DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/27/2025 was considered by the examiner.
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 3-7 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.
Regarding claims 3 and 4, it is unclear whether each needle pin portion requires a corresponding tip portion. Claims 3 and 4 recite “the unit needle pin includes a beam portion and a tip portion” reciting only a single needle pin whereas claim 1 recites “a plurality of needle pins”. It is unclear if each needle pin requires a corresponding needle pin. Further, Fig. 19 of the pending application shows wherein 4 beam portions 115 along the length dimension D12 share a common tip potion 130(131). Likewise, the beam portions 115 share two lower tip portions 130(133) share only two tip portions. It is unclear if claims 3 and 4 would also be interpreted as reading on these claims or if claims 3 and 4 are limited to embodiments of, for example, Figs. 1, 21, 29, 31, and/or 33 wherein each unit needle pin comprises a unique tip portion. For the purpose of examination, the claims will be interpreted wherein two or more pin portions may share a tip portion as illustrated in Fig. 19. If the applicant wishes to narrow the claim as in Figs. 1, 21, 29, 31, or 33, the examiner suggests amending claims 3 and 4 to recite wherein “each of the plurality of unit needle pins includes a beam portion and a tip portion”.
Claim 7 recites “the first direction, but claim 7 and parent claim 5 do not establish an antecedent basis for “the first direction”. While claim 6 establishes an antecedent basis for “a first direction”, the claim does not depend on claim 6. Please establish an antecedent basis or amend claim 7 to depend on claim 6.
Regarding claim 9, the claim recites “the tip portion is provided to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction”. Claim 9 and parent claim 8 only recite a single tip portion. Please provide an antecedent basis for a plurality of tip portions in claim 8 or claim 9.
Claims 10 – 14 recite “the first direction” and/or “the second direction” without establishing an antecedent basis in any of the claims or parent claims. While claim 6 establishes an antecedent basis for “a first direction” and claim 7 establishes an antecedent basis for “a second direction”, claims 10-14 do not depend on either of claims 6 or 7. Please establish an antecedent basis or amend the claims to depend on claims 6 or 7, accordingly.
Claim 10 recites “the tip portion is provided to be spaced apart from each other…” and rejected for similar reasons as claim 9.
Regarding claim 10, the examiner was unable to identify prior art which teaches the limitations of claim 10 in combination with all limitations of parent claims 5 and 8, however, claim 10 stands rejected under 35 USC 112(b).
Regarding claim 18, the claim recites “wherein the subsequent plating layer is also provided inside the connecting portion by penetrating through the inside of the connecting portion.” The limitation as claimed is not clearly understood by the examiner. The claims are discussed in regards to Figs. 10A-D of the pending application and [0169]-[0174] of Pg. Pub. 2025/0306088 which corresponds to the pending application. As best understood by the examiner, the limitations as claimed correspond to a method of manufacturing and it is unclear how the limitations as claimed limit the structure of the apparatus beyond what is disclosed in claim 17. Please provide clarification. For the purpose of examination, any reference which reads on claim 17 would also read on claim 18.
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 –
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-6, 8, 19, 12 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2023/0194570 (Lou).
Regarding claim 1, Lou teaches an electrical connector (probe element 1 of Fig. 9) comprising:
a plurality of unit needle pins arranged to be spaced apart from each other and having beam portions extending in a longitudinal direction to be elastically deformed (a plurality of needle structures 101 comprising body portions 10 in a longitudinal direction that elastically deform; see Fig. 9; see [0048]-[0053]); and
a connecting portion fixing the plurality of unit needle pins to be spaced apart from each other (projections 13a, 13b, and 13c are arranged with the needle structures fixed and spaced apart from each other; see Fig. 9; see [0048]-[0053]; see also connection part 103 as discussed in [0032]; Note: the claims do not require the pins to be electrically connected. While Fig. 13 of the pending application shows the multiple unit pins are connected together for contacting a single electrical terminal 21 of the object to be inspected 20, the claims would reasonably read on a conventional probe head comprising multiple needles/tips connected by an insulator for testing multiple contact pads of a DUT.).
Regarding claim 2, Lou teaches wherein the connecting portion is formed in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the unit needle pin (the protrusions 13 are formed in a first and second direction as shown in Fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 5, Lou teaches an electrical connector (probe element 1 of Fig. 9) comprising:
a deformation array having a plurality of beam portions extending in a longitudinal direction to be elastically deformed (a plurality of needle structures 101 comprising body portions 10 in a longitudinal direction that elastically deform; see Fig. 9; see [0048]-[0053]); and
a connecting portion to which the beam portions of the deformation array are connected (projections 13a, 13b, and 13c are arranged with the needle structures fixed and spaced apart from each other; see Fig. 9; see [0048]-[0053]; see also connection part 103 as discussed in [0032]).
