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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-3, 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 cites “includes sloped edge”. Appropriate correction is required to “includes a sloped edge”.
Claim 11 cites “includes sloped edge”. Appropriate correction is required to “includes a sloped edge”.
Claim 14 cites “bring”. Appropriate correction is required to “bringing”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 line 2 cites “the sloped edge”. It’s unclear whether this limitation is dependent on claim 1, or the top portion of the stand-off rib from claim 2. For the purpose of examination the office will interpret claim 3 as dependent on claim 1.
Claim 12 line 2 cites “the sloped edge”. It’s unclear whether this limitation is dependent on claim 10, or the top portion of the stand-off rib from claim 11. For the purpose of examination the office will interpret claim 12 as dependent on claim 10.
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.
Claims 1-4, 10-12, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou (US 20120262892; “Kanou” hereinafter), in view of Rodeffer et al (US 5515240; “Rodeffer” hereinafter), and further in view of Cano Salomo et al (US 20220255252; “Cano” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Kanou teaches: a system comprising:
an electrical unit (i.e. ECU 1, fig. 1), the electrical unit comprising a housing base (21, fig. 2) and a cover (22, fig. 2) affixable on the housing base (¶[0028]), the housing base comprising side walls (32a-32d, fig. 5) and a bottom wall (30, fig. 6) defining an interior compartment (24, fig. 4), an open top side over which the cover is affixable (see annotated fig. 5 below); and
a circuit board (10b, fig. 5) in the interior compartment (fig. 5), the circuit board comprising connector terminals (14B, fig. 5, ¶[0052]) extending through the one of the side walls (32c).
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Kanou does not explicitly teach:
the electrical unit being a fusebox,
a stand-off rib extending from one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defining a slot adjacent the bottom wall, an edge portion of the circuit board extending into the slot, the stand-off rib constraining the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side.
However, Rodeffer teaches:
a stand-off rib (220, fig. 8b) extending from one of a side walls (see annotated fig. 8b below) in an interior compartment (where 230 is disposed, fig. 6), the stand-off rib defining a slot (see annotated fig. 11b below) adjacent a bottom wall (see annotated fig. 11b below), an edge portion (800, fig. 11a) of a circuit board (230, fig. 11a) extending into the slot (fig. 11b), the stand-off rib constraining the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify sidewall 32c of Kanou and include the stand-off rib from Rodeffer, such that a stand-off rib extending from one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defining a slot adjacent the bottom wall, an edge portion of the circuit board extending into the slot, in order to position the circuit board in the housing base without needing to assemble the cover, for the advantage of limiting vertical movement of the circuit board towards the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
Kanou in view Rodeffer of does not explicitly teach:
the electrical unit being a fusebox.
However, Cano teaches:
an electrical unit (20 i.e. fusebox, fig. 1) housing fuses (50, ¶[0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Cano’s teaching into the electrical unit of Kanou as modified by Rodeffer, such that the electrical unit houses fuses, for the advantage of protecting sensitive internal electrical components and circuits from power surges, voltage spikes, and short circuits.
NOTE: The use of the system of claim 1 (and claims 10 and 15) as a fusebox does not further define the apparatus of claim 1 over the prior art. The limitation “fusebox” is given a broadest reasonable interpretation of a housing containing fuse(s) either after or during the combination. Note MPEP section 2114 which indicates that "the manner of operating a device does not differentiate an apparatus claim from the prior art" (emphasis added).
Regarding claim 2, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Rodeffer further teaches:
wherein a top portion of the stand-off rib includes sloped edge (720, fig. 8a).
Regarding claim 3, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Rodeffer further teaches:
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wherein, along a direction away from the one of the side walls that the stand-off rib extends from, the sloped edge slopes toward the bottom wall (see annotated fig. 8a below).
Regarding claim 4, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Kanou further teaches:
wherein a second one of the side walls (32d, fig. 5) includes a guiderail rib (36, fig. 5), the circuit board includes a circuit board slot (16, fig. 7a), and the guiderail rib extends into the circuit board slot (¶[0057]).
Regarding claim 10, Kanout teaches: a method comprising:
assembling an electrical unit (1, fig. 1), the electrical unit comprising a housing base (21, fig. 2), a cover (22, fig. 2) affixable on the housing base (¶[0028]), and a circuit board (10b, fig. 5) comprising connector terminals (14b, fig. 5, ¶[0052]), the housing base comprising side walls (32a-32d, fig. 5), a bottom wall (30, fig. 6) defining an interior compartment (24, fig. 4), an open top side over which the cover is affixable (see annotated fig. 5 above for claim 1),
Kanou does not explicitly teach:
the electrical unit being a fusebox,
a stand-off rib that extends from one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defining a slot adjacent the bottom wall, wherein the assembling includes:
moving the circuit board along a top portion of the stand-off rib toward the interior compartment until the circuit board passes beyond an interior edge of the stand-off rib, the stand-off rib spacing the circuit board from the side walls such that the connector terminals are spaced from an interior of the side walls;
sliding the circuit board along the interior edge of the stand-off rib toward the bottom wall until the circuit board reaches the slot; and
sliding an edge portion of the circuit board into the slot, the slot constraining the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side, the sliding also causing the connector terminals to extend through the one of the side walls.
