DETAILED ACTION
The response filed on August 21, 2026 is being examined.
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.
Claims 21-22 and 7-8 are 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.
Rejection of claim 21, the limitation “the third printed circuit board includes electrically conductive elements in the form of push buttons which are configured to be press fitted into recesses in the first and second printed boards, and wherein the recesses include electrically conductive dishes configured to hold the push buttons.” is indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter.
Additionally, it is not clear that each or many or all electrically conductive elements in the form of push buttons press fitted into each or many or all recesses in the first and each or many or all recesses in the second printed board.
And dishes come in variety of shapes, however specification limited to specific shape, therefore, claim requires proper clarification.
A push button is an electronic object that you control by pushing buttons, for example on or off electrical connection by pressing a button.
However, it appears that claim is claiming mainly detachable press fitted connection and fails to clarify structure in specification and claim that provide push button capability.
And if a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board are already mechanically and electrically connected (therefore, already pressed fit) to one another by a third printed circuit board so how the third printed circuit board includes electrically conductive elements in the form of push buttons which are configured (are capable to) be press fitted into recesses in the first and second printed boards, and how come the recesses include electrically conductive dishes configured to (is capable to) hold the push buttons. It appears that inappropriate use of configured to language.
Therefore, proper clarification is required.
Rejection of claim 8, the limitation “ the third printed circuit board has a first or a second push button elements at each of the two ends thereof” is indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter.
A term “a first or a second push button elements” lack antecedent basis or unclear.
It is not clear what are “electrically conductive elements in the form of push buttons” in claim 21 and “a first or a second push button elements” in claim 8. Are these terms same or related to each other or different from each other. Proper clarification is required.
Furthermore, a first push button elements at each of the two ends thereof or a second push button elements at each of the two ends thereof, please clarify how. It appears that a first push button elements at only one of the two ends of the third circuit board; and a second push button elements at only other of the two ends of the third circuit board. Please clarify.
Appropriate correction is required.
Rejection of claims 22, 7-8, claims 1, 7-8 are rejected for the same reason applied to the rejection of claim 21 above.
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-AlA) 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.
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.
Note: Rejection under USC 103 is given to advance prosecution; however proper clarification is required under rejection of USC 112 above to consider the rejection under USC 103 below.
Claims 21-22 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon et al. (US20100112833, herin referred to as Jeon) or Ju et al. (US20230180387, herin referred to as Hirohisa) in view of Seo et al. (US20180013251, herein referred to as Seo) or Glovatsky et al. (US5938455, herein referred to as Glovatsky).
Rejection of claim 21, Jeon (see figure 6-19 of Jeon) or Ju (see figure 7 of Ju) discloses a printed board unit, comprising
a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board arranged side-by-side relative to one another, and mechanically and electrically connected to one another by a third printed circuit board (see adjacent PCB 17 and 18 connected to bridge PC. figures 6-7 and specification of jeon; or see adjacent PCB 730 and 740 connected by 710 or 720 figure 7 of Ju ),
wherein the third printed circuit board includes electrically conductive elements in the form of push buttons which are (see press fitted conductive elements of Bridge PCB connect to conductive in holes of PCB 17 and 18 OF Jeon; or see press fitted conductive elements of Bridge PCB 710 or 720 connect to conductive elements in of PCB 730 and 740 OF Jeon), and
Jeon or Ju fails to disclose the recesses include electrically conductive dishes
Seo or Glovatsky discloses the recesses include electrically conductive dishes (see figure 6-7 of Seo wherein electrically conductive dishes hold the push buttons; or see 34 and 36 in figures 1-6 of Glovatsky) .
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the printed circuit board unit of Jeon or Ju to have connection arrangement as taught by Seo or Glovatsky into the first and second circuit boards and bridge circuit board of Jeon or Ju to electrically connect to each other to communicate with each other or transfer signal, power, or ground to first and second circuit boards as well as electronic devices mounted on the boards as well make compact circuit board unit useful in high density environment.
Rejection of claim 22, Jeon or Ju in view of Seo or Glovatsky disclose the printed circuit board unit according to claim 20, wherein the electrically conductive dishes are U-shaped in cross section (see figures of Seo or Glovatsky) .
Additionally, , it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Jeon or Ju in view of Seo or Glovatsky discloses by having the embossed area with slight different type of configurations is one of numerous configurations a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious for the purpose of providing mating surfaces between two adjacent parts. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976).
Rejection of claim 7, Jeon or Ju in view of Seo or Glovatsky disclose the printed circuit board unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second printed circuit boards are in the form of planar printed circuit boards, in the form of 3D printed circuit boards, produced in an injection-molding process, or in the form of 3D mechatronic integrated device printed circuit boards (see boards as explained in the rejection of claim 21 above, also , the product is what it is not how it is made by different methods such as 3D printing, injection molding, plating, coating….etc; therefore, methods do not get any patentable weight) .
Rejection of claim 8, Jeon or Ju in view of Seo or Glovatsky disclose the printed circuit board unit according to claim 1, the third printed circuit board has a first or a second push button elements at each of the two ends thereof (see boards as explained in the rejection of claim 21 above)
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent arts in the present case, all of which disclose various boards to board interconnects assemblies.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments are not considered because it is based on new claims; and/or Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PARESH PAGHADAL whose telephone number is (571)272-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:00PM, Monday - Thursday.
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
