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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Haufe (US 2024/0250584).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Haufe discloses a rotation angle sensor unit to determine a rotation angle between a rotor and a stator, the rotation angle sensor unit comprising: a housing 3 that defines a housing volume (inside tube 15); a rotor 13 that is rotatably mounted in the housing volume; a stator (coils of inductive sensor 23, see par. 0027); a printed circuit board 24 on which the at least one stator is attached (Id.); and a cover 18,32 for the housing to enclose the printed circuit board in the housing volume (see Fig. 2), wherein the cover has a funnel-shaped ring structure with a funnel upper side facing away from the printed circuit board 24 and a funnel bottom side facing the printed circuit board, and wherein the funnel bottom side for fixing the printed circuit board in the housing volume presses against the printed circuit board (see Figs. 2 and 3 and pars. 0030-0031, main body portion 33 of funnel bottom part 32 snaps and fastens to circuit board which involves pressing against it).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Haufe discloses that there is a circular or annular pressure section is formed on the funnel bottom side for applying pressure to the printed circuit board (see Figs. 2 and 3, showing lower portion 34 of the funnel bottom side and snap tabs on part 32 radially across from portion 34 that apply pressure to circuit board 24 at least when it is being snap-fit attached).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Haufe discloses that the funnel-shaped ring structure is elastically deformable (par. 0031, portion 32 of funnel ring structure 18,32 is plastic and elastically deforms to snap-in attach circuit board 24).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Haufe discloses that at least one shaped groove is formed as a recess in the ring structure on the funnel bottom side, wherein the at least one shaped groove extends at least in part between an inner edge of the ring structure and an outer edge of the ring structure (part 32 has a protruding portion which is a recess on its underside, see labeled reproduction of Fig. 2 below).
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Regarding claim 7, Haufe discloses that the cover 18,32 is welded to the housing 3 (par. 0026, part 18 is welded to housing portion 15).
Regarding claim 8, Haufe discloses the cover has a positioning contact section 22 and the housing has a positioning mating contact section (section of tube part 15), and wherein the positioning contact section aligns the cover on the housing and is positioned in and/or on the positioning mating contact section (see Fig. 2 and par. 0026).
Regarding claim 9, Haufe discloses that the cover 18,32 has a bearing edge at least partially adjoining the funnel-shaped ring structure with a bearing side (see Fig. 2, bearing edge portion at part 19 which adjoins the structure to bearing 20, including lower side surface of bearing 20), and wherein the bearing side extends substantially parallel to the printed circuit board (Fig. 2, lower surface of cylindrical part of bearing 20 is parallel with circuit board 24).
Regarding claim 14, Haufe discloses a method for producing a rotation angle sensor unit according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing the housing 3; positioning the printed circuit board 24 in the housing volume (see Fig. 2); positioning the cover 18,32 on the housing and thereby pressing the funnel bottom side against the circuit board (see Fig. 3, showing part 33,34 of funnel bottom pressed against the circuit board 24); and attaching the cover to the housing (par. 0026).
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) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haufe (US 2024/0250584).
Regarding claim 15, Haufe discloses that the funnel-shaped ring structure of the cover is pressed against the printed circuit board in an elastically deformed manner (par. 0031, circuit board is attached by a snap-in connection, which involves elastic deformation of the snap elements), and also discloses welding of the cover 18,32 to the housing 3 (par. 0026)
Haufe does not explicitly state that the pressing of the snap-in connection remains in a pressing state after installation and/or during the welding of the cover. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have known that snap-fit connections often apply some continuous pressing force in order to hold components in place securely. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have made the snap-in and snap-fit elements that join the cover element 32 and the circuit board 24 as showing in Haufe’s Fig. 2 to provide a lasting pressing force, in order to ensure that the part remain securely fixed in place with each other. It would have been further obvious to perform the welding of the cover part edge 22 to the housing after the circuit board to fixed in place because otherwise there would be no way to get the circuit board installed into the housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to claim 5, Haufe fails to disclose or suggest a plurality of shaped grooves each extending in the radial direction from the inner edge to the outer edge.
With regard to claim 6, Haufe fails to disclose or suggest the cover including the funnel-shaped ring structure being designed in one piece and/or as a monolithic component.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL M WEST whose telephone number is (571)272-2139. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5:30 pm (CT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina DeHerrera can be reached at 303-297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL M. WEST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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