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.
Claims 1-3, 5-6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakurai (JP 2004085726 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Sakurai teaches a projection device (Figure 7; Optical Unit 4), comprising:
a housing (Figure 1; Outer Case 2), having a first part (Figure 1; Lower Surface Portion 250) and a second part (Figure 1; Upper Portion 210) arranged oppositely (see Figure 1), wherein the second part (Figure 9; Upper Portion 210) has a screw hole (Figure 9; Through Hole 216);
a rotating component (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613, Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) having an abutting part (Figure 9; Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) and a driving part (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613) connected to each other (see Figure 9; wherein the mechanism 62, gear 613, flange portion 615 and neck portion 617 are interconnected by virtue of their attachment to case 2), wherein the abutting part (Figure 9; Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) is arranged to pass through and abut against the first part (see Figure 9; wherein the neck portion 617 passes through the lower surface portion 250), and the driving part (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613) is located inside the housing (see Figure 9); and
a foot pad component (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614, Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617 and Shaft Member 611), having a foot pad part (Figure 9; Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617), a screw rod part (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614), and a driven-to-move part (Figure 9; Shaft Member 611), wherein the screw rod part (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614) is connected between the foot pad part (Figure 9; Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617) and the driven-to-move part (Figure 9; Shaft Member 611) and is screwed to the second part (Figure 9; Upper Portion 210) through the screw hole (see Figure 9), the driven-to-move part (Figure 9; Shaft Member 611) is located in the housing (see Figure 9) and is embedded in the driving part (see Figure 9), and the foot pad part (Figure 9; Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617) is located outside the housing (see Figure 9);
wherein the rotating component (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613, Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) is configured to rotate relative to the first part (Figure 9; Lower Surface Portion 250), causing the foot pad component (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614, Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617 and Shaft Member 611) to be driven by the rotating component (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613, Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) to rotate relative to the second part (Figure 9; Upper Portion 210), thereby changing a height of the housing relative to the foot pad part (see Paragraph [0067]; wherein it is disclosed that when the height adjustment wheel 621 is rotated by a finger, the shaft member 611 of the support member 61 is rotated via the gear train 622 and the gear portion 613, and the shaft member 611 is moved in the axial direction such that when the shaft member 611 is advanced to the upper surface portion 210 side, the lower foot member 612 in FIG. 9 is pressed by the shaft member 611 and protrudes from the upper surface portion 210 and when the shaft member 611 is advanced toward the lower surface portion 250, the support portion 617 of the upper foot member 612 is pressed by the shaft member 611 and protrudes from the lower surface portion 250).
Regarding Claim 2, Sakurai teaches the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Sakurai further teaches one of the driving part (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613)
Regarding Claim 3, Sakurai teaches the limitations of claim 2 as detailed above.
Sakurai further teaches the convex part has a complementary shape with the cavity (see Figure 9; wherein the convex part is the portion of shaft member 611 disposed within the gear 613), and the convex part (see Figure 9; wherein the convex part is the portion of shaft member 611 disposed within the gear 613) is configured to cause the driving part (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613) to drive the driven-to-move part (Figure 9; Shaft Member 611) to rotate when the rotating component rotates (see Paragraph [0067]; wherein it is disclosed that when the height adjustment wheel 621 is rotated by a finger, the shaft member 611 of the support member 61 is rotated via the gear train 622 and the gear portion 613, and the shaft member 611 is moved in the axial direction such that when the shaft member 611 is advanced to the upper surface portion 210 side, the lower foot member 612 in FIG. 9 is pressed by the shaft member 611 and protrudes from the upper surface portion 210 and when the shaft member 611 is advanced toward the lower surface portion 250, the support portion 617 of the upper foot member 612 is pressed by the shaft member 611 and protrudes from the lower surface portion 250).
Regarding Claim 5, Sakurai teaches the limitations of claim 2 as detailed above.
Sakurai further teaches the convex part (see Figure 9; wherein the convex part is the portion of shaft member 611 disposed within the gear 613) and the cavity (Figure 9; wherein the cavity is the hole in the center of gear 613 which accommodates the shaft member 611) are clearance fit with each other (see Figure 9).
Regarding Claim 6, Sakurai teaches the limitations of claim 2 as detailed above.
Sakurai further teaches a length of the cavity in an axial direction of an axis of the rotating component (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613, Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) is smaller than a length of the screw rod part (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614) in the axial direction of the axis of the rotating component (see Figure 9; wherein the screw portion 614 extends through both ends of the gear 613 and is thereby longer than the length of the cavity thereof).
Regarding Claim 13, Sakurai teaches the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Sakurai further teaches the housing (Figure 1; Outer Case 2) further has a projection side (Figure 1; Front Surface 21C) and a back side (Figure 2; Rear Surface 21D) opposite to each other (see Figures 1 and 2), and the rotating component (Figure 9; Mechanism 62, Gear 613, Flange Portion 615 and Neck Portion 617) and the foot pad component (Figure 9; Screw Portion 614, Disc-Shaped Support Portion 617 and Shaft Member 611) are arranged close to the projection side (see Figures 1, 2 and 9; wherein the location of the supporting foot 215 is arranged close to the front surface 21C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7-12 and 14-16 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.
Regarding Claim 4, the prior art of record, whether taken alone or in combination, fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the limitations which require the rotating component further comprises a guide part, the guide part is connected to the driving part, the driving part is located between the guide part and the abutting part, the guide part has a guide hole, an open end, and a connecting end, the connecting end is opposite to the open end and connected to the driving part, the open end has an opening, the guide hole extends from the open end to the connecting end and is communicated to the opening and the cavity, and a diameter of the guide hole gradually decreases from the open end to the connecting end.
These limitations in combination with the limitations of claims 1 and 2 would render the claim non-obvious over the prior art of record if rewritten in independent form.
Regarding Claim 7, the prior art of record, whether taken alone or in combination, fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the limitations which require the abutting part has an actuating section and an abutting section, the abutting section is connected between the actuating section and the driving part, the actuating section is located outside the housing, the abutting section is located inside the housing, and a portion of the first part is sandwiched between the actuating section and the abutting section.
These limitations in combination with the limitations of claim 1 would render the claim non-obvious over the prior art of record if rewritten in independent form.
Dependent claims 8-12 would likewise be non-obvious over the prior art of record if the abovementioned amendment were made.
Regarding Claim 14, the prior art of record, whether taken alone or in combination, fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the limitations which require a limiting ring, sleeved on the driven-to-move part and abutting against the screw rod part, wherein in a radial direction of the screw rod part, a width of the limiting ring is greater than a width of the screw rod part.
Dependent claims 15 and 16 would likewise be non-obvious over the prior art of record if the abovementioned amendment were made.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II whose telephone number is (571)270-0648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm EST.
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/CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II/Examiner, Art Unit 2882