DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-22 filed on 14 FEB 2025 are currently pending and have been examined.
Priority
The pending application 19/053,565, filed on 14 FEB 2025, claims priority from provisional application 63/675,815, filed on 26 JUL 2024 and provisional application 63/556,446, filed on 22 FEB 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 24 SEP 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 13 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 2, “a vehicular radar sensor housing” should be “the vehicular radar sensor housing”
In claim 13, line 2, “a vehicular radar sensor housing” should be “the vehicular radar sensor housing”
In claim 18, line 2, “a vehicular radar sensor housing” should be “the vehicular radar sensor housing”
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, and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Thai et al. discloses:
A method for assembling a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. “The sensor element can be a radar sensor… the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]-[0025]; housing 38, Fig. 6), the method comprising:
obtaining a first portion (Thai et al. plastic part 14, Figs. 1-6) of a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. housing 38, Fig. 6), wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a plastic interface (Thai et al. plastic part 14, Figs. 1-6);
obtaining a second portion (Thai et al. housing part 40, Fig. 6) of the vehicular radar sensor housing, wherein the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a metal interface (Thai et al. “housing part 40 which is in particular formed from metal…” - ¶ [0040]);
juxtaposing the plastic interface of the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing and the metal interface of the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. “The housing part 40 comprises a hole 40 which is formed in such a manner that it is suitable for receiving the pressure compensation element or for receiving the plastic part 14.” - ¶ [0040]); and
heating the metal interface, wherein heat is transferred from the metal interface to the plastic interface, and wherein the heat at least partially melts the plastic interface to thermally join the plastic interface and the metal interface (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Regarding claim 3, Thai et al. discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing is not joined via any of the group consisting of (i) fasteners, (ii) adhesives, (iii) welding and (iv) clips (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Regarding claim 7, Thai et al. discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic interface and the metal interface are joined at an axial join interface (Thai et al. “In particular, the adhesive connection is located between the circumferential collar of the plastic part 14 and the housing part 38.” - ¶ [0040]; where the circumferential collar of the plastic part 14 is situated around an axis of the plastic part 14).
Regarding claim 8, Thai et al. discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic interface and the metal interface are joined at an axial and radial join interface (Thai et al. “In particular, the adhesive connection is located between the circumferential collar of the plastic part 14 and the housing part 38.” - ¶ [0040]; where the circumferential collar of the plastic part 14 is situated around an axis of the plastic part 14 and at a particular radius from the center of the plastic part 14).
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) 2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Langer et al. (US 2019/0118490 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Thai et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 1
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface (Langer et al. “It has at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or beside the counterholder for the inductive heating of the metal component(s).” - ¶ [0016], see also [0040]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 2 above. Both Thai et al. and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. is in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “It has at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or beside the counterholder for the inductive heating of the metal component(s).” (Langer et al. ¶ [0016]). The combination of Thai et al. and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 4, Thai et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 1
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing (Langer et al. “The cycle time can be further reduced by a cooling since the solidification process of the thermoplastic material can be shortened after the heating.” - ¶ [0026]; “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” - ¶ [0037]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 4 above. Both Thai et al. and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. is in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0037]). The combination of Thai et al. and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 5, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 4
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises active cooling (Langer et al. “A cooling device can be designed as follows: Cooling of the respective metal or ceramic component by enforced convection via gases that have cooled to room temperature or to considerably below room temperature and that are directed as a flow to the joining partners; Cooling by heat conductions over cooling plates that can be activated after the heating process by liquid or gaseous cooling media…” - ¶ [0022]-[0024]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 5 above. Both Thai et al. and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. is in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 4. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “A cooling device can be designed as follows: Cooling of the respective metal or ceramic component by enforced convection via gases that have cooled to room temperature or to considerably below room temperature and that are directed as a flow to the joining partners; Cooling by heat conductions over cooling plates that can be activated after the heating process by liquid or gaseous cooling media…” (Langer et al. ¶ [0022]-[0024]). The combination of Thai et al. and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 6, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises, after cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing, disposing the vehicular radar sensor housing at a vehicle (Thai et al. “the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]; it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to complete assembly of the radar sensor housing prior to installing the sensor assembly at a vehicle.).
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Bae (US 2020/0292669 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Thai et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 1
Although Thai et al. does not explicitly disclose the radar sensor housing accommodates a printed circuit board (PCB), it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide a radar sensor with a PCB for controlling the operation of the radar sensor.
Bae discloses:
wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing accommodates a printed circuit board (PCB) (Bae “The board 210 may be a circuit board or a printed circuit board.” - ¶ [0083]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Bae into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 9 above. Both Thai et al. and Bae are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Bae are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing accommodates a printed circuit board (PCB). This feature is disclosed by Bae where the radar sensor includes a printed circuit board (Bae “The board 210 may be a circuit board or a printed circuit board.” - ¶ [0083]). The combination of Thai et al. and Bae would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “generate the electromagnetic waves to sense an object.” (Bae ¶ [0020]).
