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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito USPG Pub. No.: US 2020/0182907.
Regarding Claim 1, Ito teaches a space transformer support structure that supports a space transformer interposed between a printed circuit board and a probe head (see [0025] and figure 1 in which the space transformer 30 and support 70 is interposed between PCB 50 and probe head 20), comprising:
a guide plate provided on a side of the probe head of the space transformer and supporting a first surface of the space transformer (figure 1, the guide plate can be interpreted as support structure 70); and
connecting members that fix the guide plate to the printed circuit board (see figure 1, in which connecting members 100A, 110, and 120 each serve a purpose in fixing the guide plate to the PCB),
wherein a plurality of protrusions in point contact with the first surface of the space transformer is provided on the surface of the guide plate (figure 1, the portions of guide 70 that protrude laterally to make point contact with space transformer 30, i.e. the smaller portions of the L-shapes created by 70 are interpreted as protrusions).
Regarding Claim 2, Ito teaches the space transformer support structure according to claim 1, further comprising positioning pins that connect the space transformer and the probe head (see figure 1, in which 100A, 110, and 120 can also be considered positioning pins connecting the space transformer and probe head).
Regarding Claim 4, Ito teaches the space transformer support structure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting members are bolts connected to the guide plate through the printed circuit board and arranged on an outer peripheral side of the protrusions (seen in figure 1).
Regarding Claim 5, Ito teaches the space transformer support structure according to claim 4, wherein the bolts are provided in the same number as the protrusions (seen in figure 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Ito teaches an electrical connection device, comprising:
a printed circuit board (see figure 1, PCB 50);
a probe head that holds a plurality of probes (see figure 1, probe head 20 with a plurality of probes 10), each of the probes having a base end electrically connected to the printed circuit board and a tip end contacted with an object to be inspected (see [0026]-[0029] and figure 1, teaching that the electrical connections are connected to PCB 50, as well as DUT 2 during testing);
a space transformer interposed between the printed circuit board and the probe head and converting a wiring pitch of each of the probes (see [0025] and figure 1 in which the space transformer 30 and support 70 is interposed between PCB 50 and probe head 20);
a guide plate provided on a side of the probe head of the space transformer and supporting a first surface of the space transformer (figure 1, the guide plate can be interpreted as support structure 70); and
connecting members that fix the guide plate to the printed circuit board, wherein a plurality of protrusions in point contact with the first surface of the space transformer is provided on the surface of the guide plate (figure 1, the portions of guide 70 that protrude laterally to make point contact with space transformer 30, i.e. the smaller portions of the L-shapes created by 70 are interpreted as protrusions).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito USPG Pub. No.: US 2020/0182907 in view of Shinde et al. USPG Pub. No.: US 2005/0156611.
Regarding Claim 3, Ito teaches the space transformer support structure according to claim 1, but is silent in teaching that wherein each protrusion is hemispherical in shape at a tip end. However, Shinde teaches wherein each protrusion is hemispherical in shape at a tip end (see Shinde fig.2, brass supports 66, described in [0018]. Note that spherical shapes encompass hemispherical shapes and therefore qualify as meeting the limitation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified the supports of Ito to be hemispherical at the tips, such as seen in Shinde, in order to better maintain isolation from electrical components and to enhance leveling of components (as described in Shinde [0018]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A HARRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-3573. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/MICHAEL A HARRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2852