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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-6 and 9-20 in the reply filed on 11/18/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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 1-6, 10, 11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe U.S. Patent 9,654,166.
Regarding claim 1, Watanabe teaches an electronic device (1; figure 2) comprising:
a display (8; figure 2) positioned on a first side (front side 3; figure 2) of the electronic device;
a rear cover (9; figure 2) positioned on a second side (back side 4; figure 2) of the electronic device opposite to the first side;
a bracket (114; figures 9-10) disposed between (see figures 2-3, 9 and 10) the display and the rear cover (9) to support at least a portion of the display and having a bracket end surface (see below annotated figure 10);
an outer cover (105; figure 9) having a first cover surface (left 105; figure 9) and a second cover surface (right 105; figure 9) opposite to the first cover surface, and covering the bracket; and
a buffer member filling buffer groove (127; figure 10) formed between the bracket end surface of the bracket (114) and at least a portion (see below annotated figure 9) of the second cover surface of the outer cover which face each other, wherein the buffer member comprises a buffer material (24; figure 8).
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Regarding claim 2, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bracket end surface and the second cover surface are inclined (see above annotated figure 10) in directions facing each other and configured to settle (see column 6, lines 59-61) the buffer member in the buffer groove.
Regarding claim 3, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises at least one bracket recess (see below annotated figure 10) formed in a direction (see figures 9-10) opposite to a direction (see figures 9-10) from the bracket end surface toward the second cover surface.
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Regarding claim 4, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 3, including a plurality of bracket recesses (see figure 9; plurality of 127), wherein the bracket further comprises at least one bracket rib (see below annotated figure 9) formed between the bracket recesses, and wherein at least a portion of the bracket rib is in contact (see figures 9-10) with the second cover surface.
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Regarding claim 5, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 3, wherein the bracket further comprises at least one bracket jaw (see below annotated figure 10) formed at a point where the bracket recesses end, and wherein at least a portion of the bracket jaw is in contact (see figures 9-10) with the second cover surface.
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Regarding claim 6, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 3, wherein the buffer member (124; figure 8) is filled in a space (127; see figures 8-10) formed between the bracket recess and the second cover surface.
Regarding claim 10, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a spacing (127; figure 10) is formed between the bracket end surface and the second cover surface.
Regarding claim 11, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a depth (see figure 10) of the buffer groove (127; figure 10) set in a direction from the display toward the rear cover is larger (see figure 10) than a maximum width of the buffer groove.
Regarding claim 14, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the buffer groove (127; figure 10) is disposed on at least one of a plurality of edges (see figures 9-10) of the electronic device.
Regarding claim 15, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the outer cover extends from an edge (see figures 1-3) of the display to an edge (see figures 1-3) of the rear cover.
Regarding claims 16-19, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claims 16-19 for the same reasons stated in the rejections of claims 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Regarding claim 20, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 20 for the same reasons stated in the rejections of claims 1 and 5.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe U.S. Patent 9,654,166.
Regarding claim 9, as mentioned above, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1.
Even though, Watanabe does not specifically teach wherein a maximum width of the buffer groove is greater than 0.3 millimeters, however, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to change the size of said buffer groove, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component, to derive desired width for said reinforcing bracket. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 12, Watanabe teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the buffer member comprises at least one or a combination of polyurethane, epoxy (see column 5, lines 6-15), or an ultraviolet (UV) coating agent.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUNG Q. DANG
Examiner
Art Unit 2835
/IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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