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.
Claim(s) 1-4,8 and 11-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hill et al. (US 11,715,971) (hereinafter referred to as ‘Hill’).
Hill teaches
Regarding claim 1,
a solar charging apparatus configured for a doorbell device (smartphone 28) comprising:
a base configured for mounting and fixing a doorbell;
a solar panel assembly (solar panel 11); and
an adjustment structure (hinge of Figures 1 and 2), wherein:
the solar panel is rotatably connected to the base by the adjustment structure, the solar panel assembly comprises a first solar panel configured for converting solar energy into electrical energy which is supplied to the doorbell (see Figures 1 and 2), and
the adjustment structure is configured for adjusting an angle of the first solar panel relative to the base, so as to switch the solar charging apparatus between a folded state and an unfolded state (see Figures 1 and 2);
regarding claim 2, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment structure comprises a connecting member (hinge 18) and a matching member (corresponding member with hinge 18), the matching member is rotatably connected to the connecting member,
one of the connecting member and the matching member is disposed on the base, and another one of the connecting member and the matching member is disposed on the solar panel assembly;
regarding claim 8, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member is arranged on the base, the adjustment structure comprises a pivot element, the pivot element comprises a first end and a second end arranged opposite to the first end, the first end is rotatably connected to the matching member, and the second end is rotatably connected to the connecting member, so that the connecting member is rotatably connected to the matching member by the pivot element;
regarding claim 11, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member and the base are integrally formed;
regarding claim 12, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member is arranged on the base, the solar charging apparatus further comprising an abutting portion on an end of the connecting member away from the base or on a back surface of the solar panel assembly, and the abutting portion is configured for setting a position of the solar panel assembly relative to the connecting member so that, when the solar charging apparatus is in the folded state, the first solar panel is flushed with the base (see Figures 1 and 2);
Regarding claim 13, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solar panel assembly further comprises a mounting member, the mounting member comprises a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to the first surface, the first surface is configured for mounting the first solar panel, and the second surface is configured for mounting the adjustment structure (see Figure 20);
Regarding claim 14, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first surface of the mounting member defines a receiving groove, and the first solar panel is fixedly received in the receiving groove (see Figure 20);
Regarding claim 15, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a first mounting area configured for mounting the doorbell (see Figure 20);
Regarding claim 16, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the base further comprises at least a second mounting area disposed adjacent the first mounting area, the solar charging apparatus further comprises at least one second solar panel mounted on the at least one second mounting area (see Figure 20);
Regarding claim 17, the solar charging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one second mounting area is arranged obliquely to the first mounting area;
Regarding claim 18, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover arranged on the base, the cover and the base forming an accommodating cavity configured for accommodating the doorbell;
Regarding claim 19,
a solar charging apparatus configured for a doorbell device, comprising:
a base configured for mounting and fixing a doorbell;
a solar panel; and a
n adjustment structure, wherein:
the solar panel is connected to the base by the adjustment structure,
the solar panel is configured for converting solar energy into electrical energy which is supplied to the doorbell, and
the adjustment structure is connected between the base and the solar panel and configured for adjusting an angle of the solar panel relative to the base;
regarding claim 20,
a doorbell device comprising:
a doorbell;
a base configured for mounting and fixing the doorbell;
a solar panel assembly; and
an adjustment structure, wherein:
the solar panel assembly is rotatably connected to the base by the adjustment structure,
the solar panel assembly comprises a solar panel configured for converting solar energy into electrical energy which is supplied to the doorbell; and
the adjustment structure is configured for adjusting an angle of the solar panel relative to the base, so as to switch the solar panel assembly between a folded state and an unfolded state.
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(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hill in view of Ornella et al. (US 2017/0045267) (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ornella’).
The teachings of Hill have been discussed above.
Hill lacks the teaching of an accommodation portion, and the connecting portion is rotatably accommodated in the accommodation portion, the matching member is rotatably connected to the connecting member via the accommodation portion and the connecting portion and lacks the teaching of a shaft arranged at one end of the connecting member along a width direction of the connecting member, a shape of the accommodation portion matches a shape of the shaft, and the shaft is rotatably accommodated in the accommodation portion.
Ornella teaches an accommodation portion, and the connecting portion is rotatably accommodated in the accommodation portion, the matching member is rotatably connected to the connecting member via the accommodation portion and the connecting portion and teaches a shaft arranged at one end of the connecting member along a width direction of the connecting member, a shape of the accommodation portion matches a shape of the shaft, and the shaft is rotatably accommodated in the accommodation portion (see Figure 4D).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have readily recognized that providing the Hill invention with an accommodation portion and a shaft would have been beneficial to secure the hinge of the Hill invention in a manner that is commonly known within the art. Therefore it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to modify the teachings of the Hill invention with teachings of the Ornella invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9, and 10 areobjected 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest either alone or in combination thereof:
Regarding claim 5, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of ribs spaced from each other and arranged on a circumferential wall of the shaft, the plurality of rib extending along an extending direction of the shaft; and a plurality of concaves spaced from each other and arranged on an inner wall of the accommodation portion, wherein each of the plurality of ribs is respectively engaged with a corresponding one of the plurality of concaves, so that the matching member is rotatably connected to the connecting member and positioned above the connecting member;
Regarding claim 6, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion comprises a spherical shape, and a shape of the accommodation portion matches a contour of the connecting portion, so that the connecting portion is rotatably received in the accommodation portion;
Regarding claim 7, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the matching member comprises: a claw arranged on the solar panel assembly, the accommodation portion is defined in the claw; and a fixing member sleeved on the claw and configured for fixedly accommodating the connecting portion in the accommodation portion;
Regarding claim 9, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an end of the connecting member away from the base is provided with a through-hole, the pivot element comprises an extension portion, the extension portion protrudes from a surface of the second end facing the connecting member and is inserted into the through-hole, so that the connecting member is rotatably engaged with the connecting member;
Regarding claim 10, the solar charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connecting member comprises a first connecting member, a second connecting member and a sliding member, one end of the first connecting member is arranged on the base, and another end of the first connecting member is slidably connected to the second connecting member by the sliding member.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMARA ALZAIDA FRANKLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-2389. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.
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September 03, 2026
/JAMARA A FRANKLIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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