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 .
Claims 6-12, 14, 15, and 20 have been cancelled, Claim 21 has been amended, and Claims 27-30have been added as per the amendment filed on 12/04/2024.
Currently Claims 1-5, 13, 16-19, and 21-30 are pending and prosecuted.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al., CN 110024499, henceforth known as Huang.
Regarding Claim 1, Huang discloses a middle frame assembly (Abstract; pages 12 and 13; a mobile terminal comprising a structural member that comprises a middle plate and a frame), comprising an inner frame and an outer frame arranged on an outer periphery of the inner frame (Figure 3A, 4A-4R; pages 12 and 13; the frame further comprises a frame inner layer and a frame outer layer, where as seen in Figures 3A and 4A-4R, the frame outer layer 3022 arranged on an outer periphery of the frame inner layer 3021),
wherein the inner frame comprises a first metal material, the outer frame comprises a second metal material, and a density of the first metal material is lower than a density of the second metal material (pages 12 and 13; the frame inner layer and the frame outer layer are made of different materials, where the mechanical strength of the frame outer layer is greater than the mechanical strength of the inner layer of the frame, wherein the mechanical strength can include hardness and strength, can be embodied as material density of X material is greater than the material density of A2 alloy, wherein the strength can be yield strength,
tensile strength ).
Regarding Claim 2, Huang discloses wherein the density of the first metal material is lower than or equal to 70% of the density of the second metal material (pages 12-16; the X material can be Stainless Steel or Titanium Alloy, and the A2 material can be magnesium alloy, or a copper alloy, thus the density of the X material is lower than or equal to 70% of the density of the A2 material, as Huang disclose the same materials as the applications) .
Regarding Claim 3, Huang discloses wherein the first metal material of the inner frame comprises one or more selected from a magnesium alloy, a zinc alloy, and a copper alloy (pages 12-16; the A2 material can be magnesium alloy, or a copper alloy)
.
Regarding Claim 4, Huang discloses wherein the second metal material of the outer frame comprises one or more selected from an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and a titanium alloy (pages 12-16; the X material can be Stainless Steel or Titanium Alloy)
Regarding Claim 5, Huang discloses wherein the second metal material is arranged on an outer surface of the outer frame (pages 12-16; the material of the outer layer is X material, thus it is arranged on an “outer surface of the outer frame”) .
Regarding Claim 27, Huang discloses wherein one or both of the inner frame and the outer frame is a single-layer frame, or wherein one or both of the inner frame and the outer frame is a laminated frame having a multi-layer structure (pages 12 and 13; the frame inner layer and the frame outer layer is considered as a “single-layer frame”).
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) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al., CN 110024499, henceforth known as Huang, in further view of Qiao et al., CN 113444936
Regarding Claim 13, Huang doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a conductive member electrically connecting the outer frame and the inner frame is provided between the outer frame and the inner frame.
However, Qiao et al., CN 113444936, teaches the use of a connecting part 113 to connect edge portion 111 and middle portion 112 to form a frame. The connecting part 113 is made of a first and second metal (conductive member), with a yield strength between the yield strength of the edge portion and the central portion (page 4, 7, and 8).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Huang to further include the teachings of Qiao in order to provide a conductive member electrically connecting the outer frame and the inner frame is provided between the outer frame and the inner frame. The motivation to combine these analogous arts is because Qiao teaches having the connecting part be used to as the boundary to define the central part and the edge part as compared to traditional welding of process welding two metals, and provides improving the whole strength of the middle frame (Qiao: page 4)
Claim(s) 21 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al., CN 110024499, henceforth known as Huang, in further view of Chen, US Patent Publication 2019/0148816.
Regarding Claim 21, Huang discloses an electronic device, comprising: the middle frame assembly according to claim 1 (Abstract; an electronic device with a middle frame as described in Claim 1).
However, Huang doesn’t explicitly disclose a structural member of the electronic device; and
a fastening member, wherein the inner frame and the outer frame are combined with the structural member by the fastening member.
Chen, US Patent Publication 2019/0148816, discloses a PCB 30 (structural member) may be fixed inside the case 10. Specifically, the PCB 30 may be fixed onto the middle frame 12 by screws (a fastening member), or the PSB 30 may be clamped onto the middle frame 12. It should be noted that, the method for fixing the PCB 30 onto the middle frame 12 is not limited in the present disclosure. Other methods and components such as clips and screws may also be used (Chen: [0044];)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Haung to further include the teachings of Chen in order to provide a structural member of the electronic device; and a fastening member, wherein the inner frame and the outer frame are combined with the structural member by the fastening member. The motivation to combine these analogous arts is because Chen teaches that PCB’s may be fixed inside the case by fixing them onto the middle frame with screws (Chen: [0044];)
Regarding Claim 26, The combination of Huang and Chen teaches wherein the structural member is a support structural member, a rotating shaft structural member, or a PCB board (Chen: [0044]; a PCB)
Claim(s) 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al., CN 110024499, henceforth known as Huang, in further view of Chen, US Patent Publication 2019/0148816, in further view of Official Notice
Regarding Claim 25, The combination of Huang and Chen doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the structural member comprises a plurality of stacked structural members, and the inner frame and the outer frame are fastened to the plurality of structural members by the fastening member.
However, the examiner takes official notice that it was well known in the art for a printed circuit board to comprise of a plurality of stacked layers.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the disclosure of Huang and Chen to further include the teachings of Official Notice in order to provide wherein the structural member comprises a plurality of stacked structural members, and the inner frame and the outer frame are fastened to the plurality of structural members by the fastening member. The motivation to combine these arts is because having a multi-layered printed circuit board is well known in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-19, 22-24, and 28-30 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK F MARINELLI whose telephone number is (571)270-3383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 8:00AM - 5:00PM PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571)-272-7495. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK F MARINELLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
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