However, Rodeffer teaches:
a stand-off rib (220, fig. 8b) extending from one of a side walls (see annotated fig. 8b below) in an interior compartment (where 230 is disposed, fig. 6), the stand-off rib defining a slot (see annotated fig. 11b below) adjacent a bottom wall (see annotated fig. 11b below), an edge portion (800, fig. 11a) of a circuit board (230, fig. 11a) extending into the slot (fig. 11b), wherein the assembling includes moving the circuit board along a top portion (730, figs. 8a-8c) of the stand-off rib toward the interior compartment until the circuit board passes beyond an interior edge (edge of 732, fig. 8c) of the stand-off rib; sliding the circuit board along the interior edge of the stand-off rib toward the bottom wall until the circuit board reaches the slot (figs. 8a-8c); and
sliding the edge portion of the circuit board into the slot (figs. 8a-8c), the slot constraining the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32), the sliding also causing a connector seal to extend through the one of the side walls (“The end 800 of the PC board 230 is inserted into the locator tab 220 as fully explained with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8. The rubber seal 32 for the power cord 30 is inserted into opening 236”, col. 5, lines 33-37).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify sidewall 32c of Kanou where the connector terminal is disposed, and include the stand-off rib from Rodeffer, such that a stand-off rib extending from one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defining a slot adjacent the bottom wall, an edge portion of the circuit board extending into the slot, in order to position the circuit board in the housing base without needing to assemble the cover, and therefore meet the limitations of claim 7, for the advantage assembling the fusebox, and limiting vertical movement of the circuit board towards the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
Kanou in view of Rodeffer does not explicitly teach:
the electrical unit being a fusebox
However, Cano teaches:
an electrical unit (20 i.e. fusebox, fig. 1) housing fuses (50, ¶[0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Cano’s teaching into the electrical unit of Kanou as modified by Rodeffer, such that the electrical unit houses fuses, for the advantage of protecting sensitive internal electrical components and circuits from power surges, voltage spikes, and short circuits.
Regarding claim 11, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 10, and Rodeffer further teaches:
wherein a top portion of the stand-off rib includes sloped edge (720, fig. 8a).
Regarding claim 12, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 10, and Rodeffer further teaches:
wherein, in a direction away from the one of the side walls that the stand-off rib extends from, the sloped edge slopes toward the bottom wall (see annotated fig. 8a below).
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Claims 7, 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou (US 20120262892; “Kanou” hereinafter), in view of Rodeffer et al (US 5515240; “Rodeffer” hereinafter) and Cano, and further in view of Tomimoto (US 20250024619; “Tomimoto” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 7, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose:
wherein one of the cover or the housing base includes a perimeter slot that engages the other of the housing base or the cover, and there is an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface having a plurality of protrusions compressed against the other of the housing base or the cover.
However, Tomimoto teaches:
a housing base (2, fig. 7) includes a perimeter slot (25, fig. 7) that engages a cover (3, figs. 7 and 12), and there is an elastomeric seal (4, figs. 8 and 12, ¶[0039]) disposed in the perimeter slot (¶[0035]), the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface (where 42-44 are disposed proximate to side wall 32, fig. 12) having a plurality of protrusions (42-44, figs. 8 and 12) compressed against the cover (¶[0045]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the cover and the side walls (increase sidewall height to create an opening for connector 14B) of housing base of Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano, and include the slot and seal of Tomimoto, such that the housing base includes a perimeter slot that engages the cover, and an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface having a plurality of protrusions compressed against the other of the housing base or the cover, in order to provide water-stopping performance between the cover and housing base (¶[0002], [0045]).
Regarding claim 13, Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano teaches the limitations of claim 10, but does not explicitly disclose:
wherein one of the cover or the housing base includes a perimeter slot, and there is an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface that has a plurality of protrusions.
However, Tomimoto teaches:
a housing base (2, fig. 7) includes a perimeter slot (25, fig. 7) that engages a cover (3, figs. 7 and 12), and there is an elastomeric seal (4, figs. 8 and 12, ¶[0039]) disposed in the perimeter slot (¶[0035]), the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface (where 42-44 are disposed proximate to side wall 32, fig. 12) having a plurality of protrusions (42-44, figs. 8 and 12) compressed against the cover (¶[0045]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the cover and the side walls (increase sidewall height to create an opening for connector 14B) of housing base of Kanou in view of Rodeffer and Cano, and include the slot and seal of Tomimoto, such that the housing base includes a perimeter slot, and there is an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface that has a plurality of protrusions, in order to provide water-stopping performance between the cover and housing base (¶[0002], [0045]).
