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 .
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.
Disposition of the Claims
Claims 1-15 are pending.
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, 5-10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pan (CN 21674823 U, of record).
Regarding claim 1, Pan teaches a switching mechanism (Figs. 1-6), configured to mount on an assembly mechanism (10), comprising:
a main body (32) provided with a lens hole (receiving 34) for installing a filter (34); and
at least one fixed structure (20, fixed by 24) provided on the main body (10), wherein the fixed structure comprises a sliding portion (of 30) provided with a jointing portion (24), wherein the sliding portion is configured to slidably mount (into the rails 223 of 20) on the assembly mechanism (when 20 is mounted onto 10) (Figs. 2 and 4), and the jointing portion is configured to lock the assembly mechanism (24 is a clamp).
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Regarding claim 2, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the jointing portion (24) is provided with a bayonet configured to snap with the assembly mechanism (Fig. 2, having hinge and clamp).
Regarding claim 5, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the fixed structure is provided with at least one positioning groove configured to position the main body to the assembly mechanism (Fig. 2, e.g. receiving the clamp 24, and the contours of 20).
Regarding claim 6, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the switching mechanism comprises two fixed structures spaced apart on opposite sides of the lens hole (Fig. 2, e.g. of 20 or of 30, once mounted).
Regarding claim 7, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the switching mechanism is circular; or the switching mechanism is rectangular (Fig. 2, having rectangular corners and circular corners).
Regarding claim 8, Pan teaches an assembly mechanism (10), configured to install a switching mechanism (20), comprising:
an installing member (18);
wherein the installing member is provided with an assembly cavity having an opening (Fig. 2, including cavity having hinges 12), and
the assembly cavity is configured for mounting the switching mechanism (20 into 18); and
an extending section (down into the space between hinges 12 at the edge) is provided on an edge of the assembly cavity (Fig. 2), and the extending section is configured to lock the jointing portion of the switching mechanism (hinges 12 receiving clamp 24).
Regarding claim 9, Pan teaches the assembly mechanism of claim 8, wherein the assembly cavity comprises a pre-positioning cavity (the greater area) and a clamping cavity (the edge area extending between the hinges) communicated with the pre-positioning cavity (Fig. 2, the spaces being contiguous); and the extending section is provided at a top of the clamping cavity (Fig. 2), and the opening is provided at a top of the pre-positioning cavity and is communicated with the pre-positioning cavity (Fig. 2, the cavity 18 being contiguous with the extending section between the hinges 12).
Regarding claim 10, Pan teaches the assembly mechanism of claim 8, further comprising: at least one positioning assembly provided in the installing member (hinges 12); wherein the positioning assembly is configured to position the switching mechanism (by securing the clamp thereto, as in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Pan discloses the switching mechanism of claim 1, and explicitly shows rabbit cage apparatus, comprising:
a cage frame (the frame of the camera 200 on which the switching mechanism is mounted);
an assembly mechanism (10) configured to install a switching mechanism (cf. claim 1), comprising:
an installing member (18);
wherein the installing member is provided with an assembly cavity having an opening, and the assembly cavity is configured for mounting the switching mechanism (Fig. 2, including cavity having hinges 12);
an extending section is provided on an edge of the assembly cavity (down into the space between hinges 12 at the edge, as in Fig. 2), and the extending section is configured to lock the jointing portion of the switching mechanism (hinges 12 receiving clamp 24), and the assembly mechanism is provided on the cage frame (Figs. 2, 6); wherein the switching mechanism (cf. claim 1) is detachably mounted on the assembly mechanism through the fixed structure (Figs. 2, 6).
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan as applied to claim 14.
Regarding claim 15, Pan teaches the rabbit cage apparatus of claim 14, but does not explicitly show further comprising: at least one soft layer; wherein the at least one soft layer is provided on the assembly mechanism and/or the switching mechanism; and in response to that the assembly mechanism is assembled with the switching mechanism, the soft layer is provided between the switching mechanism and the cage frame.
Official Notice is taken that provision of gaskets, cushions, elastomers, and the like are exceptionally well known in camera mounts, e.g. for the purpose of preventing vibration of the optics and deterioration of the components due to friction or fouling.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided soft layers between the components of Pan and thus prevented vibration of the device and/or deterioration of the components due to friction or fouling.
Double Patenting
Claims 1-15 of this application is patentably indistinct from claims 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, and 20 of Application No. 18940413. Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.78(f), when two or more applications filed by the same applicant or assignee contain patentably indistinct claims, elimination of such claims from all but one application may be required in the absence of good and sufficient reason for their retention during pendency in more than one application. Applicant is required to either cancel the patentably indistinct claims from all but one application or maintain a clear line of demarcation between the applications. See MPEP § 822.
Claims 1-15 provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, and 20 of copending Application No. 18940413.
Regarding claims 1-15, the instant and copending claims exhibit only minor variations in vocabulary, but otherwise appear directed to the similar features (e.g. see Table below), and are thus considered patentably indistinct from each other. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have resolved any differences between the instant and copending claims using the limitations of Pan detailed above, e.g. for the purpose of stabilization and protection of the optical components.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
Instant Application
18/940,413
Difference
1. A switching mechanism, configured to mount on an assembly mechanism, comprising:
a main body provided with a lens hole for installing a filter; and
at least one fixed structure provided on the main body,
wherein the fixed structure comprises a sliding portion provided with a jointing portion, wherein the sliding portion is configured to slidably mount on the assembly mechanism, and the jointing portion is configured to lock the assembly mechanism.
1. A switching mechanism applied to being assembled with an assembly mechanism, comprising:
a body provided with a lens hole, wherein the lens hole is configured for mounting a filter;
and at least one disassembly structure provided on the body,
wherein the disassembly structure comprises a sliding portion configured to be detachably and slidably connected to the assembly mechanism.
Jointing portion providing locking. Pan supplies this detail as detailed above with respect to 35 U.S.C. 102.
8. An assembly mechanism, configured to install a switching mechanism, comprising:
an installing member;
wherein the installing member is provided with an assembly cavity having an opening, and
the assembly cavity is configured for mounting the switching mechanism; and
an extending section is provided on an edge of the assembly cavity, and the extending section is configured to lock the jointing portion of the switching mechanism.
11. An assembly mechanism applied to mounting a switching mechanism, comprising:
a mounting member provided with an avoidance hole,
wherein an area of the mounting member without the avoidance hole is provided with a cooperation portion cooperated and limited with the sliding portion of the switching mechanism of claim 1.
Jointing portion providing locking by the extending section. Pan supplies this detail as detailed above with respect to 35 U.S.C. 102.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3, 4, and 11-13 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, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 2, but does not explicitly show wherein the sliding portion comprises: a connecting segment, wherein one end of the connecting segment is connected to the main body; and a limiting segment provided at the other end of the connecting segment, wherein the connecting segment, the limiting segment and main body are enclosed to form the bayonet.
Regarding claim 4, Pan teaches the switching mechanism of claim 2, but does not explicitly show wherein the bayonet is a breach recessed on the sliding portion.
Regarding claim 11, Pan teaches the assembly mechanism of claim 10, but does not explicitly show wherein the installing member is provided with at least one accommodating groove corresponding to the positioning assembly so that the positioning assembly is installed in the accommodation groove; and one end of the positioning assembly is elastically installed in the accommodating groove, and the other end of the positioning assembly is configured to elastically limit the switching mechanism.
Regarding claim 12, 13, the instant claims depend from a claim that recites allowable subject matter and therefore recite allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and generally discloses frame devices that support interchangeable features on an optical mount.
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/COLLIN X BEATTY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872