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, 6-8, 10-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (CN 110442196 A and Liu hereinafter, cited in IDS)
Regarding Claim 1, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) a rotating shaft mechanism, wherein the rotating shaft mechanism comprises comprising: a main shaft assembly (203, fig.2) and a damper assembly (including 2043, 2044 and 2047, figs 22-23), and wherein: the damper assembly is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; the damper assembly comprises a cam member (2041) and a rotating assembly (204 and 214), the cam member is fastened on the main shaft assembly, the cam member has a cam surface (cam surface of gear 2041. Fig. 21-22), the rotating assembly comprises a rotating member (204) and a sliding member (2045), the rotating member is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly, and the sliding member is able configured to slide in a direction toward or away from the main shaft assembly relative to the rotating member (a first guide 2045 slide along the first guide rail 2014, fig. 22); and the sliding member elastically (2043) abuts against the cam surface, to generate a damping force between the main shaft assembly and the damper assembly (a torque to the rotating shaft such that the cam providing resistance using the deformation of the elastic member from the folded to the unfolding the rotation mechanism).
Regarding Claim 2, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member comprises a body portion (201) and a connecting portion (2012), the connecting portion is fixedly connected to the body portion, the body portion is provided with a sliding groove (2011), at least a part of the sliding member is accommodated in the sliding groove, and the connecting portion is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly (figs 15 and 20).
Regarding Claim 3, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the sliding member comprises a sliding block (2044), and the sliding block is accommodated in the sliding groove and slides is configured to slide in the sliding groove in the direction toward or away from the main shaft assembly relative to the rotating member (fig.20).
Regarding Claim 6, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion is disposed as an arc shaft (2012), the main shaft assembly is provided with an arc groove (arc groove 2038 and 2039), and the arc shaft and the arc groove are configured to slidably cooperate (fig.15).
Regarding Claim 7, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the rotating member comprises a first rotating arm (201), a second rotating arm (202), and a connecting arm (203), the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm each are rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly, and an end portion of the first rotating arm and an end portion of the second rotating arm that face away from the main shaft assembly are fixedly connected by via the connecting arm; and a part of the first rotating arm (fig.20), a part of the second rotating arm, and a part of the connecting arm that are configured to enclose the sliding groove are used configured as the body portion of the rotating member, and an end portion of the first rotating arm and an end portion of the second rotating arm that are configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly are configured as the connecting portion of the rotating member (figs 17, 20-22).
Regarding Claim 8, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the end portion that is of the first rotating arm and that is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly is provided with a gear structure, and the end portion that is of the second rotating arm and that is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly is provided with a gear structure (2041 and 2141); and the rotating shaft mechanism comprises another damper assembly such that the rotating shaft mechanism comprises two damper assemblies, the gear structure of a first rotating arm of one damper assembly engages with the gear structure of a first rotating arm or a second rotating arm on a corresponding side of the other damper assembly, and the gear structure of a second rotating arm of one damper assembly engages with the gear structure of a second rotating arm or a first rotating arm on a corresponding side of the other damper assembly (shows in figs 20-22).
Regarding Claim 10, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a first sliding portion (2011) and a second sliding portion (2012) are respectively disposed on two opposite groove walls of the sliding groove, the sliding block is provided with a third sliding portion and a fourth sliding portion, the third sliding portion is configured to slidably cooperate with the first sliding portion, and the fourth sliding portion is configured to slidably cooperate with the second sliding portion (shows fig.9).
Regarding Claim 11, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 3, wherein an elastic element (2043) is further disposed in the sliding groove, the sliding block is elastically connected to the elastic element, and the elastic element presses the sliding block toward the cam member (shows figs. 22-23).
Regarding Claim 12, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the main shaft assembly comprises a main inner shaft (2031 and 2032) and a main outer shaft (2039), the main inner shaft and the main outer shaft are fastened together to enclose accommodation a space, and the cam member and the main inner shaft form an integral structure (shows in fig.22).
