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 the Claims
Claims 1-10 are pending in the application.
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 1-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wichowski (WO 03/024274, a copy of which is attached herewith along with a machine-generated English translation).
Re Claim 1: Wichowski discloses a furniture assembly, comprising:
a first panel (4);
a fitting member (5); and
a first connecting member (6) detachably mounted to the fitting member,
wherein the fitting member (5) is configured to be mounted to the first panel (4) through the first connecting member (6).
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Re Claim 2: Wichowski discloses a furniture assembly, wherein the fitting member (5) comprises a first part (for example, the left-hand end in Figs. 1-2) and a second part (for example, the right-hand end in Figs. 1-2), the first connecting member (6) is detachably mounted to the first part of the fitting member; wherein the furniture assembly further comprises a second panel (3) and a second connecting member (7); wherein the second connecting member (7) is detachably mounted to the second part of the fitting member, the fitting member (5) is configured to be mounted to the second panel (3) through the second connecting member (7).
Re Claim 3: Wichowski discloses a furniture assembly, wherein one of the first connecting member (6) and the first part of the fitting member is formed with a first space (8) for mounting the first connecting member (6) to the first part of the fitting member (5).
Re Claim 4: Wichowski discloses a furniture assembly, wherein at least one first convex rib (at the interior surface of insertion pocket 8; see annotated Fig. 3 above) is formed inside the first space (8), and configured to press against the other one of the first connecting member and the first part of the fitting member (5).
Re Claim 5: Wichowski discloses a furniture assembly, wherein one of the second connecting member (7) and the second part of the fitting member is formed with a second space (8) for mounting the second connecting member to the second part of the fitting member; wherein at least one second convex rib (at the interior surface of insertion pocket 8; see annotated Fig. 3 above) is formed inside the second space, and configured to press against the other one of the second connecting member and the second part of the fitting member (5).
Re Claim 6: Wichowski discloses a furniture system, comprising:
a bottom plate (1);
a first side wall and a second side wall (2, 2) arranged at left and right sides of the bottom plate (1) respectively;
a first panel (4) and a second panel (3) arranged at front and rear sides of the bottom plate respectively;
a fitting member (5) comprising a first part (for example, the left-hand end in Figs. 1-2) and a second part (for example, the right-hand end in Figs. 1-2);
a first connecting member (6) detachably mounted to the first part of the fitting member, wherein the fitting member (5) is configured to be mounted to the first panel (4) through the first connecting member (6); and
a second connecting member (7) detachably mounted to the second part of the fitting member, wherein the fitting member (5) is configured to be mounted to the second panel (3) through the second connecting member (7).
Re Claim 7: Wichowski discloses a furniture system, wherein one of the first panel and the first connecting member (6) is arranged with a first connecting feature (for example, dowel 12; Fig. 2), and the other one of the first panel (4) and the first connecting member is arranged with a second connecting feature (for example, the recess receiving dowel 12; Fig. 2) configured to be connected with the first connecting feature (12).
Re Claim 8: Wichowski discloses a furniture system, wherein the first side wall (2) comprises a bottom part (the lower surface of side frame 2; Fig. 1) and a top part (the upper surface of side frame 2; Fig. 1), the top part and the bottom part of the first side wall define a first predetermined height (see “H1”; annotated Fig. 1 above), the top part of the first side wall (2) is arranged with a mounting feature (the surface configured to engage with the lower surface of bracket 6; see annotated Fig.3 above); the fitting member (5) comprises a bottom part (the lower surface of frame attachment 5; Fig. 1) and a top part (the upper surface of frame attachment 5; Fig. 1), the top part of the fitting member and the bottom part of the first side wall define a second predetermined height (see “H1”; annotated Fig. 1 above) higher than the first predetermined height (“H1”); wherein the fitting member (5) is configured to be mounted to the mounting feature (see Fig. 3) through the first connecting member (6), so as to stack the fitting member (5) on the first side wall (2).
Re Claim 10: Wichowski discloses a furniture system, wherein the second panel (3) is arranged with a first engaging structure (locking recess 17; Fig. 4), and the second connecting member (7) is arranged with a second engaging structure (locking pin 18) configured to engage with the first engaging structure (17), such that the fitting member (5) and the second panel (3) are detachably connected to each other.
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wichowski (WO 03/024274), as applied to claims 1-8 and 10 above, and further in view of Kampl ‘523 (US Patent 10,966,523).
Re Claim 9: Wichowski, as discussed for claims 1 and 8 above, discloses a furniture system significantly as claimed except wherein the mounting feature is an opening, the first connecting member is arranged with at least one mounting part configured to be mounted to at least one wall at an edge of the opening; wherein the at least one mounting part has a hook configured to hook the wall.
Kampl ‘523 teaches the use of a furniture system (see Figs. 3a and 7a), comprising a sidewall (15) including a bottom portion and a top portion, wherein the top portion has a first predetermined height with respect to the bottom portion, and the top portion is provided with a mounting feature (32); a fitting (3c) including a bottom portion and a top portion; wherein the fitting (3c) is configured to be stacked on the sidewall (15) such that the top portion of the fitting has a second predetermined height with respect to the bottom portion of the sidewall, the second predetermined height being greater than the first predetermined height; and a first connecting member (8b), wherein the fitting member (3c) is configured to be mounted to a first panel (2a) through the first connecting member (8b); and further wherein the mounting feature is an opening (32), the first connecting member (8b) is arranged with at least one mounting part (31; Fig. 7a) configured to be mounted to at least one wall at an edge of the opening (32); wherein the at least one mounting part has a hook (“hook portion 31”) configured to hook the wall, for the purpose of securely connecting the fitting and the sidewall together.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Wichowski, with a reasonable expectation of success, such that the mounting feature is an opening, the first connecting member is arranged with at least one mounting part configured to be mounted to at least one wall at an edge of the opening; wherein the at least one mounting part has a hook configured to hook the wall, as taught by Kampl ‘523, for the purpose of securely connecting the fitting and the sidewall together.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW R MCMAHON whose telephone number is (571)270-3067. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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/MATTHEW R MCMAHON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678