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, corresponding to claims 16-28 and 31-35 in the reply filed on 06/22/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that unity of invention is present between all of the claims, and that all of the claims are linked so as to form a single general inventive concept. This argument is persuasive, and the requirement has been withdrawn.
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 27 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. In regard to claim 27, it is unclear what “it” is referring to in line 2. For the purposes of examination, “it” is interpreted as “the contact bodies”.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 16-26 and 28-35 are allowable. In regard to claim16, in combination with other limitations, the contact bodies being arranged at least partially within an electrically conductive, plastically deformable layer, wherein a hardness of the plastically deformable layer is less than a hardness of the contact bodies, wherein, by applying a compressive force to the contact bodies, the contact bodies can be pressed into the plastically deformable layer and brought to a substantially uniform height level, and wherein the plastically deformable layer is arranged at least partially within an insulation layer is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
In regard to claim 29, in combination with other limitations, carrying out a polishing step of the electrically conductive material with a stop on the insulation layer, and removing the insulation layer is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
In regard to claim 30, in combination with other limitations, the contact bodies being arranged at least partially within an electrically conductive, plastically deformable layer, wherein a hardness of the plastically deformable layer is less than a hardness of the contact bodies, wherein by applying a compressive force to the contact bodies, the contact bodies can be pressed into the plastically deformable layer and brought to a substantially uniform height level, and wherein the plastically deformable layer is arranged at least partially within an insulation layer, wherein the method comprises: applying a compressive force to the contact bodies; and pressing the contact bodies into the plastically deformable layer of the contact element to a uniform height level of the contact bodies is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
Claim 27 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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. Sakai et al. [US 2011/0147177] and Morstein et al. [US 2026/0237570] disclose similar contact elements.
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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