DETAILED ACTION
The following Non-Final Office Action is in response to the RCE filed 4/20/2026.
Status of the claims: Claims 1-10, 14-15 and 17-24 are hereby examined below.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include reference sign(s) for the following elements: the inner cavity and channel recited in claim 22 and the enlarged portion recited in claim 24. 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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: While they appear to be shown in the drawings, the disclosure fails to provide a description with reference numerals for the inner cavity and channel recited in claim 22 or the enlarged portion in claim 24.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 22 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang US 6,752,194 in view of Manske US 2015/0300083 and Tuzmen et al US 5,513,687.
In regard to claim 22, Huang ‘194 discloses an actuating system for a window shade, comprising: A control module adapted to couple to a transmission axle, the control module being actuatable to rotate the transmission axle for adjusting a shading structure of a window shade, wherein the control module includes: a wand (571)(578) having a hollow interior extending between a first end and a second end of the wand, a flexible operating element (58) extending outside the wand at the first end thereof, and a handle (534) coupled to the operating element (58) and disposed at the second end of the wand, the handle (534) being operable to pull the operating element (58) for actuating the control module, an anti-winding guard (533) of an elongate shape, wherein the operating element (58) , the handle (534) and the anti-winding guard (533) are connected to one another so as to be movable in unison relative to the wand, and the anti- winding guard (533) is configured to extend outside the wand (571)(578) between the handle (534) and the second end of the wand (571)(578) when the handle moves away from the second end of the wand, wherein the anti-winding guard (533) is a tube fixedly connected to the handle (534) and the operating element (58) is threaded through a hollow interior of the tube and has an end anchored to the anti-winding guard (533), the tube (533) being provided as a separate part fastened to the handle (534)at one end.
Huang ‘194 fails to disclose the end of the operating element being anchored to the handle and engaged with a retaining structure provided in the handle, wherein the handle has a channel and an inner cavity connected to each other, the handle having a proximal end and a distal end opposite to each other along a longitudinal axis of the wand, the channel being adjacent to the proximal end of the handle and the inner cavity being spaced apart from the distal end of the handle, the inner cavity having a width greater than a width of the channel, the end of the tube being disposed inside the channel, and the end of the operating element extending outside the end of the tube into the inner cavity of the handle, the end of the operating element being entirely received inside the inner cavity of the handle.
Manske ‘083 discloses the end of the operating element (440) being anchored to the handle (140, below)) and engaged with a retaining structure provided in the handle, wherein the handle has a channel and an inner cavity connected to each other (shown below), the handle (140) having a proximal end (right side, below) and a distal end (left side, below) opposite to each other along a longitudinal axis of the wand, the channel being adjacent (near to, not required to touch) to the proximal end (right side) of the handle and the inner cavity being spaced apart from the distal end (left side) of the handle, the inner cavity having a similar width as the channel, the end of the tube (130) being disposed inside the channel, and the end of the operating element (440) extending outside the end of the tube into the inner cavity of the handle (paragraph [0034]).
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Tuzmen et al ‘687 discloses the end (19) of the operating element being entirely received inside the inner cavity (65) of the handle (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Huang ‘194 to make the end of the operating element be anchored to retaining structure in the handle as taught by Manske ‘083 as such is shown to be a known configuration for anchoring an operating element. Such would keep the operating element accessible if removal is needed.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have an inner cavity with a width greater than a width of the channel since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955). Further, changes in size or shape without special functional significance are not patentable. Research Corp.v. Nasco Industries, Inc., 501 F2d 358; 182 USPQ 449 (CA 7) cert. Denied 184 USPQ 193; 43 USLW 3359 (1974). Making the channel smaller would allow a thinner tube to be used which may be preferable for a desired look of the device.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Huang ‘194/Manske ‘083 to make the operating element be entirely received inside the inner cavity of the handle as taught by Tuzmen ‘687 for the purpose of providing a clean aesthetic as well as protecting it from damage.
In regard to claim 24, Huang ‘194 as modified by Manske ‘083 disclose wherein the handle 9140, Manske ‘083 has an enlarged portion between the inner cavity and the distal end (left side) of the handle, the enlarged portion being larger than the proximal end(right side) of the handle (as shown by the rectangle below).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument regarding claim 22 that Manske does not disclose “the handle having a proximal end and a distal end opposite to each other along a longitudinal axis of the wand, the channel being adjacent to the proximal end of the handle and the inner cavity being spaced apart from the distal end of the handle”, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Based on the examiner’s interpretation of “adjacent” as shown in the rejection above, this limitation is taught.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10,14-15,17-21 and 23 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY C RAMSEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3133. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Wed 7:00-3:30.
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/JEREMY C RAMSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/ABE MASSAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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