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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted September 13, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “6” has been used to designate both “o-ring” and “spring latch”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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, 2, 4, 5, 7-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hubner (US 6,225,559).
In regards to claim 1, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement for holding an electronic component (13), comprising a housing (200) having a housing base (2-4) and a housing cover (8) configured to be mounted onto the housing base (2-4), a receptacle (cavity opening between walls (2-4, figure 3) for accommodating the electronic component (13) between the housing base (2-4) and the mounted housing cover (8), and a component fixation member (7) which is capable of being elastically deformable (figure 4 shows that the material of the base is deformable with the side wall (4) is initially formed displaced outwardly through an angle (abstract)) and configured to be located in the receptacle (see figure 3) for fixating the electronic component (13) in the receptacle (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 2, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component fixation member (7) is monolithically formed with the housing base (4, see figure 4).
In regards to claim 4, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component fixation member (7) is formed as a spring latch (spring pressure elements, column 1, line 18), protruding towards the receptacle at least partially (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 5, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component fixation member (7) comprises a convex section protruding towards the receptacle (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 7, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component fixation member (7) is a spring latch being monolithically formed with the housing base (4); a component fixation member (7) comprising a convex section (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 8, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing base and/or the housing cover (2-4) comprises at least one engagement protrusion (16) at least partially penetrating the receptacle (see figure 3).
In regards to claim 9, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing base (3, 4) and the housing cover (8) are capable of being joined by laser welding in at least one welding section.
In regards to claim 11, Hubner teaches a mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing base (2-4) comprises a collar (adjacent to portion (9) in figure 3) surrounding the receptacle, the mounting arrangement further comprising a sealing element (9) extending around an outer side of the collar (see figure 3), the outer side facing away from the receptacle (see figure 3).
Claim(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Casperson (US 5,402,313).
In regards to claim 1, Casperson teaches a mounting arrangement for holding an electronic component (3), comprising a housing (figure 1) having a housing base (1) and a housing cover (7) configured to be mounted onto the housing base (see figure 1), a receptacle (opening in the housing (1)) for accommodating the electronic component (3) between the housing base (1) and the mounted housing cover (7), and a component fixation member (5) which is elastically deformable (spring) and configured to be located in the receptacle for fixating the electronic component (3) in the receptacle (figure 1).
In regards to claim 6, Casperson teaches A mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component fixation member (5) is an O-ring (5) (see figure 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 10, 12, 13 and 14 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. O’ Conner et al. (US 2008/0053700) teaches a sealed electronic component with a lid and a body; Peck (US 2009/0316377) teaches a mounting arrangement for fixing printed circuit boards with at least one mounting flange; Casperson (US 5,402,313) teaches an O-ring being used as a component fixation member.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRYSTAL ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9258. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5 M-F.
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, Timothy Dole can be reached on (571)-272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KRYSTAL ROBINSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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