Regarding claim 14, Kanou in view of Rodeffer, Cano, and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 13, and the combination further teaches:
further comprising affixing the cover on the housing by bring the housing base and the cover together such that the one the cover or the housing base that does not include the perimeter slot is inserted into the perimeter slot to compress the plurality of protrusions (see figures 10-12, Tomimoto).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou (US 20120262892; “Kanou” hereinafter), in view of Rodeffer et al (US 5515240; “Rodeffer” hereinafter), Cano, Tomimoto (US 20250024619; “Tomimoto” hereinafter), and further in view of Vastmans et al (US 20220337044; “Vastmans” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 8, Kanou in view of Rodeffer, Cano and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 7, and Tomimoto further teaches:
wherein the elastomeric seal is an endless loop (fig. 4), and the plurality of protrusions includes first and second protrusions (42-44 on the side that contact side wall 32), with a trough therebetween (through between the crest of 43 and 44), to permit lateral expansion of the first and second protrusions when the seal is under compression (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 5, 11-12, ¶[0045]).
Kanou in view of Rodeffer, Cano and Tomimoto do not explicitly teach:
the elastomeric seal is formed of thermoplastic elastomer, and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1.
However, Vastmans teaches:
an elastomeric seal protrusion (70, fig. 8, ¶[0059]) is formed of thermoplastic elastomer (¶[0056]), and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1 (¶[0056]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Tomitmoto’s elastomeric seal with Vastmans’s teaching, such that the elastomeric seal is formed of thermoplastic elastomer, and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1, for the advantage of imparting the seal protrusions with the required flexibility and shock absorption, in order to provide a water tight seal. Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP 21444.07).
Regarding claim 9, Kanou in view of Rodeffer, Cano, Tomimoto and Vastmans teaches the limitations of claim 8, and Tomimoto further teaches:
wherein the elastomeric seal has a backside (see annotated fig. 12 below) located opposite the first and second protrusions, the backside including protrusion undercuts that define notches (see annotated fig. 12 below).
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Claims 15, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou in view of Cano, and further in view of Tomimoto.
Regarding claim 15, Kanou teaches: a system comprising:
an electrical unit (i.e. ECU 1, fig. 1), the electrical unit comprising a housing base (21, fig. 2) and a cover (22, fig. 2) affixable on the housing base (¶[0028]) and the cover enclosing an interior compartment (24, fig. 4),
a circuit board (10b, fig. 5) in the interior compartment (fig. 5), the circuit board comprising connector terminals (14B, fig. 5, ¶[0052]) extending through a side wall (32c) of the housing base.
Kanou does not explicitly teach:
the electrical unit being a fusebox,
one of the cover or the housing base including a perimeter slot engaging the other of the housing base or the cover;
an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal including a seal comprising a plurality of protrusions compressed against the other of the housing base or the cover.
However, Cano teaches:
an electrical unit (20 i.e. fusebox, fig. 1) housing fuses (50, ¶[0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Cano’s teaching into the electrical unit of Kanou, such that the electrical unit houses fuses, for the advantage of protecting sensitive internal electrical components and circuits from power surges, voltage spikes, and short circuits.
Kanou in view of Cano does not explicitly teach:
one of the cover or the housing base including a perimeter slot engaging the other of the housing base or the cover.
an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal including a seal comprising a plurality of protrusions compressed against the other of the housing base or the cover;
However, Tomimoto teaches:
a housing base (2, fig. 7) includes a perimeter slot (25, fig. 7) that engages a cover (3, figs. 7 and 12), and an elastomeric seal (4, figs. 8 and 12, ¶[0039]) disposed in the perimeter slot (¶[0035]), the elastomeric seal includes a seal surface (where 42-44 are disposed proximate to side wall 32, fig. 12) having a plurality of protrusions (42-44, figs. 8 and 12) compressed against the cover (¶[0045]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the cover and the side walls (increase sidewall height to create an opening for connector 14B) of housing base of Kanou in view of Cano, and include the slot and seal of Tomimoto, such that the housing base includes a perimeter slot that engages the cover, and an elastomeric seal disposed in the perimeter slot, the elastomeric seal includes a seal comprising a plurality of protrusions compressed against the other of the housing base or the cover, in order to provide water-stopping performance between the cover and housing base (¶[0002], [0045]).
