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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. 120. The PCT Application Number PCT/JP2022/035484, being filed on September 22, 2022.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in present Application filed on March 19, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed March 19, 2024 have been submitted for consideration by the Office. It has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Applicants must continue to share prior art references throughout the patent application process. A supplemental IDS must be submitted if prior art is discovered through a foreign patent application or an International Patent Search, or a related application before a prosecution closes.
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 5 and 9 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 5, the limitation “a plurality of the finding members” is indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter.
The term “a plurality of the finding members” lacks antecedent basis because it was not introduced prior.
Therefore, claim 2 is indefinite. Proper clarification is required.
Rejection of claim 9, the limitations “wherein the support body is a tubular body, and the first fixing member is located in at least a part of a hollow portion of the tubular body” are indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter.
The limitation “wherein the support body is a tubular body, and the first fixing member is located in at least a part of a hollow portion of the tubular body” which shows figure 5; however, figure 5 does not show a second region extending continuously from the first region, and a fourth region adjacent to the second region of the first signal wiring conductor, and the first fixing member is located at a place other than the fourth region.
It is not possible to show in figure 5 wherein the first fixing member is located in at least a part of a hollow portion of the tubular body and a fourth region adjacent to the second region of the first signal wiring conductor. Note that this claim appears to be cancellated.
Therefore, claim 9 is indefinite. Proper clarification is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kazuyuki et al. (JP2005-158360 (cited reference), herein referred to as Kazuyuki) or Sakurai et al. (WO2008001641 (cited Reference), herein referred to as Sakurai).
Rejection of claims 1 and 12-13, Kazuyuki (paragraphs [0043]-[0052], fig. 1, 2) discloses a wiring board comprising: a base; a wiring conductor located on a surface of the base; a support body comprising a conductor on a surface of the support body; and a first fixing member connecting the wiring conductor and the support body, wherein the wiring conductor comprises a first signal wiring conductor comprising a first region confronting the support body and a second region extending continuously from the first region, the conductor of the support body comprises a third region confronting the first region of the first signal wiring conductor and a fourth region adjacent to the second region of the first signal wiring conductor, and the first fixing member is located at a place other than the fourth region. the following invention (claim 1); and an electronic component (claim 12). wherein the electronic component comprises a second signal wiring conductor connected to the support body comprised on the wiring board by a second fixing member, the second signal wiring conductor comprises a fifth region confronting the support body and a sixth region extending continuously from the fifth region, the conductor of the support body comprises a seventh region confronting the fifth region of the second signal wiring conductor and an eighth region adjacent to the sixth region of the second signal wiring conductor, and the second fixing member is located in a region other than the eighth region on a surface of the support body (claim 13)( Kazuyuki discloses "A connecting component 3 ("support body") between three-dimensional boards that connects a main board 7 ("base body") and a sub board 4 ("electronic component") on which another component 5 is mounted, wherein a conductor wire 2 ("conductor") is formed by plating, on a surface of an insulating material I molded in a square bar shape; the conductor wire 2 consists of conductor wires 21 and 22; the conductor wires 21 and 22 are passed through opposing side surfaces 13, 14 of the insulator 1 to establish conduction between upper surface electrodes 23, 24 ("seventh region") on a portion of an upper surface 11 and lower surface electrodes 25, 26 ("third region") on a portion of a lower surface 12; and the upper electrodes 23, 24 and lower electrodes 25, 26 are soldered to, respectively, a pad ("second signal wiring conductor", "fifth region") on the sub board 4 and a pad ("wiring conductor", "first region") of the main board 7." In this context, the "portions of the conductor wires 21 and 22 formed on the side surfaces 13, 14 of the insulating material I" in the invention correspond to the "fourth region" and "eighth region" of the invention as in claims 1 and 12-13. Further, in light of the fact that the "lower surface electrodes 25, 26" of the invention correspond to the "third region" of the invention as in claim 1 and hence correspond to a region other than the "fourth region", and that said "lower surface electrodes 25, 26" are affixed by soldering to a pad ("first region") of the main board 7, the "solder" of the invention corresponds to the "first fixing member" of the invention as in claim 1. Similarly, in light of the fact that the "upper surface electrodes 23, 24" of the invention correspond to the "seventh region" of the invention as in claim 1 and hence correspond to a region other than the "eighth region", and that said "upper surface electrodes 23, 24" are affixed by soldering to a pad ("fifth region") of the sub board 4, the "solder" of the invention corresponds to the "second fixing member" of the invention
as in claims 1 and 12-13).
