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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed May 28th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 3-5 and 8-10 have been canceled. Claims 1-2 and 6-7 remain pending in the application. Claims 1 and 6 are currently amended. Applicant’s amendments to the disclosure and claims have overcome the objections to the drawings and the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112 previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed March 2nd, 2026.
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 1-2 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moto (CN 105831033 A) in view of Wu (US 11,165,229).
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Figure 1. Annotated Figure 3 from Moto
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Figure 2. Annotated Figure 6 from Moto
Regarding Claim 1, Moto, Figures 1-6 and annotated Figures 1-2 above, teaches a control case 102 for a fishing electric reel 1 comprising:
an electrical component 100;
a case body 105 comprising a lower case 106 and an upper case 104 that has one or a plurality of second through holes 142;
a cover member 200 having one or a plurality of first through holes 200c; and
one or a plurality of switch operating parts 121;
wherein the electrical component 100 includes a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit); See Moto, Ln. 231) configured to control an electric reel 1 (See Moto, Ln. 230-235),
the case body 105 is arranged on an upper portion of a reel body and houses the electrical component 100 (See Moto, Fig. 1-2, Ln. 221-224),
the cover member 200 is mounted on an upper side of the upper case 104 (See Moto, Ln. 371),
the one or the plurality of switch operating parts 121 are capable of being operated by pressing and partially exposed from the cover member 200 or partially visible from an outside of the cover member 200 (See Moto, Ln. 391-392),
the one or the plurality of switch operating parts 121 are capable of being inserted into the one or the plurality of first through holes 200c and the one or the plurality of second through holes 142 (See Moto, Ln. 391-392), and
wherein the upper case 104 is provided with an annular projection 142a,
wherein the annular projection 142a is provided radially outward of the second through hole 142 in the upper case 104 (See Figure 2 above).
Moto teaches all the elements of the control case except for a recess-projection fitting portion, the recess-projection fitting portion being configured to align the cover member and upper case, the annular projection being spaced apart from the first through hole in the cover member or the second through hole in the upper case, and a recess spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole in the cover member or the second through hole in the upper case.
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Figure 3. Annotated Figure 2 from Wu
However, Wu, Figures 1-2 and annotated Figure 3 above, teaches a recess-projection fitting portion 100a,
the recess-projection fitting portion 100a is configured to align a positioning of the cover member 10 and the upper case 20 in order to ensure concentricity between the first through hole 30 and the second through hole 29 (See Wu, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40),
wherein one of the cover member 10 or the upper case 20 is provided with an annular projection 12, while the other of the cover member 10 or the upper case 20 is provided with an annular recess 28’, and
the annular projection 12 is provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10, and the annular recess 28’ is provided radially outward of the second through hole 29 in the upper case 20.
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Figure 4. Annotated Figure 14 from Wu
Although this embodiment of Wu (See Wu, Fig. 1-2) does not explicitly teach the annular projection and annular recess being spaced apart from their corresponding through holes, Wu, Figures 13-14 and annotated Figure 4 above, teaches wherein the annular projection 20’ is spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10 or the second through hole 29a in the upper case 20, and
the annular recess 10’ is spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10 or the second through hole 29a in the upper case 20.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Moto and Wu (embodiment shown in Fig. 1-2 and embodiment shown in Fig. 13-14) to provide a recess-projection fitting portion and both the cover member and upper case with mating projections and recesses which are spaced apart from and provided radially outward of their respective through holes for the purpose of positional alignment between multiple through holes which accommodate a singular switch (i.e., regulating the assembling position) (See Wu, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40) and for “avoid[ing] mis-touch of the switch and increas[ing] the structural strength of the main body,” (See Wu, Col. 9, Ln. 1-6).
Regarding Claim 2, Moto in view of Wu are advanced above.
Moto further teaches a display part 120 partially exposed from the cover member 200 or partially visible from the outside of the cover member 200 (See Moto, Ln. 386-387).
Regarding Claim 6, Moto, Figures 1-6 and annotated Figures 1-2 above, teaches a fishing electric reel 1 comprising:
a reel body 5; and
a control case 102 for a fishing electric reel 1 comprising:
an electrical component 100;
a case body 105 comprising a lower case 106 and an upper case 104 that has one or a plurality of second through holes 142;
a cover member 200 having one or a plurality of first through holes 200c; and
one or a plurality of switch operating parts 121;
wherein the electrical component 100 includes a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit); See Moto, Ln. 231) configured to control an electric reel 1 (See Moto, Ln. 230-235),
the case body 105 is arranged on an upper portion of a reel body and houses the electrical component 100 (See Moto, Fig. 1-2, Ln. 221-224),
the cover member 200 is mounted on an upper side of the upper case 104 (See Moto, Ln. 371),
the one or the plurality of switch operating parts 121 are capable of being operated by pressing and partially exposed from the cover member 200 or partially visible from an outside of the cover member 200 (See Moto, Ln. 391-392),
the one or the plurality of switch operating parts 121 are capable of being inserted into the one or the plurality of first through holes 200c and the one or the plurality of second through holes 142 (See Moto, Ln. 391-392), and
wherein the upper case 104 is provided with an annular projection 142a,
wherein the annular projection 142a is provided radially outward of the second through hole 142 in the upper case 104 (See Figure 2 above).