Regarding claim 17, Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 15, and Tomimoto further teaches:
wherein the plurality of protrusions includes first and second protrusions, with a trough therebetween, to permit lateral expansion of the first and second protrusions when the seal is under compression.
wherein the plurality of protrusions includes first and second protrusions (42-44 on the side that contact side wall 32), with a trough therebetween (through between the crest of 43 and 44), to permit lateral expansion of the first and second protrusions when the seal is under compression (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 5, 11-12, ¶[0045]).
Regarding claim 18, Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 15, and Tomimoto further teaches:
wherein the perimeter slot defines slot side walls (241, 252), a slot bottom wall (253-254) that joins the slot side walls (fig. 5), and an open slot side opposite the slot bottom wall (fig. 5, see annotated fig. 9 below), the elastomeric seal lining one of the slot side walls and the slot bottom wall (fig. 9), and wherein at the open slot side, the elastomeric seal includes a sloped edge (see annotated fig. 9 below).
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Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto, and further in view of Vastmans.
Regarding claim 16, Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 15, and Tomimoto further teaches:
wherein the elastomeric seal is an endless loop (fig. 4), the elastomeric seal has a backside (see annotated fig. 12 below) located opposite the first and second protrusions, the backside includes protrusion undercuts that define notches (see annotated fig. 12 below).
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Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto do not explicitly teach:
the elastomeric seal is formed of thermoplastic elastomer, and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1..
However, Vastmans teaches:
an elastomeric seal protrusion (70, fig. 8, ¶[0059]) is formed of thermoplastic elastomer (¶[0056]), and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1 (¶[0056]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Tomitmoto’s elastomeric seal with Vastmans’s teaching, such that the elastomeric seal is formed of thermoplastic elastomer, and has a Shore A durometer of 15 +/- 1, for the advantage of imparting the seal protrusions with the required flexibility and shock absorption, in order to provide a water tight seal. Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious engineering choice (MPEP 21444.07).
Claims 19-20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanou in view of Cano and Tomimoto, and further in view of Rodeffer.
Regarding claim 19, Kanou in view of in view of Cano and Tomimoto teaches the limitations of claim 15, and Kanou further teaches:
wherein the housing base includes side walls (32a-32d, fig. 5), a bottom wall (30, fig. 6) that defines the interior compartment (24, fig. 4), an open top side over which the cover is affixable (see annotated fig. 5 above, in claim 1), and
Kanou in view of in view of Cano and Tomimoto do not explicitly teach:
a stand-off rib that extends off of one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defines a slot near the bottom wall.
However, Rodeffer teaches:
a stand-off rib (220, fig. 8b) extending from a side wall (see annotated fig. 8b below) in an interior compartment (where 230 is disposed, fig. 6), the stand-off rib defining a slot (see annotated fig. 11b below) near a bottom wall (see annotated fig. 11b below), an edge portion (800, fig. 11a) of a circuit board (230, fig. 11a) extending into the slot (fig. 11b), the stand-off rib constraining the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify sidewall 32c of Kanou in view of Cano and include the stand-off rib from Rodeffer, such that a stand-off rib that extends off of one of the side walls in the interior compartment, the stand-off rib defines a slot near the bottom wall, for the advantage of limiting vertical movement of the circuit board towards the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
Regarding claim 20, Kanou in view of Cano, Tomimoto and Rodeffer teaches the limitations of claim 15, and Rodeffer further teaches:
wherein an edge portion of the circuit board (800, fig. 11a) extends into the slot (fig. 11b), and the stand-off rib constrains the circuit board from moving in a direction toward the open side (col. 4, lines 29-32).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claims 1 and 4, a combination of limitations that teaches: wherein the guiderail rib terminates at a guiderail rib bottom end short of the bottom wall of the housing base. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claim 6 is objected to by virtue of dependency to claim 5.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is:
US 20230363095 A1 Housing for an Electric Circuit which is Arranged on a Printed Circuit Board. This invention relates generally to housing for an electronic circuit comprises tub-shaped lower and upper parts and a rectangular printed circuit board, PCB. The lower part comprises PCB supports and molded position fixing formations on opposite inner walls and first parts of latching apparatuses, for connecting to the upper part, on opposite outer walls.
US 20110315580 A1 Electronic Device Storage Case. This invention generally relates to a storage case for use in storing a substrate therein, includes a hollow box-shaped case body. The case body includes an open surface with an opening, a bottom surface opposite to the opening and a sidewall extending upright from the peripheral edge of the bottom surface, wherein the sidewall of the case body including a plurality of deformable ribs each having a slant surface inclined inwards toward the bottom surface, and wherein the substrate is introduced into the case body through the opening and slidingly moves along the slant surface of each of the deformable ribs to make pressure contact with the slant surface.
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/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ALLEN L PARKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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