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 .
Status of the Claims
This action is responsive to the amendment filed February 24, 2026, which has been entered. By that amendment claims 1–14 were cancelled and new claims 15–34 were added. Claims 15–34 are pending and are examined below. Claims 15 and 29 are independent.
Claim Interpretation
The claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. MPEP § 2111.
"cover the surface of the circuit board" (claim 15). The claim does not recite that the shield covers the entire surface. The phrase is construed as covering at least the region of the surface on which the IC chip is mounted.
"fixing portions" (claim 15). Applicant's specification describes the fixing portions as mounting holes at which the two parts are fastened by a fixture "such as a screw or a rivet" (applicant's specification, ¶0022; FIG. 5). The term is construed as locations at which the heat dissipation device and the circuit board shield are fastened together.
"protruding contact portion" (claim 15). Applicant's specification states that either one of the circuit board shield and the base plate may have the protruding contact portions, that they may be formed by sheet metal processing, and that they need not be so formed (applicant's specification, ¶0023–0024). The term is construed as a projection on either part that contacts the other part.
"a shield structure surrounding the opening of the base plate and formed between the base plate and the member" (claims 19 and 29). Applicant's specification describes the shield structure functionally, as a structure formed between the base plate and the heat receiving block or the heat pipes that transfer the heat of the IC chip, which prevents noise from leaking through the opening of the base plate and the gaps between the base plate and those parts (applicant's specification, ¶0031). The specification further states that the shield structure "may have different configurations depending on the orientation of the edge of the rectangular opening" and may have different structures along the edges running in one direction than along the edges running in the intersecting direction (¶0031), and it describes an embodiment in which fixing regions are provided along two opposing sides of the opening and protruding contact portions along the other two sides, the two together being said to surround the opening (¶0032, ¶0033, ¶0035; FIGS. 3, 4 and 7). Consistent with that description, "surrounding" is construed as requiring that the structure be disposed about the opening, and as not requiring a single continuous structure, a structure of uniform construction, or contact along the entire periphery of the opening.
"a wavelength of noise that the circuit board shield blocks" (claim 17). Applicant's specification identifies no particular frequency (applicant's specification, ¶0029). The phrase is construed as a wavelength of electromagnetic noise that the shield is provided to attenuate.
Claim Rejections — 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Rejection 1 — Claims 15–18 over Daughtry in view of Hancock
Claims 15–18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Daughtry, Jr. et al. (US 2015/0201533 A1, "Daughtry") in view of Hancock (US 5,808,237).
Regarding claim 15, Daughtry discloses an electronic device (heat-dissipating EMI/RFI shield 100 installed on printed circuit board 200 of an electronic apparatus, FIGS. 2–4, ¶0013, ¶0023) comprising:
a circuit board having a surface facing in a first direction (PCB 200, upper surface, FIG. 2, ¶0021);
an integrated circuit (IC) chip mounted on the surface of the circuit board (selected component SC 210, a semiconductor circuit such as a microprocessor, FIG. 2, ¶0011, ¶0021);
a circuit board shield configured to cover the surface of the circuit board and having, at a position of the IC chip, an opening for exposing the IC chip (shield base 110 and shield cap 130, which enclose SC 210; collar 136 defining an opening in the shield cap, FIGS. 1A, 3, ¶0014, ¶0017); and
a heat dissipation device having a heat receiving surface and disposed in the first direction relative to the circuit board shield, the heat receiving surface being located at the opening and in contact with the IC chip (heat sink 150 mounted to shield cap 130, with shoe 156 inserted through collar 136 and SC 210 in direct contact with top 182 of the shoe, FIGS. 1B, 2, ¶0019, ¶0024–0025).
Daughtry further discloses that the heat sink is attached to the shield cap (¶0023), that platform 152 of the heat sink is positioned adjacent to, and preferably in contact with, the shield cap (¶0019), and that the heat sink is secured by engaging components at four apertures 158 located on the four sides of the heat sink around SC 210, which provide a compressive fit between the heat sink, the shield cap, the shield base and the PCB; the engaging components may be screws (FIGS. 1A, 2, ¶0022). In Daughtry, however, the engaging components are anchored in the PCB rather than in the shield.
Daughtry does not expressly disclose that the heat dissipation device is fixed to the circuit board shield by a plurality of fixing portions disposed to surround the IC chip, at least one first protruding contact portion is formed between two adjacent fixing portions of the plurality of fixing portions, and the heat dissipation device and the circuit board shield are in contact with each other through the plurality of fixing portions and the at least one first protruding contact portion.
Hancock teaches a conductive sheet-metal panel having an opening that is closed by a conductive member fastened to the panel, in which a row of stamped dimples 418 extends in a line around opening 416 (col. 4, ll. 53–59; FIG. 4) and the member is attached by screws extending through four threaded openings 420 of the panel so as to pull the member "into good electrical contact with each of the dimples 418" (col. 5, ll. 12–16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to fasten Daughtry's heat sink platform to the shield cap with screws at the four locations surrounding SC 210, and to form dimples in the shield cap between adjacent ones of those locations so that the screws draw the platform into contact with each dimple, as taught by Hancock. Daughtry itself states that the heat sink is attached to, and structurally and electrically connected and grounded to, the shield cap (¶0023–0024), that screws may be used and that the heat sink may comprise various engaging structures (¶0022), and that the spring fingers at the collar may be omitted or may not extend around the entire collar (¶0020), in which case the interface between the platform and the shield cap is the seam around the opening. Hancock teaches that dimples at such a seam are formed when the sheet metal is stamped, with no extra parts (col. 2, ll. 1–7), provide a repeatable electrical contact (col. 2, ll. 11–18), and that "emissions have drastically dropped in computers equipped with dimples on mating, adjacently coupled sheet metal parts" (col. 4, ll. 33–37). Hancock is reasonably pertinent to the problem addressed by Daughtry and by applicant, namely leakage of electromagnetic noise at an opening in a conductive sheet-metal shield that is closed by a fastened conductive member. In the combination, the heat sink and the shield cap are in contact with each other at the screw locations and at the dimples.
Regarding claim 16, Daughtry in view of Hancock teaches the electronic device of claim 15. Hancock teaches that the number of dimples is a result-effective variable governed by the frequency of the noise to be contained: the dimples are spaced apart approximately one quarter of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the EMI generated by the enclosed components, the spacing will vary with the frequency, and "[s]ome amount of experimentation will likely be required to find the best spacing for each system design point" (col. 4, ll. 20–32). Hancock further teaches that the dimples are spaced as uniformly as is practical and that the pattern is adjusted where features of the part interrupt it (col. 5, ll. 27–34). Selecting two or less protruding contact portions between the two adjacent fixing portions is accordingly a matter of choosing the number of contact points for a given fastener spacing and a given noise frequency, and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrive at that number through routine optimization of the spacing Hancock identifies. MPEP § 2144.05(II).
Regarding claim 17, Daughtry in view of Hancock teaches the electronic device of claim 15. In the combination the plurality of fixing portions and the at least one first protruding contact portion each include a contact point between the heat dissipation device and the circuit board shield (the screw locations and the dimples, as set forth for claim 15). Hancock further teaches that the dimples are spaced apart approximately one quarter of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the electromagnetic interference generated by the shielded components (col. 4, ll. 20–27), that the spacing is preferably uniform, and that the pattern is continued "taking into account the electrical contact provided by the interrupting structures" (col. 5, ll. 27–34). One quarter of the wavelength is less than one-third of a wavelength of noise that the circuit board shield blocks. It would have been obvious to space the adjacent contact points of the combination accordingly, for the reason Hancock gives: the spacing is selected from the frequency of the noise to be contained (col. 4, ll. 20–30).
