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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, and 12-27, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claim 1; “a circuit board shield…an auxiliary shield… the auxiliary shield is fitted to the circuit board shield, and covers the opening” and is unclear; whereas the assertion(s) do not present any particular type of shielding function(s) which may define varying inventive structures including but not limited to shielding against impact, noise, EMI, heat etc, and thus the assertion(s) are deemed to read on more than one plausible claim construction. Regarding Claim 16; “an outside” is unclear; whereas an outside is already asserted in claim 1. Regarding Claim 21; “is in contact with the other one”; is unclear; whereas it cannot be readily ascertained if intended to denote respective second projected portions are in contact with each other or if i.e. only a second projected portion of i.e. the auxiliary portion generally contacts i.e. the heat pipe. NOTE: if each feature is intended to comprise a second projected portion then the claim shall positively assert each of the shield and the heat pipe as comprising a second projected portion rather than only asserting “either one”
Regarding Claim 24; “a third projected portion” is unclear; whereas base claims do not previously assert first and second portions so as to properly denote a sequential third projected portion, and thus it appears the dependency shall be corrected. Regarding Claim 25; “is in contact with the other one”; is unclear; whereas it cannot be readily ascertained if intended to denote respective third projected portions are in contact with each other or if i.e. only a third projected portion of i.e. the auxiliary portion generally contacts i.e. the circuit board. NOTE: if each feature is intended to comprise a third projected portion the claim 24 shall positively assert each shield as comprising a third projected portion rather than only asserting “either one”.
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) 1-3, 12-14, 16, 21-22, and 24, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Yamamoto 6,082,443) in view of (Sasaki 2002/0084060).
Regarding Claim 1; Yamamoto discloses an electronic device (as constituted by a small sized computer—as set forth by the abstract) comprising: a circuit board (5); a circuit board shield covering the circuit board (as depicted by Fig. 23--whereas outer frame-20 atleast in-part provides physical protection, and further interrupts electromagnetic waves—as set forth by col. 8, lines 12-16); a heat pipe disposed between the circuit board and the circuit board shield (as depicted by Fig. 23--whereas 1 constitutes a heat pipe disposed atleast in-part between the circuit board-5 and the shield defined by 20); and suggests an auxiliary shield, wherein an opening is formed in the circuit board shield, the heat pipe extends from a space between the circuit board and the circuit board shield to an outside of the circuit board shield through the opening (whereas 40 constitutes an auxiliary shield feature in atleast one construction that is fixed to the circuit board shield via screws 18 which atleast in-part covers and overlaps an opening defining space for the heat pipe which has a heat radiating wall above the opening, and wherein 40 in-part shields the heat pipe from direct external impact, and further enhances heat radiation away from the heat pipe and a body-30 to be cooled to in-part shield the body from heat transfer resistance with a heat absorbing wall(s) 6 and15), and the auxiliary shield is fitted to the circuit board shield, and covers the opening (as already set forth). Except, explicitly disclosing the auxiliary shield provides i.e. electromagnetic shielding—if so intended as the same function as the circuit board shield. However, Sasaki discloses an auxiliary shield (as constituted by 1, 4, 8, 21 and/or 22-as depicted by Fig. 6 and set forth by para. 0123—whereas a base of the heat sink fins is a shielding plate for electromagnetic shield), and thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify 40 with an electromagnetic shielding function since it was known in the art that the electric parts in the body to be cooled will operate with enhanced reliability.
Regarding Claim 2; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary shield includes, on at least one side of the heat pipe, at least one fixation portion that is fixed to the circuit board shield via a fixing tool, and at least one contact portion that is separated, in an extension direction of the heat pipe, from the at least one fixation portion and that is in contact with the circuit board shield via a first projected portion (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield—whereas 1 includes a fixation portion receives which receives tool-4 and contacts a circuit board shield defined by portion 3 defining heat pipe atleast in one of the claim construction which constitutes physical protection, and a separated contact portion-8 which is raised relative to the fixation portion in a direction away from the heat pipe and the opening and configured to contact the circuit board shield via a first projected portion via 22). Note: the circuit board shield function shall be corrected, as above mentioned.
Regarding Claim 3; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary shield includes, on each side of the heat pipe, at least one fixation portion that is fixed to the circuit board shield via a fixing tool, and at least one contact portion that is separated, in an extension direction of the heat pipe, from the at least one fixation portion and that is in contact with the circuit board shield via a first projected portion (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield—whereas 1 includes a fixation portion receives which receives tool-4 and contacts a circuit board shield defined by portion 3 defining heat pipe atleast in one of the claim construction which constitutes physical protection, and a separated contact portion-8 which is raised relative to the fixation portion in a direction away from the heat pipe and the opening and configured to contact the circuit board shield via a first projected portion via 22). Note: the circuit board shield function shall be corrected, as above mentioned.
Regarding Claim 12; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary shield includes two fixation portions as the at least one fixation portion (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield at Fig. 6 whereas at least two fixing tools 4 couples to atleast two fixation portions).
Regarding Claim 13; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one contact portion is formed between the two fixation portions (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield at Fig. 6—whereas the raised contact portions at each portion of 8 and 22 are disposed between the fixation portions).
Regarding Claim 14; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary shield includes two contact portions as the at least one contact portion (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield at Fig. 6—whereas the raised contact portions at each of portion(s) of 8 and 22 respectively).
Regarding Claim 16; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a first direction, the heat pipe extends from the space between the circuit board and the circuit board shield to an outside of the circuit board shield through the opening (as already set forth).
Regarding Claim 21; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 1, wherein either one of the auxiliary shield and the heat pipe includes a second projected portion that is in contact with the other one (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield at Fig. 6 whereas at least in one construction contact portions 8 and/or 22 constitutes projection portion(s) of the auxiliary shield in direct or indirect contact with a projection portion 3 configured to project from heat pipe 9).
Regarding Claim 22; Yamamoto discloses the already modified electronic device according to claim 21, wherein the auxiliary shield includes at least one fixation portion that is fixed to the circuit board shield via a fixing tool (as depicted by the already modified auxiliary shield—whereas 1 includes a fixation portion receives which receives tool-4 and contacts a circuit board shield defined by portion 3 defining the circuit board shield atleast in one of the claim construction which constitutes physical protection).
Regarding Claim 24; Yamamoto discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein either one of the auxiliary shield and the circuit board shield includes a third projected portion (whereas in atleast one claim construction 18 constitutes a third projection coupled to the circuit board shield).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15, 17-20, 23, and 25-27, 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.
Regarding Claim 15; the electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the at least one fixation portion is formed between the two contact portions.
Regarding Claim 17; the electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the auxiliary shield includes a first overlapping portion that is positioned in the first direction from the opening and that covers the heat pipe.
Regarding Claim 20; the electronic device according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the at least one fixation portion and the at least one contact portion is less than one third of a wavelength of noise to be shielded by the auxiliary shield.
Regarding Claim 23; the electronic device according to claim 22, wherein a distance between the at least one fixation portion and the second projected portion is less than one third of a wavelength of noise to be shielded by the auxiliary shield.
Regarding Claim 25; the electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the third projected portion is separated, in an extension direction of the heat pipe, from the opening and that is in contact with the other one. Note: distinguished, assuming each 112(b) rejection is overcome, each feature having a respective third projected portion; and further of the claim(s) properly present with first and second projected portions etc or dependency thereof.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9468086 B1
Yeini; Avraham et al.
Fig.’s 1--5
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-9094. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5p.
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, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at 571-272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights