics module is arranged in the second interior so as to be non-displaceable in relation to the housing axis {see Orth (‘826) Fig.2 item 292 (transmitter circuit card assembly); col.5 lines 57-58 (a transmitter circuit card assembly (CCA) 292), 66 (The transmitter CCA292 is seated within a cup 298,)}.
Regarding claim 11, which depends on claims 9-10, Orth (‘826) discloses that in the field device,
the connecting means is a screw connection {Fig.2 item 288 (fasteners); col.5 lines 19-20 (the fasteners 288 need not be threaded, and may include fasteners such as pins, drive screws)}, and
.
However, Orth (‘826) does not explicitly disclose (see words with underline) “the transmission means is designed to be mechanically flexible in such a way that, in relation to the housing axis, a defined change in distance caused by a rotation at the screw connection of the second electronics module to the first electronics module or to the first housing part is compensated for”. In the same field of endeavor, Kawashima (‘828) discloses that
the transmission means is designed to be mechanically flexible in such a way that, in relation to the housing axis, a defined change in distance caused by a rotation at the screw connection of the second electronics module to the first electronics module or to the first housing part is compensated for {Fig.5 item 101 (first connector); Fig.6 item 212a-d (second connectors)}.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Orth (‘826) with the teachings of Kawashima (‘828) {make two parts of a field device rotatable} to make two parts of a field device rotatable. Doing so would provide a flexible circuit housing about an axis along the direction of sensor probe so as to allowing a measurement apparatus having a display direction of a display to be selected regardless of the orientation of a sensor probe, as recognized by Kawashima (‘828) {col.1 lines 51-54 (The circuit housing is fixable at a plurality of rotation positions relative to the sensor probe about an axis along the insertion direction of the sensor probe.); col.2 lines 28-31 (provide a measurement apparatus allowing the display direction of the display to be selected regardless of the orientation of the sensor probe.)}.
Regarding claim 14, which depends on claim 9, the combination of Orth (‘826) and Kawashima (‘828) discloses that in the field device,
the connecting means is designed as a screw connection, such that a screw axis runs congruently with the housing axis {see Orth (‘826) Fig.2 item 288 (fasteners) (see mark below); col.5 lines 19-20 (the fasteners 288 need not be threaded, and may include fasteners such as pins, drive screws)}.
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Regarding claim 15, which depends on claim 9, the combination of Orth (‘826) and Kawashima (‘828) discloses that in the field device,
the transmission means includes a separator arranged between the first electronics module and the second electronic module and the separator is made of an electrically insulating material {see Orth (‘826) Fig.2 item 270 (coupling board); col.5 line 1 (coupling board 270), 29-33 (Finally, the circuit card assembly (CCA or coupling board) 270 is preferably comprised of a multi-layered printed wiring board (PWB), the PWB is formed from an insulating material. )}.
Regarding claim 16, which depends on claim 9, as modified above, Orth (‘826) discloses that A method for assembling the field device {Fig.2} of claim 9 {see the rejection of claim 9}, the method comprising:
inserting the first electronics module into the first interior of the first housing part {Fig.2 item 262 (local operator interface board); col.5 line 3 (Local Operator Interface (LOI) board 262) };
inserting the second electronics module into the second interior of the second housing part { Fig.2 items 292 (transmitter circuit card assembly), 294 (flexible circuit); col.5 lines 57-58 (a transmitter circuit card assembly (CCA) 292 via a flexible circuit 294) };
electrically contacting the first electronics module with the second electronics module via an electrical connection {Fig.2 items 262 (local operator interface board ), 270 (coupling board), 292 (transmitter circuit card assembly), 294 (flexible circuit), 297 (Connector); col.5 lines 3-4 (The Local Operator Interface (LOI) board 262 connects to the coupling board 270), 57-58 (CCA 270 is coupled to a transmitter circuit card assembly (CCA) 292 via a flexible circuit 294 a flexible circuit 294), 60 (Connector 297 couples the other end of the flex circuit 294)}; and
fastening the first housing part to the second housing part via the connecting means {Fig.2 item 288 (fasteners); col.5 lines 19 (the fasteners 288)} so that the transmission means transmits a rotation about the common housing axis of the first housing part relative to the second housing part to the second electronics module { The claim limitations above are the same or substantially the same scope as the corresponding claim limitations in claim 9. Therefore the claim limitations above are rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as in claim 9. See the rejections of claim 9 }.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 9-10 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The closest prior art of record is represented by Orth (‘826), Kawashima (‘828), Gravel et al. (US 6,148,681, hereafter Gravel), Ohlsson et al. (US 2010/0231438A1, hereafter Ohlsson).
Regarding claim 12, which depends on claims 9-10, Orth (‘826) and Kawashima (‘828) do not disclose “an electrical plug contact that is arranged so as to be freely rotatable about the housing axis between the second housing part and a side of the second electronics module facing away from the first electronics module”. In the same field of endeavor, Gravel (‘681) discloses that the field device comprising:
an electrical plug contact that is arranged so as to be freely rotatable about the housing axis { Fig.2 item 98 (spring loaded pin); col.4 lines 66-67 (a spring loaded pin 98 adapted to contact a corresponding pin 97A); col.5 lines 1 (that connects to conductor 40.), 4 (Spring loaded pin 98), 6 (to provide electrical contact.), 15-17 (The Spring loaded pin 98 extends as the transmitter assembly is rotated to maintain electrical contact.) } .
However, Gravel (‘681) does not disclose (see words with underline)
an electrical plug contact that is arranged so as to be freely rotatable about the housing axis between the second housing part and a side of the second electronics module facing away from the first electronics module.
Ohlsson (‘438) does not teach the limitations, which Gravel (‘681) does not disclose, as well.
Claim 13 would be allowable by virtue of its dependency on claim 12.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONGHONG LI whose telephone number is (571)272-5946. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vladimir Magloire can be reached at (571)270-5144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YONGHONG LI/ Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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