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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7 recites “a heat-dissipating member that protrude” in line 3, and should recite --a heat-dissipating member that protrudes--.
--- Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mimura et al. (PCT Publication JPWO2017/033802A1, “Mimura”) in view of Huang et al. (Chinese Patent Publication CN107654550A, “Huang”).
Regarding claim 1, Mimura discloses a spring member (figs 1-8 and fig 12) that presses a first pressed body (101) and a second pressed body (102), which face each other in a first direction, in directions away from each other in the first direction (Z), the second pressed body having a heat-generating body (see fig 12), the spring member comprising:
a first member (10); and
a second member (20),
the first member (10) includes first abutting portions (12a, 12b) which are formed at both end portions thereof in a second direction (X) orthogonal to the first direction and abut on one pressed body (101) of the first pressed body and the second pressed body, and a second abutting portion (30) which is formed at an intermediate portion (11) thereof in the second direction and abuts on the other pressed body (102) of the first pressed body and the second pressed body (see fig 1, fig 5, and fig 6),
both end portions of the second member (20) in the second direction press the one pressed body (101) of the first pressed body and the second pressed body via the first abutting portions (22a, 22c), and an intermediate portion (21) of the second member in the second direction presses the other pressed pressing body (102) of the first pressed body and the second pressed body via the second abutting portion (at 30), and
a protective protrusion (103) to which heat from the heat-generating body is transferred is provided to the first member, the protective protrusion being formed integrally with the first member (see ¶0019).
However, Mimura does not explicitly disclose wherein the first member is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material forming the second member. Huang, however, discloses a spring member (fig 1) wherein a first member (1) is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material forming the second member (3, as the first member is made of a metal and the second member is made of a resin, see page 4, lines 5-10). Huang teaches that these materials reduce the weight of the spring (see page 3, lines 13-17). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Mimura to provide the materials of Huang for the first and second members in order to reduce the weight of the system.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein the first member (10) and the second member (20) are each curved or bent such that the intermediate portions (X) thereof in the second direction protrude toward the other pressed body.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein the first pressed body (101) is a heat-dissipating body that dissipates the heat from the heat-generating body (221) to an outside (via 205).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein the protective protrusion (103) has a plate body that protrudes from the second abutting portion (30) of the first member (10) in a third direction (Y) orthogonal to the first direction (Z) and the second direction (X).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein a dense portion (103) bent in a wave shape (see annotated fig 1) is formed in the protective protrusion (103).
PNG
media_image1.png
340
606
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein the dense portion (103) extends toward the one pressed body (101) in the first direction (Z) with respect to a connection portion (“recessed portion” ¶0019) of the protective protrusion (103) connected to the second abutting portion (30), and is separated from the one pressed body in a direction intersecting the first direction (Z, fig 1).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Mimura and Huang teaches all previous claim limitations. Mimura further discloses wherein the protective protrusion (103) includes a planar portion (103), and a heat-dissipating protrusion (“recessed portion”, ¶0019) that protrudes from at least one surface of front and back surfaces of the planar portion is formed in the protective protrusion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
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, Jianying Atkisson can be reached at (571)270-7740. 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.
/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights