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 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 8, line 4, please, change “an electronic board” to - - the electronic board - - for proper reading.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Duesterhoeft et al. (U.S, 2008/0090471) cited by the applicant.
As to claim 1, Duesterhoeft discloses a mechanical component (10) for electrical contact, made from an electrically conductive material, configured to be fastened to an electronic board so as to place a printed circuit on the electronic board in electrical contact with an electrical terminal, of a stator part of an electric motor of a motor-fan assembly of a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation of a motor vehicle, said component being configured to be fastened both to the electronic board and to the electrical terminal, the mechanical component (10) as shown in figures 1A-1D comprises:
a portion (single solder pin 18, para-0028) for fastening to the electronic board (PCB-12), configured to be inserted and soldered (para-0028) in a complementary hole (not label but the pin 18 goes through the hole of the PCB 12)) in the electronic board; (12), and
at least two support tabs (the two solder pins 18) configured to rest against the electronic board (12) and arranged on an opposite side of said component (10) from said fastening portion with respect to a plane normal to the electronic board (12) extending between the support tabs (18) and said fastening portion (18) when said component is mounted on the electronic board, figure 1D.
As to claim 3, Duesterhoeft discloses in figure 1C that the portion (18) for fastening to the electronic board (12) has an elongated transverse cross-section.
As to claim 4, Duesterhoeft discloses further comprising at least one connecting element (52, 54) connecting the portion (the single 18) for fastening to the electronic board (12) and the support tabs (the two pins 18).
As best understood to claim 8, Duesterhoeft discloses a control module (modular PCB assembly), for a motor-fan assembly of a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation of a motor vehicle, the control module as shown in figures 1A-1D comprising:
[[an]] the electronic board (12) having a printed circuit (trace or wiring or circuitries inherently formed on/in the electronic board 12) and
at least one mechanical component (10) for electrical contact as claimed in claim
1, fastened to the electronic board (12), figure 1D, the portion (the single pin 18) for fastening to the electronic board (12) being soldered in a complementary hole (see figure 1D) in a central area of the electronic board (12), while being in electrical contact with a track (wiring, trace or circuit) of the printed circuit.
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duesterhoeft in view of Wang (U.S. Patent 7,300,299).
Regarding claim 5, Duesterhoeft disclose the support tabs (the two pins 18) respectively have: a first arm (the end portion connected to the element 52)) connected to the connecting element; (52), and a second arm (the tip portion of the element 18). Duesterhoeft does not specifically disclose the second arm bent relative to the first arm, so as to form a support foot configured to be arranged flat against the electronic board.
Wang teaches a board standoff device (1) for electrical connector assembly as shown in figures 1-5 comprising the second arm (the tip 231) bent relative to the first arm (the arm portion connected to the body 2), so as to form a support foot configured to be arranged flat against the electronic board (4).
It would have been obvious to ne having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Wang employed in the component of Duesterhoeft in order to provide excellent support structure for the mechanical component (standoff) on the surface of the circuit board.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6-7, and 9-10 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.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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