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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 20, line 2, please, change “a field device” to - - the field device- -for proper reading.
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.
Claim(s) 11-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Braden et al. (U.S. 2009/0045498) in view of Okuaki (U.S. Patent 4,814,943), and further in view of Cheung (U.S. 2005/0189621).
As to claim 11, Braden discloses a circuit board (370, para-0033) for a field device of automation technology (sensor package) as shown in figures 1A-1B comprising:
a plurality of electronic components (110, 120, 155) and a container (180) having a peripheral side wall (not label, see figure 1B) defining an outer contour of the container (180),
a potting compound cover (the top side of the lid 180) adjoining the side wall,
wherein container (180) is set over at least a part of the plurality of electronic components (110, 120, 155) and filled with a potting compound (150, 160) in such a manner that electronic components (110, 120, 155) covered by potting compound (150, 160) have a predetermined, or defined, minimum covering,
wherein the container (180) is, however, not completely filled with potting compound (150, 160) and wherein in the potting compound (150, 160, para-0030) cover in an edge region, which borders a transition from the side wall to the potting compound (160, 150) cover, at least one gap (the space) is present, which extends at least over a convex edge region (see figure 1B) of the outer contour.
Braden does not specifically the container made from plastic or potting compound.
Okuaki teaches a printed circuit devices as shown in figure 2 comprising the container (28) made from plastic or potting compound material (column 3, lines 3-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Okuaki employed in the circuit board of Braden in order to protect the components mounted on the PCB from moisture or impurities.
Braden as modified by Okuaki does not disclose the potting compound cover having an opening at the cover far side.
Cheung teaches hermetically packaging wafer level microscopic structures as shown in figures 7A-7B comprising the capping layer (the container, 34) having a cover (38) comprised an opening (40).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Cheung employed in the circuit board of Braden and Okuaki in order to provide ventilation structure and inject the potting compound material into the components.
As to claim 20, Braden discloses a field device (sensor package) of automation technology, including a circuit board (370, para-0033) for [[a]] the field device of automation technology (sensor package) as shown in figures 1A-1B comprising:
a plurality of electronic components (110, 120, 155) and a container (180) having a peripheral side wall (not label, see figure 1B) defining an outer contour of the container (180),
a potting compound cover (the top side of the lid 180) adjoining the side wall,
wherein container (180) is set over at least a part of the plurality of electronic components (110, 120, 155) and filled with a potting compound (150, 160) in such a manner that electronic components (110, 120, 155) covered by potting compound (150, 160) have a predetermined, or defined, minimum covering,
wherein the container (180) is, however, not completely filled with potting compound (150, 160) and wherein in the potting compound (150, 160, para-0030) cover in an edge region, which borders a transition from the side wall to the potting compound (160, 150) cover, at least one gap (the space) is present, which extends at least over a convex edge region (see figure 1B) of the outer contour.
Braden does not specifically the container made from plastic or potting compound.
Okuaki teaches a printed circuit devices as shown in figure 2 comprising the container (28) made from plastic or potting compound material (column 3, lines 3-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Okuaki employed in the circuit board of Braden in order to protect the components mounted on the PCB from moisture or impurities.
Braden as modified by Okuaki does not disclose the potting compound cover having an opening at the cover far side.
Cheung teaches hermetically packaging wafer level microscopic structures as shown in figures 7A-7B comprising the capping layer (the container, 34) having a cover (38) comprised an opening (40).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Cheung employed in the circuit board of Braden and Okuaki in order to provide ventilation structure and inject the potting compound material into the components.
Regarding claims 12-13, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for a breadth of the at least one gap is such that the at least one gap has a minimum gap breadth of at least 0.5mm or a maximum gap breadth of no more than 6mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have a minimum or maximum of the gap breadth/width from 0.5mm to 6mm as taught by Braden, Okuaki, and Cheung in order to provide sufficient space/gap to reduce heat from the components mounted on the PCB, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 14, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses a length of the at least one gap (the space) is such that the at least one gap extends at least over a convex edge region of the outer contour, see figure 1B.
Regarding claim 15, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses the potting compound container (28 of Okuaki) has in the potting compound cover a plurality of gaps (the space in Braden) located, in each case, in the edge region.
Regarding claim 16, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses the number of gaps in the edge region of the potting compound cover (38 of Cheung) is such that they extend completely along the outer contour and are only interrupted by at least one land (the land formed between the openings 40).
Regarding claim 17, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the at least one land has a minimum width of at least 5mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the at least one land has a minimum width of at least 5mm as taught by Braden, Okuaki, and Cheung in order to provide sufficient space/gap to reduce heat from the components mounted on the PCB, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 18, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung discloses the one or more gaps are formed by an injection molding method, para-0004+, a blanking method, a milling method or a laser cutting method.
Regarding claim 19, Braden as modified by Okuaki and Cheung capacble of being disclose the predetermined, or defined, minimum covering results from the standard, DIN EN60079-11, published June 2012, Explosion Atmospheres - part 11: Equipment Protection by Intrinsic Safety "i" and/or amounts preferably to 1mm.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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