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.
Claims 1, 2, 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)1) as being anticipated by Tsai (US. Pat. US 10,509,482).
Regarding claim 1, Tsai teaches a balanced low travel key switch device, comprising: a base plate 21 including a plate body, two mounting seats 211 that are mounted on said plate body and that are spaced apart from each other along a first axial direction, each of said mounting seats having a limiting recess 211a, a first sliding recess 211b, and a second sliding recess 211c that are arranged along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, said first sliding recess and said second sliding recess being respectively disposed on two opposite sides of said limiting recess; a key cap 22 disposed at a side of said base plate along a third axial direction that is perpendicular to the first axial direction and the second axial direction; and a frame unit 23 removably interconnecting said mounting seats and said key cap, and including a first frame member 231 and a second frame member 232 that are arranged along the second axial direction; wherein said first frame member has a first main body (top section) that is pivotally connected to said key cap, two first lateral portions that are spaced apart from each other along the first axial direction and that are respectively connected to opposite ends of said first main body, two first pivotal portions that are respectively connected to distal ends of said first lateral portions, two first engaging blocks 2314 that are respectively disposed on said first lateral portions, that respectively extend into said first sliding recesses of said mounting seats, and that are respectively movable in said first sliding recesses of said mounting seats along the second axial direction (col. 6, lines 10-25), and two positioning rods 2311 that are respectively disposed on said first pivotal portions, that respectively extend into said limiting recesses of said mounting seats (col. 6, lines 40-55), and that are respectively movable in said limiting recesses of said mounting seats along the third axial direction (col. 6, lines 40-55); and wherein said second frame member has a second main body that is pivotally connected to said key cap, two second lateral portions that are spaced apart from each other along the first axial direction and that are respectively connected to opposite ends of said second main body, two second pivotal portions that are respectively connected to distal ends of said second lateral portions and that are respectively and pivotally connected to said first pivotal portions, and two second engaging blocks 2323 that are respectively disposed on said second lateral portions, that respectively extend into said second sliding recesses 211c of said mounting seats, and that are respectively movable in said second sliding recesses of said mounting seats along the second axial direction (Figs. 1-6 and annotated figure below).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai teaches the balanced low travel key switch device wherein: said balanced low travel key switch device further comprises a membrane circuit board 24 that is disposed between said key cap 22 and said base plate 21, and a resilient member 25 that is disposed on said membrane circuit board opposite to said base plate and that resiliently abuts against said key cap; during movement of said key cap relative to said base plate from a non-pressed position to a pressed position, said key cap is moved toward said plate body, and each of said positioning rods 2311 is moved along the third axial direction toward said key cap (Fig. 6); and a first distance along the second axial direction between an end of each of said first engaging blocks (2323, 2314) that is opposite to an adjacent one of said positioning rods 3211 and an end of a respective one of said second engaging blocks that is opposite to said positioning rod when said key cap is in the non-pressed position is greater than a second distance along the second axial direction between said end of said first engaging block and said end of said second engaging block when said key cap is in the pressed position (during depression of the keycap, the positioning rods move along third axial direction toward the keycap, and distance measured along the second axial direction between the two engaging blocks decreases, see Figs. 5, 6).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai teaches the balanced low travel key switch device wherein said first pivot portions of said first frame member 231 and said second pivotal portions of said second frame member 232 are pivotable about an axial line that passes through said positioning rods 2311 of said first frame member and that extends along the first axial direction (Figs. 16).
Regarding claim 10, Tsai teaches the balanced low travel key switch device wherein said first frame member 231 further has two first engaging rods 2312 that are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of said first main body along the first axial direction and that are pivotally connected to said key cap 22; each of said first engaging rods is disposed on an end of said first main body that is opposite to said base plate along the third axial direction; said second frame member 232 further has two second engaging rods 2322 that are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of said second main body along the first axial direction and that are pivotally connected to said key cap; and each of said second engaging rods is disposed on an end of said second main body that is opposite to said base plate along the third axial direction (Fig. 2).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 9 are 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed key wherein each of said mounting seats has two constraining portions that are connected to said plate body, that are spaced apart from each other along the second axial direction, and that cooperatively define said limiting recess; and a first hook portion and a second hook portion that are spaced apart from each other along the second axial direction, and that are respectively disposed at opposite sides of said constraining portions, said first hook portion and an adjacent one of said constraining portions cooperatively defining said first sliding recess, said second hook portion and an adjacent one of said constraining portions cooperatively defining said second sliding recess; said limiting recess has an opening that is opposite to said plate body along the third axial direction for removal of the respective one of said positioning rods therethrough; when said key cap is in the non-pressed position relative to said base plate, each of said first engaging blocks abuts against said first hook portion of the respective one of said mounting seats, and said second engaging blocks abuts against said second hook portion of the respective one of said mounting seats.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed key wherein: said first frame member further has two pivot slots that are respectively formed in said first pivotal portions; each of said pivot slots is disposed opposite to a respective one of said positioning rods, and has an open end portion, a first slot portion, and a second slot portion, said second slot portion being bent from said open end portion, said first slot portion extending from said second slot portion and opposite to said open end portion; said second pivotal portions of said second frame member are disposed between said first pivot portions of said first frame member; and each of said pivot rods is removably engaged with said first slot portion of a respective one of said pivot slots by passing sequentially through said open end portion and said second slot portion of said pivot slot.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed key wherein said second frame member further has two pivot slots that are respectively formed in said second pivotal portions; each of said pivot slots has an open end portion, a first slot portion, and a second slot portion, said second slot portion being bent from said open end portion, said first slot portion extending from and being smaller than said second slot portion, and opposite to said open end portion; and each of said pivot rods is removably engaged with said first slot portion of a respective one of said pivot slots by passing sequentially through said open end portion and said second slot portion of said pivot slot.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art fails to teach or show, alone or in combination, the claimed key wherein: said second frame member further has two channels that extend therethrough; and said base plate further includes two stop members that extend from said plate body and that are disposed between said mounting seats; and said stop members respectively extend into said channels of said second frame member.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED M SAEED whose telephone number is (571)270-7976. The examiner can normally be reached 10-8pm.
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/AHMED M SAEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833