Regarding claim 18, Daughtry in view of Hancock teaches the electronic device of claim 15 and the contact points as set forth for claim 17. Hancock teaches a spacing of approximately 15 millimeters (col. 4, ll. 22–25), which is 20 mm or less. It would have been obvious to use that spacing between the adjacent contact points of the combination for the reason given for claim 17.
Rejection 2 — Claims 19–25 over Daughtry in view of Hancock and Sugawara
Claims 19–25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Daughtry in view of Hancock, and further in view of Sugawara et al. (WO 2021/193621 A1; citations are to US 2023/0097177 A1, the English-language publication of the same international application, PCT/JP2021/011967).
Regarding claim 19, Daughtry in view of Hancock teaches the electronic device of claim 15, in which the heat dissipation device is heat sink 150 (Daughtry, ¶0019). Daughtry describes heat sink 150 as the illustrated embodiment and states that the heat sink may be constructed of various thermally conductive materials (¶0019), but does not teach that the heat dissipation device includes a base plate having an opening at the position of the IC chip, a member configured to dissipate or transfer heat of the IC chip and having a portion located in the first direction relative to the base plate, and a shield structure surrounding the opening of the base plate and formed between the base plate and the member.
Sugawara teaches a heat radiating device 70 for cooling an integrated circuit 50a mounted on a circuit board 50 and enclosed by a board shield, the device having base plate 75, to the upper side of which heat sinks 71 and 72 are fixed, fins 71a of heat sink 71 being fixed to base plate 75 by solder (¶0142), and heat transfer member 74 disposed between heat pipes 73 and integrated circuit 50a, the side portions 74b of which carry the lower edges of fins 71a, likewise fixed by solder (¶0143, ¶0147). As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14C, base plate 75 is interrupted in the region directly above integrated circuit 50a, in which region heat transfer member 74 and the heat receiving portions 73a of the heat pipes are located, and the soldered joints just described extend along that region. Sugawara teaches this construction for the purpose of suppressing leakage of electromagnetic waves at the periphery of a heat radiating device (abstract; ¶0176–0178).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ Sugawara's heat radiating device 70 as the heat dissipation device of Daughtry as modified by Hancock. Both are assemblies that cool a shielded integrated circuit on a circuit board while maintaining the electromagnetic integrity of the shield, and Sugawara's device conducts the heat away through heat pipes to heat sinks larger than the footprint of the chip (¶0142–0143), which permits greater heat dissipation than the fins mounted directly over the chip in Daughtry. In the resulting device, base plate 75 is fastened to the shield cap at the fixing portions and dimples set forth for claim 15, heat transfer member 74 occupies the interrupted region of base plate 75 above the chip so as to contact it, and the soldered joints between base plate 75 and the fins and side portions 74b are located about that region. To the extent that Sugawara does not expressly state that base plate 75 is formed with an opening at the position of the integrated circuit, it would have been obvious to so form it, because heat transfer member 74 must reach the integrated circuit through the plane occupied by base plate 75 in order to perform the thermal connection Sugawara requires (¶0143).
Regarding claim 20, the combination teaches the electronic device of claim 19, wherein the shield structure has a fixing region in which the base plate and the member are mutually fixed (fins 71a of heat sink 71 are fixed to the upper side of base plate 75 by solder, Sugawara, ¶0142).
Regarding claim 21, the combination teaches the electronic device of claim 20, wherein the member includes a member configured to transfer the heat of the IC chip and has a protruding portion protruding in a direction opposite to the first direction relative to the base plate and being in contact with the IC chip (heat transfer member 74 is disposed between heat pipes 73 and integrated circuit 50a and connects the heat receiving portions 73a to the integrated circuit, Sugawara, ¶0143; as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14C, the portion of heat transfer member 74 that carries groove 74a extends downward past base plate 75 into contact with the integrated circuit, ¶0147).