Moto teaches all the elements of the control case except for a recess-projection fitting portion, the recess-projection fitting portion being configured to align the cover member and upper case, the annular projection being spaced apart from the first through hole in the cover member or the second through hole in the upper case, and a recess spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole in the cover member or the second through hole in the upper case.
However, Wu, Figures 1-2 and annotated Figure 3 above, teaches a recess-projection fitting portion 100a,
the recess-projection fitting portion 100a is configured to align a positioning of the cover member 10 and the upper case 20 in order to ensure concentricity between the first through hole 30 and the second through hole 29 (See Wu, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40),
wherein one of the cover member 10 or the upper case 20 is provided with an annular projection 12, while the other of the cover member 10 or the upper case 20 is provided with an annular recess 28’, and
the annular projection 12 is provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10, and the annular recess 28’ is provided radially outward of the second through hole 29 in the upper case 20.
Although this embodiment of Wu (See Wu, Fig. 1-2) does not explicitly teach the annular projection and annular recess being spaced apart from their corresponding through holes, Wu, Figures 13-14 and annotated Figure 4 above, teaches wherein the annular projection 20’ is spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10 or the second through hole 29a in the upper case 20, and
the annular recess 10’ is spaced apart from and provided radially outward of the first through hole 30 in the cover member 10 or the second through hole 29a in the upper case 20.
Additionally, as shown in annotated Figures 5-7 above, providing an annular projection or annular recess being spaced apart from its corresponding through hole is a commonly used structure in control cases for fishing reels, as evidenced by Hori, Yamamoto ‘430, and Yamamoto.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Moto and Wu (embodiment shown in Fig. 1-2 and embodiment shown in Fig. 13-14) to provide a recess-projection fitting portion and both the cover member and upper case with mating projections and recesses which are spaced apart from and provided radially outward of their respective through holes for the purpose of positional alignment between multiple through holes which accommodate a singular switch (i.e., regulating the assembling position) (See Wu, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40) and for “avoid[ing] mis-touch of the switch and increas[ing] the structural strength of the main body,” (See Wu, Col. 9, Ln. 1-6).
Regarding Claim 7, Moto in view of Wu are advanced above.
Moto further teaches wherein the annular projection 142a is concentrically arranged around and encircles its respective through hole 142 (See Figure 2 above).
Wu further teaches wherein the annular projection 12 and the annular recess 28’ are each concentrically arranged around and encircle their respective through holes 30, 29 to form circular alignment of the switch operating part 90 with the first through hole 30 and the second through hole 29 when the cover member 10 is mounted on the upper case 20 (See Figure 3 above; See Wu, Fig. 2, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Moto with an annular recess and projection encircling their respective through holes, as taught by Wu, for the purpose of positional alignment between multiple through holes which accommodate a singular switch (i.e., regulating the assembling position) (See Wu, Col. 6, Ln. 31-40).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Pg. 5-8, filed May 28th, 2026, have been fully considered.
Regarding the objections to the Drawings, Applicant has canceled claims 8-10. Therefore, the objections have been withdrawn.
Regarding the rejection of Claims 8-10 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), Applicant has canceled the claims. Therefore, these rejections have been withdrawn.
Regarding the rejection of Claims 1 and 6 under 35 U.S.C. 103, Applicant has amended the claim. The amendments are sufficient to overcome the previously set forth rejection. Therefore, this rejection has been withdrawn. However, a new ground of rejection has been set forth under 35 U.S.C. 103 based on the amended claim.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Moto in view of Wu (embodiment shown in Fig. 1-2 and embodiment shown in Fig. 13-14) are utilized in the current rejection of claims 1 and 6 under 35 U.S.C. 103 (See Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 above). Applicant’s arguments are directed toward an embodiment of Wu (embodiment shown in Fig. 1-2) previously relied upon for the rejection of claims 1 and 6 in the Non-Final Office Action mailed March 2nd, 2026, whereas the new grounds of rejection relies on the teachings disclosed in an alternate embodiment of Wu (embodiment shown in Fig. 13-14).
Regarding the rejections of Claims 2 and 7, the claims are dependents of rejected claim 1 and Applicant has provided no additional arguments. Therefore, these claims are also rejected based on the new ground of rejection presented above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hori (JP 2016007184 A), Yamamoto (JP 2005304430 A), hereinafter Yamamoto ‘430, and Yamamoto (JP 2010263837 A), hereinafter Yamamoto ‘837 illustrate control cases for fishing reels in which annular projections and/or annular recesses surround through holes for accommodating switches which protrude through upper case and/or cover members. The prior art illustrates structures in which the annular projections and/or annular recesses are spaced apart from their corresponding through holes (See annotated Figures 5-7 below).
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Figure 5. Annotated Figures 6-7 from Hori
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Figure 6. Annotated Figure 4 from Yamamoto '430
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Figure 7. Annotated Figure 4 from Yamamoto '837
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIFFANY DOMONIQUE JEFFERSON whose telephone number is 571-272-0403. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10:30am-7:30pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria Augustine can be reached at 313-446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T.D.J./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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