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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species A and H in the reply filed on May 16, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species A should be in the same species as Species H as they encompass the same features. The applicant’s argument are found to be persuasive by the examiner and Species A and H will be examined together. However, in regards to Species B-G, the restriction requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 2-4 (first and second body parts, 113, 114; handle, 117), 6-7 (assembling part, 202) and 9-11 (blocking part; 123) are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on May 16, 2025.
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, 5 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Loparco et al. US 2016/0219745.
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Loparco discloses a pushing auxiliary (200, ¶0022), comprising: a body part (210), including an abutting part (212) and a combination part (214), the combination part is movably combined with an object (112, ¶0022); and a screw body (216, 218), movably combined with the body part, and the screw body is screwed with a nut body (224) of another object for driving the abutting part to abut against an abutted body (226), in order to drive the object to move (¶0022-32).
As for claim 5, Loparco discloses wherein there is a floating amount (floating screw assembly, 216, 218) between the screw body (216, 218) and the body part (210) to screw with the screw body (216, 218) in different angles or oblique angles (spring mounted bracket (220 with springs provides for adjustable engagement at different angles).
As for claim 8, Loparco discloses wherein the object has a connector (108, 112), the connector is connected to another connector of a connecting object by on-state current (electronic connections, ¶0024), when the screw body is screwed up, the pushing auxiliary abuts against the abutted body to bring the object to move, so that the connector is loosened or disengaged from the other connector (¶0017 and ¶0024, plug connection).
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Loparco et al. US 2016/0219745 in view of Twachtmann et al. US 5208735.
As for claim 5, Loparco discloses all the limitations as recited above but does not specify wherein the screw body (216, 218) screws with the nut body (224) in an oblique angle. Loparco discloses wherein “the bracket assembly (228) can be any shape and structure other than depicted in Fig. 3, providing that bracket assembly 228 allows mating of floating screw 218 to thread assembly 224” (¶0038). The use of a latch body that latches with another body in an oblique angle to secure a latch assembly is well known in the art as evidence by Twachtmann who teaches a latching system (shown below, Figs. 2B-2C having a latch (100) with a body part (102) and a latch pin (108) movably combined with the body part, and the latch pin engages with a latch receiving hook (130) of another object (101). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify the position of the nut body and screw body of Loparco to engage at an oblique angle coupling as taught by Twachtmann as an alternative position for coupling the object and another object together.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYRONE V HALL JR whose telephone number is (571)270-5948. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm.
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, Monica Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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