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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Gabrielian (Pat# 4,029,375).
As to claim 1, Gabrielian discloses a guide member (1) to which an electro-conductive contact pin (9,10) is coupled, the guide member comprising: a through hole (2,3) containing the electro-conductive contact pin (9,10), wherein the through hole comprises: a first region (3) formed by extending in a thickness direction (±z direction) along the guide member; and a second region (2) provided on the first region (3) and wherein the second region (2) includes a plurality of second regions ( a left wall of the second region (2) and a second right wall of the second region (2), and the plurality of second regions is arranged in the thickness direction (tz direction) of the guide member (1), and wherein the plurality of second regions commonly communicates with one first region (3). It is noted that the limitation of a second region “formed by depressing a part of an upper surface of the guide member in a downward direction and extending in a width direction (_x direction) along is not given any patentable weight since the process step is not given any weight in the claimed product/apparatus.
As to claim 2, Garrielian disclose a guide member (1) as mentioned in claim 1, wherein
the first region includes a plurality of first regions (left and right wall of the first region (3), and the plurality of first regions is arranged in the width direction (+x direction), and .
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota (Pat# 10,656,179)).
As to claim 3, Ota disclose An inspection device for inspecting electrical properties of an inspection object (101) as shown in figure 3 , the inspection device comprising: an electro-conductive contact pin (Pr) sending an electrical signal to the inspection object (104) ; and a guide member (31a,31b) comprising a through hole (Ha1,Ha) containing the electro-conductive contact pin (Pr), wherein the electro-conductive contact pin comprises a first connection part (Pc3) constituting a lower part, a second connection part (Pb4) constituting an upper part, and an elastic part (Pe1,Pe2,Pf) connecting the first connection part (Pc3) and the second connection part (Pb4) to each other, wherein the through hole (Ha,Ha1) comprises: a first region (Ha) formed by extending in a thickness direction(+z direction) along the guide member (31a,31b) ; and a second region (Ha1) provided on the first region (Ha) and formed by depressing a part of an upper surface of the guide member in a downward direction and extending in a width directionx direction) along one-the upper surface of the guide member, wherein the second region includes a plurality of second regions (left and right walls of the second region “Ha1”), and the plurality of second regions is arranged in the thickness direction (tz direction) of the guide member, and wherein the plurality of second regions commonly communicates with one first region (Ha).
As to claim 4,Ota discloses an inspection device for inspecting electrical properties of an inspection object as mentioned in claim 3, wherein the elastic part (Pe1,Pe2,Pf) is located between an upper surface and a lower surface of the guide member
(HA, Ha1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-6 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 prior art does not disclose wherein the guide member comprises a fixing step formed by the first region and the second region, and the electro-conductive contact pin further comprises: a first locking step formed by protruding in the width direction (+- direction) at a first location of the contact pin; and a second locking step formed by protruding in the width direction (+- direction) at a second location of the electro-conductive contact pin, an upper surface of the fixing step is in contact with the second locking step to limit separation of the electro-conductive contact pin, and a lower surface of the fixing step is in contact with the first locking step to limit separation of the electro-conductive contact pin as recited in claim 5 and in combined with the limitation of claim 1. Claim 6 depends from objected claim 5, it is also objected to.
Claims 7-9 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art does not disclose an electro-conductive contact pin having a combination of a division part extending in a width direction (+x direction); a 1-1 support part extending in a lower direction from a first side of the division part; a 1-2 support part extending in the lower direction from a second side of the division part; a first connection part provided at a lower part of the division part; a second connection part provided at an upper part of the division part; a 1-1 extension part extending in an upper direction from a first side of the first connection part; a 1-2 extension part extending in the upper direction from a second side of the first connection part; and an elastic part connecting the division part and the first connection part to each other and connecting the division part and the second connection part to each other, wherein the 1-1 extension part is formed along an inner surface of the 1-1 support part and spaced apart from the 1-1 support part, and the 1-1 extension part and the 1-1 support part form an overlapping region in a certain section, wherein the 1-2 extension part is formed along an inner surface of the 1-2 support part and spaced apart from the 1-2 support part, and the 1-2 extension part and the 1-2 support part form an overlapping region in a certain section, wherein, when the elastic part is compressed and the electro-conductive contact pin is elastically deformed, the 1-1 extension part is in contact with the 1-1 support part and the 1-2 extension part is in contact with the 1-2 support part to limit width-directional (+x direction) excessive deformation of the electro-conductive contact pin, and wherein the division part, the 1-1 support part, the 1-2 support part, the first connection part, the second connection part, the 1-1 extension part, the 1-2 extension part, and the elastic part are integrally provided as recited in claim 7. Claims 8-9 depend from allowed claim 1, they are also allowed accordingly.
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.”
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 filed on 06/26/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haseyama et al (pat# 6,033,233) disclose Electrical Connecting Device, And Semiconductor Device Testing Method.
Grange et al (Pat# 5,388,998) disclose Method And System For Producing Electrically Interconnected Circuits.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINH P NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1964. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phan Huy can be reached on 571-272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VINH P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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