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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR10-2023-0054922, filed on 04/26/2023 and Application No. KR10-2023-0173343, filed on 12/04/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/20/2024, 08/15/2025, and 12/11/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by WEI; Zhengpeng et al. (US 20210215741 A1) (“WEI; Zhengpeng”).
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5. Regarding claim 1, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches a test probe (Fig 1-3 discloses the spring test probe in Paragraph [0035-0042]) comprising:
a barrel (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the hollow needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]), comprising a tubular barrel main body (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the hollow needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]), and a plurality of skirt portions (Fig 1-3 item 5 discloses a plurality of elastic sheets 5 in Paragraph [0042]) separated from each other by a plurality of slits (Fig 1-3 item 6 discloses notches 6 divide the open end 4 into a plurality of elastic sheets 5 in Paragraph [0042]) formed in a first end portion of the barrel main body in a lengthwise direction (Fig 1-3 item 4 discloses the open end 4 of the needle tube 1 is provided with a plurality of elastic sheets 5in Paragraph [0042]); and
a plunger (Fig 1-3 item 2 discloses the needle 2 can move axially along the needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]), comprising
a sliding portion accommodated in the barrel main body and sliding along the lengthwise direction of the barrel (Fig 1-3 item 2 discloses movement of the needle 2 in Paragraph [0042]), and a terminal contact portion extending from the sliding portion beyond the skirt portion (Fig 1-3 item 5 discloses needle head 2 in Paragraph [0042]) along the lengthwise direction,
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wherein the skirt portion (Fig 1-3 item 5) comprises a skirt main body extending in the lengthwise direction of the barrel main body (Fig 1-3 item 1), and a skirt diameter-reducing portion curved (Fig 3, & 6-8 item 9-10 discloses first inclined plane 9 is in contact with the second inclined plane 10 in Paragraph [0047]), reducing a diameter thereof in a fore-end area of the skirt main body in an axial-line direction of the barrel (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the needle 2 can move axially along the needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]), and comprising a facing end portion to face a surface of the terminal contact portion (Fig 1-3 item 7 discloses the inner sides of the elastic sheets 5 are provided with first flanges 7 in Paragraph [0036]),, and
a facing length of the facing end portion in the axial-line direction (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the needle 2 can move axially along the needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]), is greater than a thickness of the skirt diameter-reducing portion (Fig 3, & 6-8 item 9-10 discloses first inclined plane 9 is in contact with the second inclined plane 10 in Paragraph [0047]).
6. Regarding claim 2, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein the skirt diameter-reducing portion is thicker (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the needle tube 1 are arc-shaped, and the diameter of the inner edge is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer wall of the needle 2 in Paragraph [0040]) than the skirt main body (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the hollow needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]).
7. Regarding claim 3, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein the skirt diameter-reducing portion comprises
a thick portion having a thicker thickness in at least a partial lengthwise section thereof (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the needle tube 1 are arc-shaped, and the diameter of the inner edge is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer wall of the needle 2 in Paragraph [0040]).
8. Regarding claim 4, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the facing end portion is formed by cylindrical cutting (Fig 1-3 item 5 discloses the elastic sheets 5 are formed by
directly machining in Paragraph [0051]) along the axial-line direction of the barrel (Fig 1-3 item 1 discloses the needle 2 can move axially along the needle tube 1 in Paragraph [0036]).
9. Regarding claim 5, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein the skirt diameter-reducing portion comprises a chamfered portion at a fore-end edge thereof (Fig 3, & 6-8 item 9-10 discloses first inclined plane 9 is in contact with the second inclined plane 10 in Paragraph [0047]).
10. Regarding claim 6, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein the skirt portion (Fig 1-3 item 5) and the barrel main body have different outer diameters (Fig 1-3 item 1 & 2 show different outer diameters).
11. Regarding claim 7, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches the test probe of claim 1, wherein the slit is gradually widened along an open-end portion thereof (Fig 3, & 6-8 item 9-10 discloses first inclined plane 9 is in contact with the second inclined plane 10 in Paragraph [0047]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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.
12 Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WEI; Zhengpeng et al. (US 20210215741 A1) In view of Kim et al. (US 20200141980 A1).
13. Regarding claim 8, WEI; Zhengpeng teaches a test device comprising:
a test probe (Fig 1-3 item 1 & 2 discloses the spring test probe in Paragraph [0035-0042]) of claim 1; and
the test probe (Fig 1-3 item 1 & 2 discloses the spring test probe in Paragraph [0035-0042]) to make both end portions of the test probe partially protrude therefrom (Fig 1-3 item 1 & 2 partially protrude).
WEI; Zhengpeng does not explicitly teach a test socket supporting the test probe;
However, Kim teaches a test socket (Fig 5 item 20 includes a probe socket 20 for in Paragraph [0004]) supporting the test probe (Fig 5 item 22 includes a test probe in Paragraph [0004])
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill, in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify a spring probe is connected in the circuit to transmit electrical signals in WEI; Zhengpeng by substituting a probe socket for supporting a test probe by Kim to provide a probe socket for supporting a test probe for testing electric characteristics of an object to be tested in Paragraph [0004]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRENT J ANDREWS whose telephone number is (571)272-6101. The examiner can normally be reached 10am-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, Judy Nguyen can be reached at (571)272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENT J ANDREWS/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/NEEL D SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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