Kazuyuki differs from the invention disclosed as follows, the wiring conductor has a second region continuously extending from the first region, and the second signal wiring conductor has a sixth region continuously extending from the fifth region,
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art could easily conceive of forming a pattern extending from the pad; thus, a person skilled in the art could easily conceive of forming a pattern portion ("second region") extending from the pad on the surface of the main board 7 to electrically connect other component or parts of the board to transfer signal, power, or ground , and forming a pattern portion ("sixth region") extending from the pad on the surface of the sub board 4. In such case, forming the patterns such that the portions of the conductor wires 21 and 22 formed on the side surfaces 13, 14 of the insulating material 1 are adjacent to each other is merely a design matter that could be selected, as appropriate, by a person skilled in the art when carrying out the invention. It has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Rejection of claims 1 and 12-13, Sakurai (paragraphs [0013]-[0017], [0019]-[0038], fig. 1, 3) discloses a wiring board comprising: a base; a wiring conductor located on a surface of the base; a support body comprising a conductor on a surface of the support body; and a first fixing member connecting the wiring conductor and the support body, wherein the wiring conductor comprises a first signal wiring conductor comprising a first region confronting the support body and a second region extending continuously from the first region, the conductor of the support body comprises a third region confronting the first region of the first signal wiring conductor and a fourth region adjacent to the second region of the first signal wiring conductor, and the first fixing member is located at a place other than the fourth region. the following invention (claim 1); and an electronic component (claim 12). wherein the electronic component comprises a second signal wiring conductor connected to the support body comprised on the wiring board by a second fixing member, the second signal wiring conductor comprises a fifth region confronting the support body and a sixth region extending continuously from the fifth region, the conductor of the support body comprises a seventh region confronting the fifth region of the second signal wiring conductor and an eighth region adjacent to the sixth region of the second signal wiring conductor, and the second fixing member is located in a region other than the eighth region on a surface of the support body (claim 13) ( Sakurai discloses "An electronic circuit mounted structure 100 wherein a first circuit board 101 on which a circuit component 104 ("electronic component") is mounted and a second circuit board 102 on which a circuit component 107 ("electronic component") is mounted are disposed facing each other with a relay substrate 1 ("support body") therebetween, wherein: the relay substrate 1 comprises a housing 10 having a protrusion 11 provided on an outer side face, and a plurality of connecting terminal electrodes 12 ("conductors") connecting the top and bottom faces of the housing 10; each connecting terminal electrode 12 consists of a top face terminal electrode 12a ("seventh region"), connecting terminal electrode 12c ("fourth region", "eighth region"), and bottom face terminal electrode 12b ("third region") respectively formed on the top face, inner side face, and bottom face of the housing 10; connecting terminals ("first region") between the bottom face terminal electrodes 12b provided to the relay substrate 1 and a predetermined wiring pattern 105 ("first signal wiring conductor", "second region") provided on the first circuit board 101, and connecting terminals ("fifth region") between the top face terminal electrodes 12a provided to the relay substrate 1 and a predetermined wiring pattern 106 ("second signal wiring conductor", "sixth region") provided on the second circuit board 102 are connected by soldering or the like; and the first circuit board 101, second circuit board 102, and relay substrate 1 are bonded and fixed at a gap between the first circuit board 101 and second circuit board 102, using an adhesive resin 103 provided on a peripheral portion between protrusions 11 that includes a side 108 of the second circuit board 102 and a peripheral portion between protrusions 11 that includes a side 109.")
Sakurai differs from the invention disclosed as follows, the first fixing member and second fixing member connect the wiring conductor and support body.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art disposing the adhesive resin 103 that fixes the first circuit board 101 and relay substrate 1 so as to contact the predetermined wiring pattern 105 ("second region") extending from the connecting terminals ("first region") of the first circuit board 101, and connecting the wiring pattern 105 and relay substrate 1 by means of the adhesive resin 103, is merely a design matter that could be addressed, as appropriate, by a person skilled in the art when carrying out the invention. The same applies with regard to the second circuit board 102; It has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Rejection of claim 2, Sakurai or Kazuyuki discloses the wiring board according to claim 1, but fail to disclose wherein a width of the fourth region is equal to or greater than 1/3 of a width of the second region of the first signal wiring conductor.
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art to decide the widths of the connecting terminal electrodes 12c is merely a design matter that could be selected, as appropriate, by a person skilled in the art when carrying out the invention; thus, in the invention disclosed in Sakurai, a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent art in the present case, all of which disclose various wire harness bracket assemblies.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6-8, 10 are 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.
Communication
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847