Regarding claim 10, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 9
Bae discloses:
wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a protrusion (Bae support part 414, Figs. 1, 3-4) that extends through the PCB to the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing to secure the PCB in place within a cavity formed by the vehicular radar sensor housing (Bae “The support part 414 is formed in a bump shape to protrude inward from the sidewall part 412, and supports the bottom of the measurement unit 200… The edge of a board 210 of the measurement unit 200 may be locked to the support part 414.” - ¶ [0083]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Bae into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 10 above. Both Thai et al. and Bae are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Bae are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 9. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a protrusion that extends through the PCB to the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing to secure the PCB in place within a cavity formed by the vehicular radar sensor housing. This feature is disclosed by Bae where “The support part 414 is formed in a bump shape to protrude inward from the sidewall part 412, and supports the bottom of the measurement unit 200… The edge of a board 210 of the measurement unit 200 may be locked to the support part 414.” (Bae ¶ [0083]). The combination of Thai et al. and Bae would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to secure the printed circuit board in the housing (Bae ¶ [0083]).
Regarding claim 11, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 10
Bae discloses:
wherein the protrusion comprises the plastic interface (Bae “the housing 40 is made of a general plastic material, and then coupled to the cover 10.” - ¶ [0143]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Bae into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 11 above. Both Thai et al. and Bae are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Bae are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 10. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the protrusion comprises the plastic interface. This feature is disclosed by Bae where “the housing 40 is made of a general plastic material, and then coupled to the cover 10.” (Bae ¶ [0143]). The combination of Thai et al. and Bae would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to secure the printed circuit board in the housing (Bae ¶ [0083]).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Bae (US 2020/0292669 A1) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Hollaender et al. (WO 2023/198353 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 10
Hollaender et al. discloses:
wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing houses an antenna (Hollaender et al. waveguide antenna 7, Figs. 1-2), and wherein the protrusion extends through the antenna (Hollaender et al. “the radome 1 has hot-stitching pins 2… The hot-stitching studs 2 are inserted into openings in the waveguide antenna 7 during manufacturing and extend through the openings to the opposite side… This creates an integral radome-waveguide antenna assembly.” - ¶ [0024]; where the radome is considered to be a first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Hollaender et al. into the invention of Thai et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 12. Thai et al., Bae and Hollaender et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al., Bae and Hollaender et al. are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 10. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing houses an antenna, and wherein the protrusion extends through the antenna. This feature is disclosed by Hollaender et al. where “the radome 1 has hot-stitching pins 2… The hot-stitching studs 2 are inserted into openings in the waveguide antenna 7 during manufacturing and extend through the openings to the opposite side… This creates an integral radome-waveguide antenna assembly.” (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0024]). The combination of Thai et al. and Bae would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to secure the printed circuit board in the housing (Bae ¶ [0083]) and ensure “that the distance D remains constant throughout the lifespan of the radar sensor and is protected from vibrations and other deformations.” (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0024]).
Claim(s) 13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Wintermantel (WO 2023/020668 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Thai et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
A method for assembling a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. “The sensor element can be a radar sensor… the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]-[0025]; housing 38, Fig. 6), the method comprising:
obtaining a portion (Thai et al. housing part 40, Fig. 6) of a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. housing 38, Fig. 6), wherein the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a metal interface (Thai et al. “housing part 40 which is in particular formed from metal…” - ¶ [0040]);
heating the metal interface, wherein heat is transferred from the metal interface to the plastic interface, and wherein the heat at least partially melts the plastic interface to thermally join the plastic interface and the metal interface (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Wintermantel discloses:
obtaining a printed circuit board (PCB) (Wintermantel circuit board 8.3, Fig. 8);
obtaining an antenna (Wintermantel molded part 8.2, Fig. 8; where the molded part is a waveguide antenna), wherein the antenna comprises a protrusion (Wintermantel pin 8.5, Fig. 8), and wherein the protrusion comprises a plastic interface (Wintermantel “molded part 8.2 made of metallized plastic” - ¶ [0062]);
disposing the antenna such that (i) the protrusion extends through the PCB to the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing to secure the PCB in place between the antenna and the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Wintermantel “rearwardly projecting pin 8.5, which is pressed into a hole in the circuit board 8.3…” - ¶ [0062]; Fig. 8) and (ii) the plastic interface of the antenna is in contact with the metal interface of the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Wintermantel “thermal contact can also have a positive effect on heat dissipation in a molded plastic part…” - ¶ [0057]; it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the antenna in contact with the metal interface in order to enhance heat dissipation from the antenna);
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Wintermantel into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 13 above. Both Thai et al. and Wintermantel are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Wintermantel are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. discloses the limitations of claim 13 outlined above. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose obtaining a printed circuit board (PCB); obtaining an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a protrusion, and wherein the protrusion comprises a plastic interface; and disposing the antenna such that (i) the protrusion extends through the PCB to the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing to secure the PCB in place between the antenna and the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing and (ii) the plastic interface of the antenna is in contact with the metal interface of the portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing. This feature is disclosed by Wintermantel where a waveguide antenna is provided as the molded part comprising rearwardly projecting pins that are pressed into the holes of a circuit board and thermal contact can be used to improve the heat dissipation from the waveguide antenna (Wintermantel ¶ [0057]-[0062]). The combination of Thai et al. and Wintermantel would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]).
