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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/25/2025 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Line 6, and line 9 both recite “relatvely”, but should just both recite “relative”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 20170218702) in view of Haarer (US 5060710).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches a device (5b, fig. 5) for lowering and raising a blind, wherein comprising: a fixing frame (paragraph 41, portion that connects to rail 4), wherein the fixing frame is used to connect with a blind body (fig. 5);
a lining plate (portion of 5b extending parallel with the width of the shade in fig. 5, this portion contacts the shade in fig. 5);
the lining plate has a first usage state and a second usage state (paragraphs 44-45 describe how there is a first state where the lining plate contacts the blind and the friction keeps the blind in place, and a second state where the lining plate is moved relative to the blind which is able to be rolled up or down), in the first usage state, the blind body is rolled up (see fig. 5, where it is in this first state and at least partially rolled up), the fixing frame is inserted into a rolled part of the blind body, and the lining plate is to be located at a rear of the blind and contacts with the blind body (as shown in fig. 5), so that the fixing frame and the lining plate are located at opposite sides (on is on back side and the other is in the center of the roll, these are considered opposite sides) of the blind body to prevent the blind body from being rolled down (described in paragraphs 44-45);
in the second usage state, the blind body is able to be rolled down and up (the lining plate is moved relative to the blind and the blind is able to be moved up and down, see paragraphs 44-45).
Line does not explicitly teach that the lining plate articulately connects with the fixing frame, that in the first state, the lining plate is rotated relative to the fixing frame to be located at a rear of the blind, and that in the second state, the lining plate is rotated relatively to the fixing frame to be located at a lateral side of the blind body.
Haarer teaches a device for lowering and raising blinds with a lining plate (60) that articulately connects with a fixing frame (54), that has two states where the lining plate is rotated relative to the fixing frame (see fig. 4 which shows movement from one state to another).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify Lin with teachings of Haarer so that the movement of the lining plate relative to the fixing frame comes from the lining plate articulately connecting with the fixing frame, such that in the first state, the lining plate is rotated relative to the fixing frame to be located at a rear of the blind (to the position shown in fig. 5 of Lin), and that in the second state, the lining plate is rotated relatively to the fixing frame to be located at a lateral side of the blind body (due to the now added “hinge” from Haarer). This alteration provides the predictable and expected results of the relative movement between the components being possible through a hinge, which is a cheap and durable method on incorporating relative movement.
Claim(s) 2-4, and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 20170218702) in view of Haarer (US 5060710) as applied above, and further in view of Mack (US 20230020136).
Regarding claim 2, modified Lin teaches that the fixing frame (portion that connects to rail 4) comprises: a fixing frame body (the structure is the body),
wherein one end of the fixing frame body articulately connects with the lining plate (portion of 5b extending parallel with the width of the shade in fig. 5, after modification to claim 1 above), but does not teach that two baffle plates, wherein the baffle plates connect with the fixing frame body, and the two baffle plates are spaced apart by a distance; a baffle bar, wherein the baffle bar is set between the two baffle plates for cooperating with each of the two of the baffle plates to clip the blind body.
Mack teaches a window clip with two baffle plates (1220 and 1240), the baffle plates connect with a fixing frame body (1110), and the two baffle plates are spaced apart by a distance; a baffle bar (1330), the baffle bar is set between the two baffle plates (fig. 1) for cooperating with each of the two of the baffle plates to clip the device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify the fixing frame body of Lin so that two baffle plates are provided, the baffle plates connect with the fixing frame body, and the two baffle plates are spaced apart by a distance, with one of the baffle plates connecting to the rolled blind; a baffle bar, the baffle bar is set between the two baffle plates for cooperating with each of the two of the baffle plates to clip the blind body. This alteration provides the predictable and expected results of a cheap way of securing the device to the blind body.
Regarding claim 3, modified Lin teaches that the fixing frame body rotationally connects with the lining plate (after the modification to claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 4, modified Lin teaches that the fixing frame body rotationally connects with the lining plate through a rivet structure (after the modification to claim 1 above).
Regarding claims 7-8, modified Lin includes teachings of Mack which teaches that ends of each of the two baffle plates (1220 and 1240) have a same orientation away from the fixing frame body (they extend in the same direction); an orientation of one end of the baffle bar (1330) away from the fixing frame body is the same as the orientation of the ends of the baffle plates away from the fixing frame body (fig. 1), wherein the baffle bar is provided in a staggered position with the baffle plate (fig. 3).
Claim(s) 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 20170218702) in view of Haarer (US 5060710) and Mack (US 20230020136), as applied above and further in view of Ootani (US 20140060235).
Regarding claims 5-6, modified Lin is silent concerning the lining plate being provided with a limiting section for limiting a sectional structure of the blind body, wherein the limiting section comprises bumps.
Ootani teaches a joint with a liming section (22’) for limiting a sectional structure of the device, wherein the limiting section comprises at least a bump (fig. 22’). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to further modify Lin so that the lining plate is provided with a limiting section for limiting a sectional structure of the blind body, wherein the limiting section comprises bumps. This alteration provides the predictable and expected results of only allowing the device to rotate a desired amount, resulting in the device working as intended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW R SHEPHERD whose telephone number is (571)272-5657. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/M.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634