Regarding claim 22, the combination teaches the electronic device of claim 19. Sugawara further teaches that base plate 75 has a bottom portion 75c located under intermediate portion 73h of the heat pipes, and that a plurality of steps may be formed in bottom portion 75c to bias the lower surface 73j of intermediate portion 73h toward the heat sink 71 side (¶0157; FIG. 14C). Each such step is a second protruding contact portion of the shield structure, and the member and the base plate are in contact with each other through the second protruding contact portion, the heat pipes 73 being members that transfer the heat of integrated circuit 50a (¶0143) and bearing against the steps of base plate 75. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form those steps in the combination for the reason Sugawara gives, namely to bias the heat pipes toward the heat sink and so improve the thermal path between them (¶0157).
Regarding claim 23, the combination teaches the electronic device of claim 19, wherein the shield structure further includes a member configured to dissipate or transfer the heat of the IC chip and having a portion located in the first direction relative to the base plate (heat pipes 73, whose intermediate portions 73h lie above bottom portion 75c of base plate 75 and are connected to the lower edges of fins 71a, Sugawara, ¶0156–0157; FIG. 14C), the shield structure having a fixing region in which the base plate and one of the members are mutually fixed (fins 71a fixed to the upper side of base plate 75 by solder, ¶0142) and a second protruding contact portion for causing the other member to be in contact with the base plate (the steps of bottom portion 75c, which bias intermediate portion 73h of the heat pipes, ¶0157).
Regarding claims 24 and 25, the combination teaches the electronic device of claim 23. Sugawara does not state the distance between the soldered fixing region and the steps of bottom portion 75c. Hancock teaches that the points at which two conductive sheet-metal parts are held in contact along a seam are spaced apart approximately one quarter of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the electromagnetic interference generated by the enclosed components, that the spacing varies with the frequency and is expected to follow a proportional relationship to it, and that the spacing is approximately 15 millimeters in the disclosed example (col. 4, ll. 20–30). One quarter of the wavelength is less than one-third of a wavelength of noise that the shield structure blocks (claim 24), and approximately 15 millimeters is 20 mm or less (claim 25). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to space the fixing region and the second protruding contact portion of the combination accordingly, for the reason Hancock gives: the spacing between contact points along a seam in a conductive enclosure is selected from the frequency of the noise to be contained (col. 4, ll. 20–30).
Rejection 3 — Claims 29–33 over Sugawara
Claims 29–33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugawara et al. (WO 2021/193621 A1; citations are to US 2023/0097177 A1, the English-language publication of the same international application, PCT/JP2021/011967).
Regarding claim 29, Sugawara discloses an electronic device (electronic apparatus 1, ¶0065) comprising:
a circuit board having an IC chip mounted thereon (circuit board 50 with integrated circuit 50a, a CPU, mounted on its upper surface, ¶0143, ¶0173); and
a heat dissipation device configured to transfer heat from the IC chip (heat radiating device 70, having heat sinks 71 and 72, heat pipes 73A–73F whose heat receiving portions 73a are thermally connected to integrated circuit 50a, and heat transfer member 74 disposed between the heat pipes and the integrated circuit, ¶0142–0143; FIGS. 13A, 14A), the heat dissipation device comprising:
a base plate having an opening positioned to correspond to the IC chip (base plate 75, to the upper side of which heat sinks 71 and 72 are fixed, ¶0142; as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14C, base plate 75 is interrupted in the region directly above integrated circuit 50a, in which region heat transfer member 74 and the heat receiving portions 73a of the heat pipes are located);
a member configured to dissipate or transfer heat of the IC chip, the member having a portion disposed in a first direction relative to the base plate (fins 71a of heat sink 71, which are fixed to the upper side of base plate 75 and extend upward from it, ¶0142; heat transfer member 74, whose side portions 74b carry the lower edges of fins 71a, ¶0147; FIG. 14A); and
a shield structure surrounding the opening of the base plate and formed between the base plate and the member (the joint at which fins 71a are fixed to base plate 75 by solder, ¶0142, and at which the fins are likewise fixed to the upper surfaces of side portions 74b of heat transfer member 74 by solder, ¶0147, which joints extend along the region of base plate 75 that is interrupted above integrated circuit 50a, FIG. 14A).