Regarding claim 15, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing is not joined via any of the group consisting of (i) fasteners, (ii) adhesives, (iii) welding and (iv) clips (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Claim(s) 14 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Wintermantel (WO 2023/020668 A1) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Langer et al. (US 2019/0118490 A1).
Regarding claim 14, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 13
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface (Langer et al. inductive heating - ¶ [0016], [0040]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 14. Thai et al., Wintermantel and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Wintermantel are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 13. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “It has at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or beside the counterholder for the inductive heating of the metal component(s).” (Langer et al. ¶ [0016]). The combination of Thai et al., Wintermantel and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]) and provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 16, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 13
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing (Langer et al. “The cycle time can be further reduced by a cooling since the solidification process of the thermoplastic material can be shortened after the heating.” - ¶ [0026]; “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” - ¶ [0037]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 16. Thai et al., Wintermantel and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al. and Wintermantel are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 13. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0037]). The combination of Thai et al., Wintermantel and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]) and provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 17, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises, after cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing, disposing the vehicular radar sensor housing at a vehicle (Thai et al. “the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]; it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to complete assembly of the radar sensor housing prior to installing the sensor assembly at a vehicle.).
Claim(s) 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Wintermantel (WO 2023/020668 A1) and Hollaender et al. (WO 2023/198353 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Thai et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
A method for assembling a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. “The sensor element can be a radar sensor… the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]-[0025]; housing 38, Fig. 6), the method comprising:
obtaining a first portion (Thai et al. plastic part 14, Figs. 1-6) of a vehicular radar sensor housing (Thai et al. housing 38, Fig. 6), (Thai et al. plastic part 14, Figs. 1-6);
obtaining a second portion (Thai et al. housing part 40, Fig. 6) of the vehicular radar sensor housing, wherein the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a metal interface (Thai et al. “housing part 40 which is in particular formed from metal…” - ¶ [0040]);
heating the metal interface, wherein heat is transferred from the metal interface to the plastic interface, and wherein the heat at least partially melts the plastic interface to thermally join the plastic interface and the metal interface (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Wintermantel discloses:
wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a protrusion;
obtaining a printed circuit board (PCB) (Wintermantel circuit board 5.3, Fig. 5; circuit board 8.3, Fig. 8);
obtaining an antenna (Wintermantel “Figure 5 shows a waveguide antenna which is realized by soldering or conductively gluing a metallic or at least partially surface metallized single-layer molded part 5.2 onto the circuit board 5.3.” - ¶ [0051]; molded part 8.2, Fig. 8]);
disposing the antenna and the PCB within a cavity formed by the vehicular radar sensor housing such that (i) the protrusion extends through the PCB to the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Wintermantel “rearwardly projecting pin 8.5, which is pressed into a hole in the circuit board 8.3…” - ¶ [0062]; Fig. 8) and (ii) the plastic interface of the protrusion is in contact with the metal interface of the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Wintermantel obvious to provide the antenna in contact with the metal interface in order to enhance heat dissipation from the antenna);
Hollaender et al. discloses:
A method for assembling a vehicular radar sensor housing, the method comprising:
obtaining a first portion (Hollaender et al. radome 1, Figs. 1-2) of a vehicular radar sensor housing (Hollaender et al. the combination of radome 1 and housing 3, Figs. 1-2), wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a protrusion (Hollaender et al. pins 2, Figs. 1-2), and wherein the protrusion comprises a plastic interface (Hollaender et al. “radome pins are used as plastic domes, which then function as hot-stitching pins. The hot-stitched studs of the radome extend through the waveguide antenna and are then melted and deformed on the opposite side so that they rest against the waveguide antenna.” - ¶ [0014]);
obtaining a second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Hollaender et al. housing 3, Figs. 1-2);
obtaining a printed circuit board (PCB) (Hollaender et al. circuit board 4, Figs. 1-2);
obtaining an antenna (Hollaender et al. waveguide antenna 7, Figs. 1-2);
disposing the antenna and the PCB within a cavity formed by the vehicular radar sensor housing such that (i) the protrusion extends through the antenna to the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing (Hollaender et al. “the radome 1 has hot-stitching pins 2… The hot-stitching studs 2 are inserted into openings in the waveguide antenna 7 during manufacturing and extend through the openings to the opposite side… This creates an integral radome-waveguide antenna assembly.” - ¶ [0024]);
