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 .
Status of Application
This communication is responsive to the applicant's preliminary amendment filed 10/18/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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) 1-10, and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berglund et al (US-2016/0049055, hereinafter, Berglund).
Regarding claim 1, Berglund discloses an attachment apparatus (see Figs. 1-9) comprising a main housing (30) and an attachment arrangement (spring and magnet plate 48) for securing the main housing to a surface-mountable receptacle (20),
wherein the main housing is configured to move along a first direction to enter into detachable engagement with the receptacle at a retention position relative to the receptacle, the first direction being an insertion direction defined by a first axis and a first plane (see Fig. 3, para [0049]); wherein the main housing comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral portion interconnecting the first portion and the second portion which cooperate to define an internal compartment for accommodating items including circuitries, components and/or mechanisms (see para [0046], [0047]); wherein the attachment arrangement comprises a stop mechanism which is operable between an actuated state and a de-actuated state, and a de-actuation mechanism which is operable to de-actuate the stop mechanism (see para [0048]); wherein the stop mechanism is configured to impede movement of the main housing in a withdrawal direction relative to the second part when in the actuated state, the withdrawal direction being opposite to the insertion direction (see para [0052]); wherein the stop mechanism is configured to not to impede movement of the main housing in the withdrawal direction when in the de-actuated state, and the stop mechanism is in the de-actuated state when de-actuated (see para [0053]); and wherein the stop mechanism is configured to be de-actuated by application of a de-actuation force through the main housing to operate the de-actuation mechanism, the de-actuation force being in the insertion direction (see para [0057]).
Regarding claim 2, Berglund discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism is configured to operate in the actuated state and is to remain in the actuated state as a natural state unless and until the de-actuation force is applied to operate the de-actuation mechanism to de-actuate the stop mechanism (see Fig. 9, and para [0053]).
Regarding claim 3, Berglund discloses the apparatus of claims 1, wherein the de-actuation mechanism is operable in an actuation state or a non-actuation state, wherein the de-actuation mechanism is configured to de-actuate the stop mechanism when in the actuation state, and wherein the de-actuation mechanism is configured to permit the stop mechanism to operate in the actuated state or in the de-actuated state when in the non-actuation state (see Figs. 7 and 9, and para [0053]-[0055]).
Regarding claim 4, Berglund discloses the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the de-actuation mechanism is configured to operate in the non-actuation state and is to remain in the non-actuation state as a natural state unless and until acted on by the de-actuation force, and wherein the de- actuation mechanism is configured to operate in the actuation state when acted on by the de-actuation force (see para [0056], [0057]).
Regarding claims 5-7, Berglund discloses the stop mechanism in different states as claimed, see Figs. 7-9 and para [0053]-[0055].
Regarding claim 8, Berglund discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism is internally set to operate in the activated state and to remain in the activated state as a natural state absent intervention by an external force, and wherein the de-actuation mechanism is internally set to operate in the non-actuation state and to remain in the non-activation state as a natural state absent intervention by an external force (see Fig. 9, and para [0053]).
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Berglund discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism comprises a stop member which is movable between a clearance state which is an extended state and an impeding state which is a retracted state, and wherein the stop member is under an urging force to move towards the impeding state, and wherein the stop member is configured to urge the de-actuation mechanism to move towards the non-actuation state when the stop member is in the clearance state (see Figs. 7-9, and para [0054], [0055]).
Regarding claims 12 and 13, see apertures 35 in Figs. 3 and 5, and para [0057].
Regarding claim 14, Berglund discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stop mechanism comprises a stop member which is movable between a clearance state which is an extended state and an impeding state which is a retracted state, and wherein the stop member is under an urging force to move towards the impeding state (see para [0048]).
Regarding claims 15 and 16, Berglund discloses a plurality of engagement parts for main housing and receptacle engagement as claimed (see Figs. 2 and 3, para [0046], [0047]).
Regarding claim 17, Berglund discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main housing is configured to be released from the receptacle by moving in the withdrawal direction when the stop mechanism is de-actuated; and wherein the main housing is not detachable from the receptacle when the when the stop mechanism is actuated (see Fig. 9 and para [0057]).
Regarding claim 18, Berglund discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as an audio cartridge comprising an audio transducer (see audio speaker 47, and para [0047]).
Regarding claims 19 and 20, Berglund discloses an assembly as shown in Figs. 1-6 comprising the apparatus according to claim 1 as a first part and the receptacle as a second part configured as a bracket (20) to embrace the peripheral portion of the first part (see Figs. 1-4, and para [0044]-[0046]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Belden et al and O’Neill disclose detachable housing having different housing parts including audio speaker inside in engagement that is pertinent to the instant application.
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/XU MEI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695 02/06/2025