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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-3 in the reply filed on August 7, 2026 is acknowledged. Group II claim 4 is cancelled, with all rights reserved to file such claim in a timely filed divisional application.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hastings (US 2007/0239023 A1) in view of Matsushita (US 2009/0126972 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Hastings discloses a method for producing a shielded flexible ribbon cable (abs, flexible wiring with ribbon cable with a grounded conductive shield) having a first length and a first width (See Fig. 2), comprising:
- providing at least two electrically insulating carrier layers of equal length and width (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028] [0030] insulating layer – 23 another insulating layer – 25), wherein at least one conductor has been applied to a surface of each of the at least two carrier layers (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028] [0030] parallel signal traces – 26 wide conductor – 24), and
- placing the at least two carrier layers with the conductors applied thereto one above the other in a congruent manner and mechanically connecting them (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028] [0030] insulating layer – 23, each signal travels over its own trace – 26 and all return signals use the wide conductor – 24 as a common signal return; grounded traces – 26g added at both lateral end of the set of signal traces – 26 and grounded traces – 24g are added at both lateral ends of the wide conductor – 24),
- applying an insulating layer to the at least one conductor of the uppermost carrier layer, wherein the insulating layer extends over a second length (See Fig. 8 paragraph another insulating layer – 27),
wherein the method further comprises:
- applying a closed first shielding surface to the uppermost insulating layer (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028] [0030] another conductive ground plane – 28), which first shielding surface extends in the direction of the width of the ribbon cable at least over all the conductors and which first shielding surface extends in the direction of the length of the ribbon cable over a third length (Fig. 8 paragraph [0028 [0030] see Fig. 8 below)
- applying a closed second shielding surface beneath the bottommost carrier layer, which second shielding surface extends in the direction of the width of the ribbon cable at least over all the conductors and which extends in the direction of the length of the ribbon cable over a fourth length (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028] [0030] conductive ground plane – 22 see Fig. 8 below),
either the first shielding surface and the insulating layer located beneath it are so oriented relative to the carrier layers that conductors are electrically contactable at both ends of the carrier layers (Fig. 1 paragraphs [0028] [0030] [0031] there must be contact between the traces at both ends of the layers since the cable connects two parts where in one configuration, two traces are used for each element of the ultrasound transducer – one for the signal, and one for the signal return) where this is the first alternative recited by claim 1.
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However, Hastings does not disclose 1) that the insulating layer which extends of a second length is shorter than the first length, 2) that the ends of the insulation layer are spaced from the respective ends of the carrier layer, so that at least one conductor trace at the respective ends is accessible for electrical contacting, 3) that the first shielding surface which extends in the direction of the length of the ribbon cable over a third length is shorter than the first length, 4) that the second shielding surface which extends in the direction of the length of the ribbon cable over a fourth length is shorter than the first length, and
5) as to the second alternative, while it is evident from paragraphs [0028] [0030] [0031] and Figs. 1 and 8 that the first shielding surface and the insulating surface located beneath it are so oriented relative to the carrier layers that one or more conductors are electrically contactable at one end of the carrier layers, and the second shielding surface is so oriented relative to the other end of the carrier layers that one or more conductors are electrically contactable at the other end of the carrier layers (Fig. 8 above shows the grounded traces at both lateral ends showing electrical contact),
Hastings does not disclose that the one or more conductors of the at least two carrier layers are not simultaneously covered by both shielding surfaces at either end of the ribbon cable.
In the same field of endeavor, Matsushita discloses a shield flat cable and a method of making it, similar to Hastings, and teaches a step of arranging a plurality of flat conductors with lamination of a first insulating film on the flat conductor from both sides of an arrangement plane of the flat conductors and a step of laminating a shield layer on the outside surface of the flat cable and a step of electrically connecting the ground line to the shield layer (abs).
Moreover, Matsushita further discloses the limitations of features 1)-5) above wherein the insulating layer extends over a second length, which is shorter than the first length that the ends of the insulation layer are spaced from the respective ends of the carrier layer, so that at least one conductor trace at the respective ends is accessible for electrical contacting as well as the first and second shielding surface extending over a third length and fourth length, respectively, and
which both are not longer than the first length and such that that the one or more conductors of the at least two carrier layers are not simultaneously covered by both shielding surfaces at either end of the ribbon cable (Figs. 1, 3 paragraphs [0032] [0036] all flat conductors – 2 are exposed on one surface of the conductor exposure portions – 15, shield layer – 9). See Figs. 1 and 3 below and note the exposed areas that correlate to shorter lengths of the insulating layers, shielding surfaces and the orientations such that one or more conductors of the at least two carrier layers are not simultaneously covered by both shielding surfaces at either end of the ribbon cable which is consistently longer:
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It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the disclosure of Hastings with the teaching of Matsushita whereby a method for producing a shielded flexible ribbon cable having a first length with at least two carrier layers with insulating layers and closed first shielding and second surfaces, as disclosed by Hastings, to include that these insulating layers and shielding surfaces will have respective lengths shorter than the first length of the ribbon cable such that one or more conductors of the at least two carrier layers are not simultaneously covered by both shielding surfaces at either end of the ribbon cable, as taught by Matsushita.
One with ordinary skill in the art would add this feature because these exposed portions would act and serve as connection terminals (paragraph [0034]).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Hastings and Matsushita disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Hastings further discloses that the method additionally comprises: - electrically connecting the first and the second shielding surfaces at least at one end of the ribbon cabled (Fig. 8 paragraph [0029] the ground planes – 22, 28 may be grounded at the proximal and/or the distal end).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Hastings and Matsushita disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Hastings further discloses that at least three conductors are provided on the at least one carrier layer (Fig. 8 paragraphs [0028]- [0030] ground planes – 22, 28, signal traces – 26, wide conductor – 24, 24g, 26g - grounded traces), and wherein the method additionally comprises:
- electrically contacting the first and/or the second shielding surface with at least one of the outermost conductors at least at one end of the respective shielding surface (Fig. 8, paragraphs [0029] [0030] the ground planes – 22, 28 may be grounded at the proximal and/or the distal end; each of these traces – 24g, 26g may be grounded at either the proximal and/or the distal end).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE K. SWIER whose telephone number is (571)272-4598. The examiner can normally be reached M-F generally 8:30 am - 5:30 pm PST.
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/WAYNE K. SWIER/ Examiner, Art Unit 1748 /JACOB T MINSKEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1748
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