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. into the invention of Thai et al. to yield the invention of claim 18 above. Thai et al., Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al., Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly. Thai et al. discloses the limitations of claim 13 outlined above. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing comprises a protrusion; obtaining a printed circuit board (PCB); obtaining an antenna; disposing the antenna and the PCB within a cavity formed by the vehicular radar sensor housing such that (i) the protrusion extends through the antenna and the PCB to the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing and (ii) the plastic interface of the protrusion is in contact with the metal interface of the second portion of the vehicular radar sensor housing. These features are disclosed by Wintermantel where a waveguide antenna is provided as the molded part comprising rearwardly projecting pins that are pressed into the holes of a circuit board and thermal contact can be used to improve the heat dissipation from the waveguide antenna (Wintermantel ¶ [0057]-[0062]), and Hollaender et al. where a radome, considered to be a portion of the housing, comprises pins that are inserted into openings in the waveguide antenna toward the circuit board in another portion of the housing (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0014], [0024]). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine providing a protrusion that extends through the circuit board to ensure accurate lateral positioning as taught by Wintermantel (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]), and providing a protrusion that extends through the antenna to secure the position of the radome relative to the antenna as taught by Hollaender et al. (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0014], [0024]), to provide a protrusion that extends through both the circuit board and the antenna in order to reduce the number of parts and simplify assembly. The combination of Thai et al., Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]) and ensure “that the distance D remains constant throughout the lifespan of the radar sensor and is protected from vibrations and other deformations.” (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0024]).
Regarding claim 20, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
The method of claim 18, wherein the vehicular radar sensor housing is not joined via any of the group consisting of (i) fasteners, (ii) adhesives, (iii) welding and (iv) clips (Thai et al. “A connection of the plastic part to a further element, in particular to a housing or a housing part, can be produced via the connection region… it is also conceivable that a connection is effected by thermal direct joining…” - ¶ [0013]).
Claim(s) 19 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thai et al. (US 2022/0317243 A1) in view of Wintermantel (WO 2023/020668 A1) and Hollaender et al. (WO 2023/198353 A1) as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Langer et al. (US 2019/0118490 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 18
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface (Langer et al. inductive heating - ¶ [0016], [0040]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 19. Thai et al., Wintermantel, Hollaender et al. and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al., Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 18. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein heating the metal interface comprises generating eddy currents within the metal interface. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “It has at least one inductor present at the plunger and/or beside the counterholder for the inductive heating of the metal component(s).” (Langer et al. ¶ [0016]). The combination of Thai et al., Wintermantel, Hollaender et al. and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]), ensure “that the distance D remains constant throughout the lifespan of the radar sensor and is protected from vibrations and other deformations.” (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0024]) and provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 21, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Thai et al. has been struck-through]
The method of claim 18
Langer et al. discloses:
wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing (Langer et al. “The cycle time can be further reduced by a cooling since the solidification process of the thermoplastic material can be shortened after the heating.” - ¶ [0026]; “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” - ¶ [0037]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Langer et al. into the invention of Thai et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 21. Thai et al., Wintermantel, Hollaender et al. and Langer et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as Thai et al., Wintermantel and Hollaender et al. are in the same field of endeavor of vehicle radar sensor housings and assembly, and Langer et al. is reasonably pertinent to the problem of joining metal components with plastic components. Thai et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 18. However, Thai et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises, after heating the metal interface, cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing. This feature is disclosed by Langer et al. where “The cooling takes place after the end of the heating phase (achievement of the desired temperature and holding time in the joining region) so that the polymer solidifies and a shape matching or a material continuity is formed between the thermoplastic polymer and the metal or ceramic material.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0037]). The combination of Thai et al., Wintermantel, Hollaender et al. and Langer et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to “avoid lateral, i.e., parallel, displacement of the molded part relative to the circuit board.” (Wintermantel ¶ [0058]), ensure “that the distance D remains constant throughout the lifespan of the radar sensor and is protected from vibrations and other deformations.” (Hollaender et al. ¶ [0024]) and provide “a secure connection of at least one metal component with a component formed from or by a thermoplastic polymer in a shortened cycle time.” (Langer et al. ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 22, Thai et al. as modified above discloses:
The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises, after cooling the vehicular radar sensor housing, disposing the vehicular radar sensor housing at a vehicle (Thai et al. “the disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having a sensor assembly according to the invention.” - ¶ [0024]; it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to complete assembly of the radar sensor housing prior to installing the sensor assembly at a vehicle.).
Conclusion
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NAOMI M. WOLFORD
Examiner
Art Unit 3648
/N.M.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3648
19 SEP 2026
/RESHA DESAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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