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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/21/2024 was filed on the mailing date of the application on 06/21/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the ground conductor layer and the foot parts of the conductive terminals are connected to the insulating bottom plate through a same surface of the connection layer of claims 1 and 9 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-16 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.
Regarding claim 1, the recitation, “the ground conductor layer and the foot parts of the conductive terminals are connected to the insulating bottom plate through a same surface of the connection layer,” is vague and indefinite. It is unclear exactly how the ground conductor layer and the foot parts are connected to the insulating bottom plate since there isn’t a physical connection between them. Sure, the connection layer is directly connected to the bottom plate but how is the conductor layer and foot parts? Furthermore, according to the drawings i.e. figs 2, 3a, 5 and 8b, the connection layer has a thickness that creates a space between both the ground conductor layer, foot parts and the insulating bottom plate. Because of this thickness, a top surface of the connection layer, where the ground conductor layer and foot parts are located, is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the connection layer, where the insulated bottom plate is located. Claim 9 lines 21-23 recite similar claim language and claims 9-16 are rejected for the same reasons stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 1; the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, suggest or provide a substrate having a plurality of accommodating holes and comprising a ground conductor layer, a connection layer, and an insulating bottom plate that are stacked in sequence; and a plurality of conductive terminals, wherein each of the conductive terminals comprises a foot part, an elastic compression part, and a head part that are arranged in sequence, the foot part is attached to the substrate and is electrically connected to the electrical signal conductor combined with the remaining limitations of the base claim.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claim 9; the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, suggest or provide a substrate having at least one accommodating hole and comprising a ground conductor layer, a connection layer, and an insulating bottom plate that are stacked in sequence; and a plurality of conductive terminals, wherein each of the conductive terminals comprises a foot part, an elastic compression part, and a head part that are arranged in sequence, a portion of the foot part is attached to the substrate, another portion of the foot part extends beyond the substrate and is in a suspended arrangement to serve as a pin, and the elastic compression part is suspended in the accommodating hole combined with the remaining limitations of the base claim.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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