DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant’s communication filed 17 June 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-13 are pending in the application.
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 foreign priority based on an application filed in Taiwan on 7 March 2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 111108230 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20180053981 A1), hereinafter referred to as Bae et al., in further view of Yuan et al. (CN 111117056 A), hereinafter referred to as Yuan et al.
Regarding claim 1, Bae et al. teaches a flexible flat cable (FFC), comprising:
a single dielectric layer (120) (Fig. 12, paragraph 59: insulating part 120);
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a plurality of conductors (110) (Fig. 12, paragraph 58: signal transmission member 110) which are spaced apart sheathed in the single low-dielectric mixed material layer (120), and there is no other material layer between each conductor (110) and the single low-dielectric mixed material layer (120) (see Fig. 12);
two conductive material layers (130), an inner surface of each conductive material layer (130) laminated individually and directly to upper and lower surfaces of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer (120), wherein there is no other material layer between each conductive material layer (130) and the single low-dielectric mixed material layer (120), so that there is only the single low-dielectric mixed material layer (120) and the conductors (110) between the two conductive material layers (110) (see Fig. 12 and paragraph 59: conductive adhesive layer 130 formed on insulating layer 120), and
two insulating protective layers (140) laminated individually to an outer surface of each conductive material layer (130) (Fig. 12, paragraph 59: insulating skin 140 formed on the conductive adhesive layer 130).
Bae et al. does not teach that the insulating part (120) is a single low-dielectric mixed material layer included a mixture of Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyolefin Elastomer (MAH-g-POE) and Polyolefin Elastomer (POE). Yuan et al. does teach a single low-dielectric mixed material layer included a mixture of Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyolefin Elastomer (MAH-g-POE) and Polyolefin Elastomer (POE) (see Yuan et al. page 3, paragraph 4: the elastic cable material comprises polyolefin elastomer and maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin elastomer).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the insulating part of Bae et al. from the MAH-g-POE and POE dielectric material taught by Yuan et al. because the material of Yuan et al. provides enhanced elasticity (Yuan et al. page 2, second paragraph).
Regarding claim 2, Bae et al. in view of Yuan et al. teaches the FFC as recited in claim 1, wherein the Maleic Anhydride (MAH) content of the Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyolefin Elastomer (MAH-g-POE) is 0.01-2% (Yuan et al. page 2, paragraph 5: maleic anhydride grafted rate is 0.8 to 1%).
Regarding claim 3, Bae et al. in view of Yuan et al. teaches the FFC as recited in claim 2, wherein the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is composed of a 0~70 wt% low dielectric constant Polyolefin Elastomer (POE) mixed with 30~100 wt% Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyolefin Elastomer (MAH-g-POE) (page 2, paragraph 4: 5-10% polyolefin elastomer and 12% MAH-g-POE).
Regarding claim 5, Bae et al. in view of Yuan et al. teaches the FFC as recited in claim 2, wherein the melt flow index of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 10～40 g/10min (Yuan et al. page 3, fourth-to-last paragraph).
Regarding claim 12, Bae et al. in view of Yuan et al. teaches the FFC as recited in claim 2, but does not teach that a thickness of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 100-450 µm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the thickness of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer at 100-450 µm because Bae et al. teaches that the thickness of the insulating layer may be adjusted as needed (paragraph 74) and 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).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6-11, and 13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the adhesion between the single low-dielectric mixed material layer and each conductive material layer is greater than or equal to 20 N/mm.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the dielectric constant of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 1.5-3.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the melting point of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 95-180 °C.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the specific gravity of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 0.85-0.9.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the operating temperature of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is -50-150 °C.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that the Shore A hardness of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 50-90.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim the water absorption of the single low-dielectric mixed material layer is 0.001-1%.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim an internal impedance being 65-110 ohms and a center-to-center distance between two adjacent conductors being 0.3-0.8 mm.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John B Freal whose telephone number is (571)272-4056. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00-3:00.
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/JOHN B FREAL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847