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) 1-5, 8-10, 12, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Kang (KR 2013/0032584) submitted by the applicant, hereafter Kang.
As to claim 1, Kang discloses a compliant pin (10), comprising:
a main section (11);
and a first insertion section (19) on a first end of the main section (11) and
configured to be inserted into a through-hole (t) of a printed circuit board (P) to
provide an electrical connection between the compliant pin (10) and the PCB,
wherein the first insertion section (19) comprises:
a contact portion (13);
a first spring (20) positioned on a first end of the contact portion (13),
wherein the first spring (20) is configured to be compressed during an insertion
process and recover elasticity in an instance in which the first spring (20) passes the through-hole (t) of the PCB; and
a second spring (22) positioned on a second end of the contact portion
(13), wherein in the instance in which the first spring (20) passes the through-hole (t)
of the PCB, the second spring (22) is configured to stop the first insertion
section (19), and the first spring (20) and the second spring (22) constrain
movement of the PCB.
As to claim 2, Kang discloses the first insertion section (19) has a needle eye structure.
As to claim 3, Kang discloses the second spring (24) is configured to be in contact with a first surface (top surface) of the PCB (P) and the first spring (20) is configured to be in contact with a second surface (bottom surface) of the PCB to constrain the movement of the PCB in the instance in which the first spring (20) passes the through-hole (t) of the PCB (P).
As to claim 4, Kang discloses the contact portion (13) comprises a middle portion (15 or 16) that protrudes away from a longitudinal axis of the first insertion section.
As to claim 5, Kang discloses the middle portion (15 or 16) is configured to be
compressed by the through-hole (t) of the PCB in the instance in which the first insertion section passes the through-hole of the PCB.
As to claim 8, Kang discloses the first insertion section (19) has a cylindrical structure.
As to claim 9, Kang discloses the contact portion (13) comprises a plurality of contact splits (the splits or openings formed between the elements15 or 16) distributed around a longitudinal axis of the first insertion section (19).
As to claim 10, Kang discloses the plurality of contact splits (the openings) are
uniformly distributed around the longitudinal axis of the first insertion section.
As to claim 12, Kang discloses each of the plurality of contact splits (the openings) comprises a middle portion (15 or 16) configured to be compressed by the through-hole (t) of the PCB in the instance in which the first insertion section passes the through-hole of the PCB.
As to claim 16, Kang discloses the first and second springs (20, 24) are made of a same material, wherein the same material comprises at least one of epoxy, plastic, and metal.
As to claim 17, Kang discloses in figure 5 the first and second springs (20, 24) are on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the first insertion section.
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) 6-7, 11, and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (KR-584) in view of Endo et al. (U.S. Patent 9,300,059).
Regarding claim 6, Kang discloses the through hole (t) formed with the PCB, but does not specifically disclose the through-hole of the PCB comprises a conductive plating sidewall, and the middle portion is configured to be compressed by the conductive plating sidewall to provide the electrical connection between the compliant pin and the PCB.
Endo teaches a press-fit type connector terminal (100) as shown in figures 1-6 comprising the through-hole (21) of the PCB (20) comprises a conductive plating sidewall (22), and the middle portion (13 or 14) is configured to be compressed by the conductive plating sidewall (22) to provide the electrical connection between the compliant pin (11) and the PCB.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Endo employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to provide interconal electrical connection.
Regarding claim 7, Kang as modified by Endo teaches the conductive plating sidewall (22) extends between a first surface of the PCB (20) and a second surface of the PCB.
Regarding claim 11, Kang discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the contact portion comprises four contact splits uniformly distributed around the longitudinal axis of the first insertion section.
Endo teaches the contact portion (14) comprises four contact splits (12 or 13) uniformly distributed around the longitudinal axis of the first insertion section.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Endo employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to easy and firmly for insertion interconal electrical connection.
Regarding claim 13, Kang discloses the through hole (t) formed with the PCB, but does not specifically disclose the through-hole of the PCB comprises a conductive plating sidewall, and the middle portion is configured to be compressed by the conductive plating sidewall to provide the electrical connection between the compliant pin and the PCB.
Endo teaches a press-fit type connector terminal (100) as shown in figures 1-6 comprising the through-hole (21) of the PCB (20) comprises a conductive plating sidewall (22), and the middle portion (13 or 14) is configured to be compressed by the conductive plating sidewall (22) to provide the electrical connection between the compliant pin (11) and the PCB.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Endo employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to provide interconal electrical connection.
Regarding claim 14, Kang as modified by Endo teaches the conductive plating sidewall (22) extends between a first surface of the PCB (20) and a second surface of the PCB.
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (KR-584) in view of Lo Presti et al. (U.S. 2012/0320545).
Regarding claim 18, Kang discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the PCB comprises at least one of epoxy, ceramic, alumina, and liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs).
Lo Presti teaches an intelligent power module (101) as shown in figure 3 comprising the PCB comprises at least one of epoxy (para-0028+), ceramic, alumina, and liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Lo Presti employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to provide excellent insulation characteristic.
Regarding claim 19, Kang discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for a second insertion section on a second end of the main section and configured to be inserted into a through-hole of another PCB to provide an electrical connection between the compliant pin and the another PCB, wherein the first insertion section and the second insertion section have a same structure.
Lo Presti teaches an intelligent power module (201) as shown in figures 5-6 comprising a second insertion section (215) on a second end of the main section and configured to be inserted into a through-hole (320) of another PCB (305) to provide an electrical connection between the compliant pin (214) and the another PCB (305), wherein the first insertion section and the second insertion section have a same structure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Lo Presti employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to provide board to board interconnection structure.
Regarding claim 20, Kang as modified by Lo Presti teaches the PCB (205) is electrically connected with the another PCB (305) through the compliant pin (214).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (KR-584) in view of Eicher et al. (U.S. 2020/0251837).
Regarding claim 15, Kang discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the compliant pin is formed by a stamping process.
Eicher teaches the compliant pin (100) is formed by a stamping process, para-0085+).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Eicher employed in the compliant pin of Kang in order to provide high reliable, low cost, and good electrical connection.
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/TUAN T DINH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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