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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/26/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendments to Claim 16 in the submission filed 2/26/2026 are acknowledged and accepted.
The cancellation of Claim 17 in the submission filed 2/26/2026 are acknowledged and accepted.
Response to Arguments
The Applicants' arguments with respect to Claims 16-18 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as set forth below.
Claims 16, 18 are now rejected as follows.
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) 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Go et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2023/0251550 A1), of record, in view of Wang (TW I750010 B).
Go et al. discloses a stopper (See for example 150, 151, 152, 180 in Figures 2, 7, 8) comprising a body having a rectangular frame (See for example 150 in Figures 2, 7, 8); a hook (See for example 151, 152, 180 in Figures 2, 7, 8) configured to extend from the rectangular frame in a downward direction toward one surface of the frame, the hook having a through-hole; and a damper member (See for example 182, 183 in Figures 2, 4, 7, 8), disposed on the hook, comprising either one or both of an eleventh directional damper member (See for example 182 in Figures 2, 4, 7, 8) opposing inwardly and outwardly in the downward direction and in a first direction perpendicular to the downward direction, or a twenty first directional damper member (See for example 183 in Figures 2, 4, 7, 8) opposing inwardly and outwardly in the downward direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the downward direction and the first direction. Go et al. further discloses the hook is disposed at a corner portion of the body having a rectangular shape (See for example 151, 152, 180 in Figures 2, 7, 8).
Go et al. discloses the invention as set forth above, except for another through hole in the hook, wherein the damper member protrudes from opposing sides of the another through hole. However, in solving a similar problem of damping and absorbing impact vibration, Wang teaches a conventional buffer blocking element (See for example Abstract; Figures 1-9) that is made of an elastic material. In particular, the buffer blocking element (See for example 10 in Figures 1, 3-6) is a single piece that is placed within a through hole (See for example 32 in Figures 3-4) such that the buffer blocking element protrudes from opposing sides of the through hole. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have another through hole in the hook, wherein the damper member protrudes from opposing sides of the another through hole, as taught by Wang, in the stopper of Go et al., to allow the damper member to be retained by the through hole, while allowing the damper member to effectively buffer, offset, and absorb impact vibration, while also ensuring the service life of the damper member.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARNEL C LAVARIAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2315. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:30 AM-7 PM.
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ARNEL C. LAVARIAS
Primary Examiner
Group Art Unit 2872
3/12/2026
/ARNEL C LAVARIAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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