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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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, and
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 10, 11, 14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by KR10-1622314 (“Ref. 1” hereinafter). Referring to claim 1, Ref. 1 discloses a circuit board spacer (300, Figs. 1 and 2) for holding a first circuit board (100) and a second circuit board (200) in a fixed spatial relationship, the spacer comprising:
a first clamping portion (340) configured to clamp to the first circuit board (100) in response to rotation of the first clamping portion (340) with respect to the first circuit board (100);
a second clamping portion (350) configured to clamp to the second circuit board (200); and
a body portion (310), extending from the first clamping portion (340) to the second clamping portion (350). Figs. 7-9.
Referring to claim 2, Ref. 1 discloses the circuit board spacer of claim 1, wherein: the body portion (310) has a first diameter; and the first clamping portion (340) comprises a jaw (345) that extends outward of the first diameter. See Fig. 3.
Referring to claim 3, Ref. 1 discloses the circuit board spacer of claim 2, wherein the first clamping portion (340) further comprises a second jaw (i.e., opposite the first jaw 345) that extends outward of the first diameter, wherein the first clamping portion (340) is configured to clamp the first circuit board (100) between the first jaw and the second jaw. See Fig. 9 which shows the “jaws” of the first clamping portion (345) holding or clamping the first circuit board (100) in place.
Referring to claim 4, Ref. 1 discloses the circuit board spacer of claim 1, wherein the second clamping portion (350) is configured to clamp to the second circuit board (200) in response to the second clamping portion (350) being pressed through an aperture (250) in the second circuit board (200). See Figs. 7-9.
Referring to claim 10, Ref. 1 discloses the circuit board spacer of claim 1, wherein the body portion (310) is generally cylindrical. See Fig. 3.
Referring to claim 11, Ref. 1 discloses a circuit board assembly comprising: a first circuit board (100); a second circuit board (200); and a circuit board spacer (300) for holding the first circuit board (100) and the second circuit board (200) in a fixed spatial relationship (Figs. 1 & 2), the spacer (300) comprising:
a first clamping portion (340) configured to clamp to the first circuit board (100) in response to rotation of the first clamping portion (Figs. 7-9) with respect to the first circuit board (100); a second clamping portion (350) configured to clamp to the second circuit board (200); and a body portion (310), extending from the first clamping portion (340) to the second clamping portion (350).
Referring to claim 14, Ref. 1 discloses the circuit board assembly of claim 11, wherein: the second circuit board (200) comprises a second aperture (250); and the second clamping portion (350) is configured to clamp to the second circuit board (200) in response to the second clamping portion (350) being pressed through the second aperture (250). See Figs. 7-9.
Referring to claim 18, Ref. 1 inherently discloses a method of assembling a circuit board assembly (Figs. Figs. 1-2), the method comprising: providing: a first circuit board (100) having a first aperture (150); a second circuit board (200) having a second aperture (250); and a circuit board spacer (300) comprising: a first clamping portion (340); a second clamping portion (350); and a body portion (310), extending from the first clamping portion to the second clamping portion; inserting the second clamping portion into the second aperture to clamp the second clamping portion to the second circuit board; inserting the first clamping portion into the first aperture; and rotating the first clamping portion with respect to the first circuit board to clamp the first clamping portion to the first circuit board (Figs. 7-9).
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 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ref. 1. Although the method steps are implicitly taught by Ref. 1, the specific limitations of each of the body portion segments of the spacers (300) has a different length from each other body portion segment and selecting the circuit board spacer from a plurality of circuit board spacers are not.
However, it has been recognized that a change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955). As such, it would been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Ref. 1 as claimed, since this would have been an obvious matter of design choice and said a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component or feature.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 12, 13 and 15-17 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 5 and 15, the specific limitations of “the second clamping portion comprises a compressible jaw,” in combination with the remaining elements or steps, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. Claim 6 depends on claim 5 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reasons. Likewise, claim 16 depends on claim 15 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reasons.
Regarding claim 7, the specific limitations of “the body portion has a first diameter; and the second clamping portion comprises a curved arm, wherein the curved arm has an outer diameter that is larger than the first diameter in a first state, wherein the curved arm is configured to compress inward to a second state in which the outer diameter is smaller than the first diameter,” in combination with the remaining elements or steps, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. Claims 8 and 9 depend on claim 7 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reasons.
Regarding claim 12, the specific limitations of “the first circuit board comprises a first aperture having a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter; and the first clamping portion comprises a jaw having an outer diameter that is larger than the first outer diameter and smaller than the second outer diameter,” in combination with the remaining elements or steps, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record. Claim 13 depends on claim 12 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reasons.
Regarding claim 17, the specific limitations of “the second aperture has a second diameter; and the second clamping portion comprises a curved arm, wherein the curved arm has an outer diameter that is larger than the second diameter in a first state, wherein the curved arm is configured to compress inward to a second state in which the outer diameter is smaller than the second diameter,” in combination with the remaining elements or steps, are not taught or adequately suggested in the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY Q EDWARDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2042. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/Anthony Q Edwards/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
September 30, 2026
