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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 04/18/25.
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/23/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 6B shows a terminal comprising a first end portion (620), a middle portion (625), and a second end portion (630). However, paragraph 47 of the specification discloses a middle portion (630), a first end portion (620) and a second end portion (625).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-20 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.
In claims 1, 12 and 16, the limitation of “or both with the lower amount of wire bends and with the greater amount of wire bend radius compared to the wire being connected to the terminal at a location on the PCB where the terminal is located” renders the claim indefinite in that it is unclear what are the boundaries of the claim. How does the terminal allow both a lower amount of wire bend or a greater amount of wire bend radius? What are the limits of said bends? Also, the limitation of “the wire being connected to the terminal at a location on the PCB” lacks antecedent basis.
Regarding claims 4 and 18, the limitation of “to conduct a higher amount of current than any other wire in the power tool” renders the claim indefinite in that “a higher amount” has not limit and it is unclear if “any other wire” is part of the claimed invention.
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, 3-5, 8, 11-12 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Purohit et al. (2022/0247280).
Regarding claims 1, 5 and 15, Purohit discloses a power tool comprising: a housing (12) including a battery pack receiving portion (15) configured to removably receive a battery pack (16); a motor (100) situated within the housing; an output device (22) configured to provide a moveable output to perform a task, wherein the motor is configured to drive the output device; and a printed circuit board (PCB; 202; Fig. 8) situated within the housing, wherein the PCB includes a terminal (220) configured to electrically couple to a wire to electrically couple a first component (i.e. motor) of the power tool (par. 65-66) with a second component (i.e. power switching elements 210; par. 47) of the power tool; wherein the terminal extends away from the PCB to allow the wire to connect to the terminal with a lower amount of wire compared to the wire being connected to the terminal at a location on the PCB where the terminal is located (Figs. 9-11; par. 66); wherein the terminal includes a first end portion (226; Fig. 9) that is connected to the PCB (202; Fig. 8), a second end portion (224) opposite the first end portion, the second end portion configured to connect to the wire (via holes 240), and a middle portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion (Fig. 9); and wherein at least part of the middle portion is surrounded by an insulative housing (232) of a terminal clip (222) that is attached to the PCB.
Regarding claims 3 and 14, Purohit discloses wherein the PCB (202) includes a plurality of the terminals that are each electrically coupled to a respective wire (wires are not shown numerically; pars. 65-66); and wherein at least a location of the first ends of the terminals (226) with respect to each other is different than a location of the second ends (240) of the terminals with respect to each other (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 4, it is deemed that Purohit’ wires are connected to the terminals conduct an amount of current to the motor higher than the current on the minus power wires (par. 52).
Regarding claim 8, Purohit discloses wherein the PCB includes switching elements (210) configured to drive the motor by allowing current to flow to the wire; and wherein the terminal clip includes a heat sink to contact the switching elements to dissipate heat produced by the switching elements (i.e. potting compound; pars. 46, 63-64 and 67).
Regarding claim 11, Purohit discloses a transmission mechanism (i.e. gear components; par. 38) coupled between the motor and the output device, wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to transmit rotational energy from the motor to the output device.
Regarding claim 12, Purohit’s disclosed all the claimed element of the power tool, as disclosed above, and is capable provide the method step of assembling the components as claimed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6-7, 9-10, 13 and 16-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 2, 13 and 16, wherein the terminal extends from the first end portion in a first direction perpendicularly upward from a top surface of the PCB, then in a second direction parallel to the top surface of the PCB, and then in the first direction perpendicularly upward and in a third direction laterally sideways to the second end portion.
Regarding claims 6 and 20, wherein the wire connects to the motor at a forward side of the motor between the motor and the output device.
Regarding claim 9, wherein a portion of the middle portion of the terminal is exposed from the insulative housing of the terminal clip to allow the portion of the middle portion to contact a switching element of the switching elements to dissipate heat produced by the switching element.
Regarding claim 10, wherein the terminal clip includes a hole configured to allow air to flow through the terminal clip and past the switching elements to dissipate heat produced by the switching elements.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE LOPEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at (571) 270 - 1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHELLE LOPEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731