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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Perkins 2022/0004837.
Regarding claim 1, Perkins discloses an apparatus (Figs 1-144) comprising: a housing (300, Figs 3A-3C, 500, Figs 5A, 5C; or 10000, Figs 100A-100D; or 10900 Fig 109A) having a front (surface at 501, as depicted in Fig 5B), a back (at 505, Fig 5B), and a side (at location represented at A-A, Fig 5B), the side having a slot (at 718, Fig 7) that extends long a perimeter of the housing (Figs 6-7), the housing having a plurality of corners (corners of 10002, Fig 100A); and a ring (10010, Fig 100B or 7600, Fig 76A or 10910, Fig 109B) having a variable-width wall (on inner side of 10010, Fig 100B) along a circumference of the ring (circumference of 10011, Fig 100B), the variable-width wall measured with respect to a radius of the ring (radius of 10010, Fig 100B), the variable-width wall defining multiple sets of internal surfaces (surfaces circumference interior side of 10011, 10012, Fig 100B), each set of internal surfaces configured to be aligned with the corners of the housing at different rotational positions of the ring relative to the housing (see Fig 100A with respect to Figs 100B-100D), each set of internal surfaces defined by a respective width of the variable-width wall to define a respective gap between each corner of the housing (gap between 10010 and 10000, Fig 100D) and a respective set of internal surfaces when the corners are aligned with the respective set of internal surfaces (see Figs 100A-100D), wherein when a flexible material (7604, Fig 76A, 76B or spring between portions 10916, par 0675) is located between the housing and the ring (between channels 10906 shown by hidden dotted line, Fig 109C, par 0675), the apparatus is configured to form a press-fit lock when the ring is rotated relative to the housing (press fit lock to connect via movement 10918 and rotate 10928 Figs 109A-109D) to attach the apparatus to the flexible material (once coupled as in Fig 109C, 109D, spring portion between 10916 is attached between/therein).
Regarding claim 2, Perkins discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of internal surfaces includes a first set of internal surfaces (at 10012, Fig 100B) configured to define a first opening in the ring (opening formed at circumference surface of 10012, Fig 100B), the first opening larger than a bottom of the housing to allow the housing to be placed within or removed from the ring when the ring is in a first rotational (see 10014, Fig 100C) position relative to the housing (Figs 100A-100D), the first opening including a first gap between each corner of the housing and the first set of internal surfaces when the ring is in the first rotational position (see Figs 100A-100D).
Regarding claim 3, Perkins discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of internal surfaces includes a second set of internal surfaces (at 10012, Fig 100B) configured to define a second opening in the ring (opening formed at circumference surface of 10011, Fig 100B), the second opening including a second gap (between 10000 and 10010, Fig 100C) between each corner of the housing and the second set of internal surfaces when the ring is in a second rotational position relative to the housing (opposite 10014, Fig 100C), the second gap smaller than the first gap (see Fig 100C with respect to Fig 100D), wherein the apparatus is configured to transition to a locked state (Figs 100C, 100D) when the flexible material is located between the housing and the ring including in the second gap to form the press-fit lock (see Figs 92A-97).
Regarding claim 15, Perkins discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ring includes a flange along a circumference of the ring (at 10116, for example, Fig 101D).