Regarding Claim 13, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) a terminal device comprising a flexible display (10), a first housing (201), a second housing (202), and a rotating shaft mechanism, wherein the rotating shaft mechanism comprises a main shaft assembly (203, fig.2) and a damper assembly (including 2043, 2044 and 2047, figs 22-23), and the damper assembly is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; the first housing and the second housing are respectively disposed on two sides of the rotating shaft mechanism, and the first housing and the second housing each are connected to a-the damper assembly on a corresponding side; and the flexible display continuously covers the first housing, the second housing, and the rotating shaft mechanism, and the flexible display is fixedly connected to the first housing and the second housing (shows in fig.1); the damper assembly comprises a cam member (2041) and a rotating assembly (204 and 214), the cam member is fastened on the main shaft assembly, the cam member has a cam surface, the rotating assembly comprises a rotating member (204) and a sliding member (2045), the rotating member is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly, and the sliding member is able configured to slide in a direction toward or away from the main shaft assembly relative to the rotating member (a first guide 2045 slide along the first guide rail 2014, fig. 22); and the sliding member elastically abuts against the cam surface, to generate a damping force between the main shaft assembly and the damper assembly (a torque to the rotating shaft such that the cam providing resistance using the deformation of the elastic member from the folded to the unfolding the rotation mechanism).
Regarding Claim 14, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the rotating member comprises a body portion (201) and a connecting portion (2012), the connecting portion is fixedly connected to the body portion, the body portion is provided with a sliding groove (2011), at least a part of the sliding member is accommodated in the sliding groove, and the connecting portion is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly (figs 15 and 20).
Regarding Claim 15, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the terminal device according to claim 14, wherein the sliding member comprises a sliding block (2044), and the sliding block is accommodated in the sliding groove and slides is configured to slide in the sliding groove in the direction toward or away from the main shaft assembly relative to the rotating member (fig.20).
Regarding Claim 18, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the connecting portion is disposed as an arc shaft (2012), the main shaft assembly is provided with an arc groove (arc groove 2038 and 2039), and the arc shaft and the arc groove are configured to slidably cooperate (fig.15).
Regarding Claim 19, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the terminal device according to claim 15, wherein the rotating member comprises a first rotating arm (201), a second rotating arm (202), and a connecting arm (203), the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm each are rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly, and an end portion of the first rotating arm and an end portion of the second rotating arm that face away from the main shaft assembly are fixedly connected by via the connecting arm; and a part of the first rotating arm (fig.20), a part of the second rotating arm, and a part of the connecting arm that are configured to enclose the sliding groove are used configured as the body portion of the rotating member, and an end portion of the first rotating arm and an end portion of the second rotating arm that are configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly are configured as the connecting portion of the rotating member (figs 17, 20-22).
Regarding Claim 20, Liu discloses (figs. 1-23) the terminal device according to claim 19, wherein the end portion that is of the first rotating arm and that is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly is provided with a gear structure, and the end portion that is of the second rotating arm and that is configured to be rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly is provided with a gear structure (2041 and 2141); and the rotating shaft mechanism comprises another damper assembly such that the rotating shaft mechanism comprises two damper assemblies, the gear structure of a first rotating arm of one damper assembly engages with the gear structure of a first rotating arm or a second rotating arm on a corresponding side of the other damper assembly, and the gear structure of a second rotating arm of one damper assembly engages with the gear structure of a second rotating arm or a first rotating arm on a corresponding side of the other damper assembly (shows in figs 20-22).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 9 and 16-17 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 claims 4 and 16, “wherein the sliding member further comprises a roller, the roller is rotatably connected to the sliding block by via roller shaft, and the roller abuts against the cam surface.”
Regarding claims 5 and 17, “wherein an end portion of the sliding block is further provided with an abutting portion, the abutting portion abuts against the cam surface, and a surface of the abutting portion is an arc surface or a spherical surface.
Regarding claim 9, “wherein in a length direction of the main shaft assembly, a baffle plate is disposed on each of two sides of the two gear structures that engage with each other, and the baffle plate is configured to limit a center distance between the two gear structures.”
However, the prior art (included in PTO 892), when taken alone, or, in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841