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 § 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 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.
Claims 1-3, 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 5,810,380) in view of Callahan et al. (US 2008/0029993).
With respect to claim 1, Lin discloses a bicycle front-end mechanism (fig. 2) for quick assembly, comprising: a fork set (3, 30; fig. 2) comprising a tube member (3, 30), the tube member having a connection tube part (30) and a fork part (3); a stem set (1) removably mounted around (fig. 1-2) the tube member (3, 30) of the fork set, the stem set having a stem (Modified fig. 2, below), a connection member (15), a positioning member (12), and a positioning plate (14), the stem having a first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) and a second combination bore (Mod. Fig. 2), the first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) mounted around (col. 1, lines 55-63; fig. 3) the connection tube part (30) of the tube member (4), the positioning member (12) and the positioning plate (14) being disposed in (fig. 3) the first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) in an coaxial arrangement (figs. 1, 3) along a center of the first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) by the connection member (15), the connection tube part (30) having one end engaged (col. 1, lines 55-63, col. 2, lines 1-14) with the positioning member (12), the second combination bore connected with a handle bar (element 1 is described as a handlebar stem; col. 1, lines 55-63, col. 2, lines 1-14); and a fork bowl set (2, 20, 21, 22) removably mounted around the tube member (3, 30) of the fork set (3, 30; fig. 2), the fork bowl set having a head tube (2), an upper bowl (20), and a lower bowl (Modified fig. 3, below), the head tube (2) mounted around (fig. 2) the connection tube part (30) of the tube member (3, 30), the upper bowl (20) and the lower bowl (Mod. Fig. 3) disposed on two ends (fig. 3; col. 2, lines 19-42) of the head tube (2), respectively, the upper bowl (20) disposed between (fig. 3) the head tube (2) and the stem (Mod fig. 2). (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 7-63, col. 2, lines 1-42.) Lin does not explicitly state that the fork part is connected with a wheel. Callahan et al. teaches of the fork part (80 or 240) is connected with a wheel (15). (Figs. 1-5, paragraphs 3-4, 20, 45.) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the structure as described in Callahan et al. into the invention of Lin with a reasonable expectation of success in order to appropriately turn a front wheel. (Paragraph 3.)
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With respect to claim 2, Lin, as modified, discloses the fork set further comprises a star nut (10) engaged in one end (fig. 3) of the connection tube part (30), and the connection member (15) of the stem set (1) is connected (fig. 1) with the star nut (10). (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 7-63, col. 2, lines 1-42.)
With respect to claim 3, Lin, as modified, discloses the connection tube part (30) comprises a first end (fig. 3, Modified fig. 3 above) and an opposite second end (Mod. fig. 3); the star nut (10) is engaged in the connection tube part (30) at the first end (Mod. fig. 3), and the first end (Mod. fig. 3) is engaged with the positioning member (12). (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 7-63, col. 2, lines 1-42.)
With respect to claim 5, Lin, as modified, discloses the stem set (1) further comprises a cap (17) coaxially connected with the positioning member (12) along the center of the first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) through the connection member (15); the positioning member (12) is disposed between the cap (17) and the positioning plate (14). (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 7-63, col. 2, lines 1-42.)
With respect to claim 10, Lin, as modified, discloses the fork bowl set further comprises a washer (21) mounted around an outer periphery (fig. 3) of the connection tube part (30) and disposed between (fig. 3) the upper bowl (20) and the first combination bore (seen in figs. 1 and 3) of the stem (Mod. Fig. 2). (Figs. 1-3, col. 1, lines 7-63, col. 2, lines 1-42.)
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin and Callahan et al., as applied to claims 1-3 above, and further in view of Tange (DE 101 36 149 A1; Machine Translation of Description ‘MTD’).
With respect to claim 4, Lin, as modified, is silent regarding a guide ring. Tange teaches of the fork set comprises a block ring (62) mounted around an outer periphery of the connection tube part (30) and arranged in adjacent to the second end (fig. 4); the lower bowl (64) is connected with the block ring (62). (Figs. 3-4, MTD paragraphs 16-20.) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the structure as described in Tange into the invention of Lin, as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success in order to provide outstanding stability. (MTD Paragraph 4.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 6 includes the limitations of the first end (111a) of the connection tube part (111) comprises a concavely disposed groove (113), and one side of the positioning member (24) comprises a protrusion part (242), so that the groove (113) and the protrusion part (242) are engaged in a concave-convex manner. (Figs. 2, 4.) The closest prior art Lin (US 5,810,380) does not disclose the groove in the first end of the connection tube part engaging a protrusion part of the positioning member.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited on the PTO-892 form disclose similar features of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES A ENGLISH whose telephone number is (571)270-7014. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Saturday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason Shanske can be reached on 571-270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES A ENGLISH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614