Regarding claim 16, Perkins discloses an apparatus (Figs 1-144) comprising: a housing (300, Figs 3A-3C, 500, Figs 5A, 5C or 10000, Figs 100A-100D or 10900 Fig 109A) having a front (surface at 501, as depicted in Fig 5B), a back (at 505, Fig 5B), and a side (at location represented at A-A, Fig 5B), the side having a slot (at 718, Fig 7) that extends long a perimeter of the housing (Fig 6 with respect to Fig 7), the housing having a plurality of corners (corners of 10002, Fig 100A); one or more electronic devices (such as portion 514, Fig 5B) located in the housing (Fig 5B); and a ring (10010, Fig 100B or 7600, Fig 76A or 10910, Fig 109B) having a variable-width wall (on inner side of 10010, Fig 100B) along a circumference of the ring (circumference of 10011, Fig 100B), the variable-width wall measured with respect to a radius of the ring (radius of 10010, Fig 100B), the variable-width wall defining multiple sets of internal surfaces (surfaces circumference interior side of 10011, 10012, Fig 100B), each set of internal surfaces configured to be aligned with the corners of the housing at different rotational positions of the ring relative to the housing (see Fig 100A with respect to Figs 100B-100D), each set of internal surfaces defined by a respective width of the variable-width wall to define a respective gap between each corner of the housing (gap between 10010 and 10000, Fig 100D) and a respective set of internal surfaces when the corners are aligned with the respective set of internal surfaces (see Figs 100A-100D), wherein when a flexible material (7604, Fig 76A, 76B or spring between portions 10916, par 0675) is located between the housing and the ring (between channels 10906 shown by hidden dotted line, Fig 109C, par 0675), the apparatus is configured to form a press-fit lock when the ring is rotated relative to the housing (press fit lock to connect via movement 10918 and rotate 10928 Figs 109A-109D) to attach the apparatus to the flexible material (once coupled as in Fig 109C, 109D, spring portion between 10916 is attached between/therein).
Regarding claim 17, Perkins discloses the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of internal surfaces includes a first set of internal surfaces (at 10012, Fig 100B) configured to define a first opening in the ring (opening formed at circumference surface of 10012, Fig 100B), the first opening larger than a bottom of the housing to allow the housing to be placed within or removed from the ring when the ring is in a first rotational position (see 10014, Fig 100C) relative to the housing (Figs 100A-100D), the first opening including a first gap between each corner of the housing and the first set of internal surfaces when the ring is in the first rotational position (see Figs 100A-100D).
Regarding claim 18, Perkins discloses the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of internal surfaces includes a second set of internal surfaces (at 10012, Fig 100B) configured to define a second opening in the ring (opening formed at circumference surface of 10011, Fig 100B), the second opening including a second gap (between 10000 and 10010, Fig 100C) between each corner of the housing and the second set of internal surfaces when the ring is in a second rotational position relative to the housing (opposite 10014, Fig 100C), the second gap smaller than the first gap (see Fig 100C with respect to Fig 100D), wherein the apparatus is configured to transition to the locked state (Figs 100C, 100D) when the flexible material is located between the housing and the ring including in the second gap to form the press-fit lock (see Figs 92A-97).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-14 and 19-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The dependent claims listed below, in combination with the remaining elements of the independent claim(s) from which they directly/indirectly depend, are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record.
Claim 4. the apparatus of claim 3, wherein: the locked state is a first locked state, the press-fit lock is a first press-fit lock, the flexible material is a thick flexible material, and the plurality of internal surfaces includes a third set of internal surfaces configured to define a third opening in the ring, the third opening including a third gap between each corner of the housing and the third set of internal surfaces when the ring is in a third rotational position relative to the housing, the third gap smaller than the second gap, wherein the apparatus is configured to transition to a second locked state when a thin flexible material is located between the housing and the ring including in the third gap to form a second press-fit lock, the thin flexible material being thinner than the thick flexible material. *Claims 5-14 depend either indirectly of directly from claim 4 and are therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: the locked state is a first locked state, the press-fit lock is a first press-fit lock, the flexible material is a thick flexible material, and the plurality of internal surfaces includes a third set of internal surfaces configured to define a third opening in the ring, the third opening including a third gap between each corner of the housing and the third set of internal surfaces when the ring is in a third rotational position relative to the housing, the third gap smaller than the second gap, wherein the apparatus is configured to transition to a second locked state when a thin flexible material is located between the housing and the ring including in the third gap to form a second press-fit lock, the thin flexible material being thinner than the thick flexible material. *Claim 20 depend directly from claim 19 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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