Regarding claim 6, Lou teaches wherein the deformation array has the beam portions spaced apart from each other in a first direction (see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Lou teaches further comprising a tip portion provided on an upper portion of the connecting portion (contact segment 11; see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Lou teaches wherein the tip portion is provided to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction (contact segments 11 are spaced apart from each other in a first direction; see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, Lou teaches wherein a length dimension of the connecting portion in the first direction is greater than a length dimension of the deformation array in the first direction (the connecting portion is wider in the first direction than the second direction; see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 15, Lou teaches wherein the connecting portion includes: an upper connecting portion provided on an upper portion of the deformation array; and a lower connecting portion provided on a lower portion of the deformation array (connecting portions 13a, b; see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 16, Lou teaches further comprising: an upper tip portion provided on an upper portion of the upper connecting portion; and a lower tip portion provided on a lower portion of the lower connecting portion (first contact segment 11 and second contact segment 12).
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) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0194570 (Lou) in view of US 2010/0176832 (Kister).
Regarding claims 3-4, Lout fails to teach wherein the unit needle pin includes a beam portion and a tip portion, and the unit needle pins adjacent to each other are bundled to be spaced apart from each other through the connecting portion provided between the beam portion and the tip portion; and wherein the unit needle pin includes a beam portion and a tip portion, and the plurality of unit needle pins are connected to each other by the connecting portion, and each of the beam portions are spaced apart from each other and each of the tip portions are also spaced apart from each other.
Kister teaches wherein the unit needle pin includes a beam portion and a tip portion, and the unit needle pins adjacent to each other are bundled to be spaced apart from each other through the connecting portion provided between the beam portion and the tip portion; and wherein the unit needle pin includes a beam portion and a tip portion, and the plurality of unit needle pins are connected to each other by the connecting portion, and each of the beam portions are spaced apart from each other and each of the tip portions are also spaced apart from each other (each probe has a body portion 202a, b having tip portions, e.g. 120 of Fig. 1a, wherein the body portions and tip portions are kept at a fixed distance; see Figs. 2a, b; 3a-d).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the features of Kister into Lou in order to gain the advantage of multiple probes and probe tips which are separated from each other at a fixed distance for testing multiple contacts of a device under test.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0194570 (Lou) in view of US 2015/0015289 (Eldridge).
Regarding claim 7, Lou teaches wherein the deformation array has the beam portions spaced apart from each other in the first direction (see Fig. 9).
Lou fails to teach and also spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
Eldridge teaches and also spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (a multipath probe 200 includes multiple leaf structures 214, 224 in first and second directions; see Fig. 2E).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the features of Eldridge into Lou as leaf sections arranged in a first direction or a first direction and second direction are both known variations for achieving the same result without requiring any undue experimentation or providing any new or unexpected result.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0194570 (Lou) in view of US 2024/0044940 (Crippa).
Regarding claim 11, Lou fails to teach further comprising a stopper preventing excessive compressive deformation of the deformation array.
Crippa teaches further comprising a stopper preventing excessive compressive deformation of the deformation array (it is possible to provide the contact probe of the present invention with further features, such as stoppers protruding from the probe body; see [0113]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the features of Crippa into Lou in order to gain the advantage of a stopper which prevents damage to the contact probe and contact head.
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0194570 (Lou).
Regarding claim 13, Lou fails to teach wherein a length dimension of the connecting portion in the second direction is greater than a length dimension of the deformation array in the second direction, however, the limitations as claimed would be an obvious matter of design choice for one of ordinary skill in the art without providing any new or unexpected result or requiring any undue experimentation by merely extending the length in a second direction as illustrated for the first direction in Figs. 4A and 5A of Lou.
Regarding claim 14, Lou teaches wherein a length dimension of the connecting portion in the first direction is greater than a length dimension of the deformation array in the first direction (see Fig. 9).
Lou fails to teach a length dimension of the connecting portion in the second direction is greater than a length dimension of the deformation array in the second direction, however, the limitations as claimed would be an obvious matter of design choice for one of ordinary skill in the art without providing any new or unexpected result or requiring any undue experimentation by merely extending the length in a second direction as illustrated for the first direction in Figs. 4A and 5A of Lou.
Claim(s) 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2023/0194570 (Lou) in view of PCT/KR2022/002513 (Ahn).
Regarding claims 17-18, Lou fails to teach comprising a subsequent plating layer formed on a surface of the electrical connector; and wherein the subsequent plating layer is also provided inside the connecting portion by penetrating through the inside of the connecting portion.
Ahn teaches a subsequent plating layer formed on a surface of the electrical connector; and wherein the subsequent plating layer is also provided inside the connecting portion by penetrating through the inside of the connecting portion (The pins 100 and 200 are plated with conductive material including gold, copper, silver, etc. which would include the tips 113/123/213/223, connection portions 111/121/211/221; see page 5 of translation and Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the features of Ahn into Lou in order to gain the advantage of increasing the conductivity of the test probe.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN LEE YENINAS whose telephone number is (571)270-0372. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 10 - 6.
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, Judy Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEVEN L YENINAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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