Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. 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 parent Application No. KR10-2021-0176912 and KR10-2022-0165694, filed on 12/10/21 and 12/01/22.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/03/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Status
4. Claims 1-12 are cancelled. Claims 13-27 are pending.
Note: Claim 13 is rejected twice below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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-AIA ) 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.
5. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
6. Claims 13, 21, 23, 26-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Hasegawa Yoshiei (WO 2004070890). (“Hasegawa”).
7. Regarding claim 13, Hasegawa teaches An inspection probe member [Figures 1-12, an inspection probe member is shown] comprising: a body part having a column shape; and a plurality of contact protrusions have vertices and provided on the body part set in a column cross-section region, wherein the contact protrusion comprises: a vertical portion formed to be perpendicular to a surface of the body part and connected to the vertex; and an inclined portion inclinedly connected to an upper end of the vertical portion on the surface of the body part and connected to the vertex [See Figure 8 of Hasegawa reference below, structural arrangement is shown].
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8. Regarding claim 21, Hasegawa teaches wherein: the contact protrusion has the vertical portion provided outside the column cross-section region, and the inclined portion provided inside the vertical portion in the column cross-section region [Figure 8 above shows the contact protrusion arrangement].
9. Regarding claim 23, Hasegawa teaches wherein: the contact protrusion has a triangular shape in a plan view in which a central angle is positioned inward, the vertical portion is formed as an outer side surface of a triangular column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed inside two opposite sides based on a center cutting line of the triangular column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the outer side surface and the two inclined surfaces [Figure 8 above shows the contact protrusion arrangement].
10. Regarding claim 26, Hasegawa teaches wherein: the contact protrusion is a triangular shape in a plan view in which a central angle is positioned outward,the vertical portion is formed as an outer edge of a triangular column, the inclined portion is formed as a single inclined surface formed inward based on a center cutting line of the triangular column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the outer edge and the single inclined surface [Figure 8 above shows the contact protrusion arrangement].
11. Regarding claim 27, Hasegawa teaches wherein: the body part further comprises an extension body divided into grooves so as to correspond to the plurality of contact protrusions, and the contact protrusion further comprises an extension protrusion extending perpendicularly to the extension body from a lowermost end of the inclined portion [Figures 1-12, the body part arrangement is shown].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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-AIA ) 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.
12. 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.
13. Claims 22, 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa.
14. Regarding claim 22, Hasegawa teaches the inspection probe member.
Hasegawa does not explicitly teach wherein: the contact protrusion has an arc fan shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an outer edge of an arc column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed inside two opposite sides based on a center cutting line of the arc column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the outer edge and the two inclined surfaces.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Hasegawa to optimize the shape of the contact protrusion since it has been held that mere change in shape or form is not patentable unless the changed element performs a new function. In re HANLON, 128 USPQ 384, 386 (C.C.P.A. 1961); In re Launder and Hosmer, 105 USPQ 446, 450 (C.C.P.A. 1955).
15. Regarding claim 24, Hasegawa teaches the inspection probe member.
Hasegawa does not explicitly teach wherein: the contact protrusion has a quadrangular shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an outer edge of a quadrangular column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed inside two opposite sides based on a diagonal center cutting line of the quadrangular column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the outer edge and the two inclined surfaces.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Hasegawa to optimize the shape of the contact protrusion since it has been held that mere change in shape or form is not patentable unless the changed element performs a new function. In re HANLON, 128 USPQ 384, 386 (C.C.P.A. 1961); In re Launder and Hosmer, 105 USPQ 446, 450 (C.C.P.A. 1955).
16. Regarding claim 25, Hasegawa teaches the inspection probe member.
Hasegawa does not explicitly teach wherein: the contact protrusion has a circular or elliptical shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an outer curved surface of a circular or elliptical column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed inside two opposite sides based on a center cutting line of a circle or ellipse, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the outer curved surface and the two inclined surfaces.
However, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Hasegawa to optimize the shape of the contact protrusion since it has been held that mere change in shape or form is not patentable unless the changed element performs a new function. In re HANLON, 128 USPQ 384, 386 (C.C.P.A. 1961); In re Launder and Hosmer, 105 USPQ 446, 450 (C.C.P.A. 1955).
17. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Lee Wang Ki (KR 20170058586). (“Lee”).
18. Regarding claim 13, Lee teaches An inspection probe member [Figures 1-9, an inspection probe member is shown] comprising: a body part having a column shape; and a plurality of contact protrusions have vertices and provided on the body part set in a column cross-section region, wherein the contact protrusion comprises: a vertical portion formed to be perpendicular to a surface of the body part and connected to the vertex; and an inclined portion inclinedly connected to an upper end of the vertical portion on the surface of the body part and connected to the vertex [See Figure 5 of Lee reference below, structural arrangement is shown].
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Allowable Subject Matter
19. Claims 14-20 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.
[Claim 14] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 13, wherein: the body part is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the contact protrusion has the vertical portion provided at a center side in a circular region, and the inclined portion provided outside the vertical portion in the circular region.
[Claim 15] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has an arc fan shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an inner edge of an arc column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed outside two opposite sides based on a center cutting line of the arc column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner edge and the two inclined surfaces.
[Claim 16] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has an isosceles triangular shape in a plan view in which a central angle is positioned outward, the vertical portion is formed as an inner side surface of a triangular column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed outside twoopposite sides based on a center cutting line of the triangular column, andthe vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner side surface and the two inclined surfaces.
[Claim 17] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has a quadrangular shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an inner edge of a quadrangular column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed outside two opposite sides based on a diagonal center cutting line of the quadrangular column, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner edge and the two inclined surfaces.
[Claim 18] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has a circular or elliptical shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an inner curved surface of a circular or elliptical column, the inclined portions are formed as two inclined surfaces formed outside two opposite sides based on a center cutting line of a circle or ellipse, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner curved surface and the two inclined surfaces.
[Claim 19] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has a triangular shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an inner edge of a triangular column, the inclined portion is formed as a single inclined surface formed outward based on a center cutting line of a triangle, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner edge and the single inclined surface.
[Claim 20] (Original) The inspection probe member of claim 14, wherein: the contact protrusion has a circular or elliptical shape in a plan view, the vertical portion is formed as an inner curved surface of a circular or elliptical column, the inclined portion is formed as a single inclined surface formed outward based on a center cutting line of a circle or ellipse, and the vertex is formed at an upper end intersection point between the inner curved surface and the single inclined surface.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhou et al. (US 2009/0261851), Figures 1-14 teaches an interconnect with a crown shaped contact tips and a column shaped body part.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NEEL D SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3766. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Judy Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NEEL D SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858