Sugawara is directed to suppressing leakage of electromagnetic waves at the periphery of a heat radiating device, and teaches closing the gaps between a base plate and the edges of an opening of a board shield for that purpose (abstract; ¶0176–0178). To the extent that Sugawara does not expressly state that base plate 75 is formed with an opening at the position of integrated circuit 50a, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to so form it, because heat transfer member 74 must reach integrated circuit 50a through the plane occupied by base plate 75 in order to perform the thermal connection Sugawara requires (¶0143), and forming an opening in the plate at that position is the arrangement shown in FIGS. 14A and 14C.
Regarding claim 30, Sugawara teaches the electronic device of claim 29, wherein the shield structure has a fixing region in which the base plate and the member are mutually fixed (fins 71a of heat sink 71 are fixed to the upper side of base plate 75 by solder, ¶0142).
Regarding claim 31, Sugawara teaches the electronic device of claim 30, wherein the member includes a member configured to transfer the heat of the IC chip and has a protruding portion protruding in a direction opposite to the first direction relative to the base plate and being in contact with the IC chip (heat transfer member 74 is disposed between heat pipes 73 and integrated circuit 50a and connects the heat receiving portions 73a to the integrated circuit, ¶0143; as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14C, the portion of heat transfer member 74 that carries groove 74a extends downward past base plate 75 to integrated circuit 50a, ¶0147).
Regarding claim 32, Sugawara teaches the electronic device of claim 29, wherein the shield structure has a second protruding contact portion, and the member and the base plate are in contact with each other through the second protruding contact portion (base plate 75 has a bottom portion 75c located under intermediate portion 73h of the heat pipes, and a plurality of steps may be formed in bottom portion 75c to bias the lower surface 73j of intermediate portion 73h toward the heat sink 71 side, ¶0157; FIG. 14C; the heat pipes 73 transfer the heat of integrated circuit 50a, ¶0143).
Regarding claim 33, Sugawara teaches the electronic device of claim 29, wherein the shield structure further includes a member configured to dissipate or transfer the heat of the IC chip and having a portion located in the first direction relative to the base plate (heat pipes 73, whose intermediate portions 73h lie above bottom portion 75c of base plate 75 and are connected to the lower edges of fins 71a, ¶0156–0157), the shield structure having a fixing region in which the base plate and one of the members are mutually fixed (fins 71a fixed to the upper side of base plate 75 by solder, ¶0142) and a second protruding contact portion for causing the other member to be in contact with the base plate (the steps of bottom portion 75c, ¶0157).
Rejection 4 — Claim 34 over Sugawara in view of Hancock
Claim 34 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugawara in view of Hancock (US 5,808,237).
Sugawara teaches the electronic device of claim 33 as set forth above, but does not state the distance between the soldered fixing region and the steps of bottom portion 75c. Hancock teaches that the points at which two conductive sheet-metal parts are held in contact along a seam are spaced apart approximately one quarter of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the electromagnetic interference generated by the enclosed components, and that the spacing varies with that frequency (col. 4, ll. 20–30). One quarter of the wavelength is less than one-third of a wavelength of noise that the shield structure blocks. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to space the fixing region and the second protruding contact portion of Sugawara accordingly, for the reason Hancock gives: the spacing between contact points along a seam in a conductive enclosure is selected from the frequency of the noise to be contained (col. 4, ll. 20–30). Sugawara is directed to suppressing leakage of electromagnetic waves at the periphery of its heat radiating device (abstract), and so is concerned with the same containment that governs Hancock's spacing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 26–28 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.
[Reasons for allowance are not being provided at this time. If reasons are to be stated, the following is suggested: the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a base plate fixed to the circuit board shield by the plurality of fixing portions and having a lower rigidity than the circuit board shield.]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2023/0171915 – electronic apparatus
US 2021/0303038 – electronic apparatus and exterior panel thereof
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGFU J FENG whose telephone number is (571)272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 900am-530pm EST.
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/ZHENGFU J FENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835 September 19, 2026
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