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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A in the reply filed on 17 September 2025 is acknowledged.
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) 1-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fiedler (US 2014/0339232).
Regarding claim 1, Fiedler discloses an apparatus comprising:
a male buckling component (2);
a female buckling component (3, 4);
a first locking portion (41) disposed on the female buckling component, the first locking portion comprising at least one resilient arm (410);
a second locking portion (21) disposed on the male buckling component, wherein the first locking portion is engageable with the second locking portion;
an operating component (4) movably disposed on the female buckling component;
a first magnetic component (32) disposed on the female buckling component; and
a second magnetic component (22) disposed on the male buckling component for magnetically cooperating with the first magnetic component;
wherein the first magnetic component magnetically attracts the second magnetic component along a connecting direction (X-axis as shown in Fig. 3A) when the male buckling component engages with the female buckling component (Paragraph 26, lines 4-11); and
wherein, a portion of the first locking portion defines a recess (space between 410), when the operating component (4) is operated to resiliently deform the at least one resilient arm to disengage the first locking portion from the second locking portion (Paragraph 63, lines 10-11 describe spreading of the detent spring), the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess is driven to move in a direction intersecting with the connecting direction (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 2, Fiedler further discloses wherein the operating component is operated along an operating direction intersecting with a moving direction of the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess to resiliently deform the at least one resilient arm (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 3, Fiedler further discloses wherein the operating component is operated along an operating direction to resiliently deform the at least one resilient arm along a deforming direction intersecting with the connecting direction (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 4, Fiedler further discloses wherein the at least one resilient arm surrounds the second locking portion (Figs. 3B and 4D as shown).
Regarding claim 5, Fiedler further discloses wherein the female buckling component comprises an outer cover (3), a connecting hole is formed on a side of the outer cover for the second locking portion to pass therethrough (Figs. 3A as shown).
Regarding claim 6, Fiedler further discloses wherein the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess is disposed adjacent to the connecting hole (Fig. 3A as shown).
Regarding claim 7, Fiedler further discloses wherein the at least one resilient arm has a distal end away from the second locking portion for directly cooperating with the operating component (Fig. 1 as shown).
Regarding claim 8, Fiedler further discloses wherein the second locking portion has a column structure (Fig. 2 as shown), the second locking portion includes an engaging structure (210) formed around a circumference of the column structure.
Regarding claim 9, Fiedler further discloses wherein the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess slides to engage with the engaging structure (Figs. 4B-4C as shown).
Regarding claim 10, Fiedler further discloses wherein the male buckling component is rotatable relative to the female buckling component around the second locking portion (Paragraph 23, last two lines).
Regarding claim 11, Fiedler further discloses wherein a first installation chamber is formed on the female buckling component, a second installation chamber is formed on the male buckling component, the first magnetic component is installed into the first installation chamber, and the second magnetic component is installed into the second installation chamber (Fig. 3A as shown).
Regarding claim 12, Fiedler further discloses wherein the first installation chamber is aligned with the second installation chamber along the connecting direction (Figs. 3A-3B as shown).
Regarding claim 13, Fiedler discloses a method of operating a magnetic buckling assembly including a male buckling component (2) and a female buckling component (3, 4), the method comprising:
engaging a first locking portion (41) of the female buckling component with a second locking portion (21) of the male buckling component by magnetically attracting (Paragraph 66, lines 5-10) a first magnetic component (32) disposed on the female buckling portion with a second magnetic component (22) disposed on the male buckling component along a connecting direction (X-axis as shown in Fig. 3A; Figs. 4A-4D); and
operating an operating component (4; Figs. 4D-4F), which is movably disposed on the female buckling component, to resiliently deform at least one resilient arm of the first locking portion and drive a portion of the first locking portion that defines a recess in a direction intersecting with the connecting direction to disengage the first locking portion from the second locking portion for removal of the male buckling component from the female buckling component (Paragraph 63, lines 10-11 describe spreading of the detent spring).
Regarding claim 14, Fiedler further discloses resiliently deforming the at least one resilient arm by operating the operating component along an operating direction intersecting with a moving direction of the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 15, Fiedler further discloses resiliently deforming the at least one resilient arm along a deforming direction by operating the operating component along an operating direction, wherein the deforming direction intersects with at least one of the connecting direction and the operating direction (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 16, Fiedler further discloses inserting the second locking portion of the male buckling component into the first locking portion of the female buckling component by inserting a column structure (Fig. 2 as shown) of the male buckling component into a connecting hole of an outer cover of the female buckling component (Figs. 3A-3B as shown).
Regarding claim 17, Fiedler further discloses wherein operating the operating component to deform the at least one resilient arm causes the at least one resilient arm to deform in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the column structure of the male buckling component (Figs. 4D-4E as shown wherein pressing the operating component would cause perpendicular spreading).
Regarding claim 18, Fiedler further discloses wherein operating the operating component to deform the at least one resilient arm causes the at least one resilient arm to deform in a radial direction about an axis of the column structure (Figs. 4D-4E as shown wherein pressing the operating component would cause spreading in a radial direction).
Regarding claim 19, Fiedler further discloses wherein operating the operating component comprises pressing the operating component in a direction towards the connecting hole when the male buckling component is engaged with the female buckling component (Figs. 4D-4E as shown).
Regarding claim 20, Fiedler further discloses wherein the first magnetic component of the female buckling component is disposed within a first installation chamber formed on the female buckling component, and the second magnetic component of the male buckling component is disposed within a second installation chamber formed on the male buckling component (Fig. 3A as shown).
Regarding claim 21, Fiedler discloses a method of operating a magnetic buckling assembly including a male buckling component (2) and a female buckling component (3, 4), the method comprising:
providing the female buckling component with a first locking portion (4) comprising at least one resilient arm (410) and a first magnetic component (32) disposed on the female buckling component, a portion of the first locking portion defines a recess (space between 410);
providing the male buckling component with a second locking portion (21) and a second magnetic component (22) disposed on the male buckling component;
engaging the first locking portion of the female buckling component with the second locking portion of the male buckling component by magnetically attracting (Paragraph 66, lines 5-10) the first magnetic component with the second magnetic component along a connecting direction (X-axis as shown in Fig. 3A; Figs. 4A-4D); and
operating an operating component (4; Figs. 4D-4F), which is movably disposed on the female buckling component, to resiliently deform the at least one resilient arm and drive the portion of the first locking portion that defines the recess in a direction intersecting with the connecting direction to disengage the first locking portion from the second locking portion for removal of the male buckling component from the female buckling component (Paragraph 63, lines 10-11 describe spreading of the detent spring).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL S LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5735. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at (571) 272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.S.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/ SPE, Art Unit 3677