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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 8,662,317 B2 (Liang).
With respect to claim 1: Liang discloses a mounting apparatus having a structure of a rack-mount unit for accommodating a unit (switch 40) in a rack mount (housing 10), by loading of the unit from a front opening of the rack mount (not numbered front opening, opens towards the left/front in Fig. 1), and by engagement and fastening (via screws 60) of at least two fastening holes (through holes 212), formed in a perpendicular direction of flanges (fastening plates 21) extensively provided at both ends in a lengthwise direction of a front surface of the unit (Fig. 1), with a plurality of fastening holes (through holes 121 and/or fastening holes 323), formed in the perpendicular direction of a pair of rails (left and right rails 12) elongating in the perpendicular direction and disposed on the both sides on a front side in an interior of the rack mount (Fig. 1), wherein the structure comprising: a plate-shaped part (connection plate 22) having one end (front end of plate 22) elongating from a flange (Fig. 6) toward a body side panel of the unit (left side panel of switch 40 in Fig. 6) and being connected to the flange (the main body of plate 22 is connected to fastening plate 21), and another end (rear end of plate 22) being connected to the body side panel (via bolt 50 and through hole 231), and whereby configured a triangle, of which hypotenuse is the plate-shaped part, and of which adjacent side is the body side panel of the unit (Fig. 6).
With respect to claim 2: Liang discloses wherein one end of the plate-shaped part (front end of connection plate 22) is bent and elongated forming or capable of forming a connecting portion (Fig. 6: not numbered portion of plate 22 parallel to and behind fastening plate 21) parallel to the flange, and the other end of the plate-shaped part (rear end of plate 22) is bent and elongated forming or capable of forming a connecting portion parallel to the body side panel of the unit (via bolt 50 and through hole 231).
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, 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 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.
Claim(s) 3-6 and 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 8,662,317 B2 (Liang) as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of US 2002/0195408 A1 (Hegrenes).
With respect to claims 3-4: Liang discloses wherein the connecting portion at one end of the plate-shaped part (front end portion of plate 22) is provided with at least two fastening parts (not numbered holes through plate 22 that are aligned with through holes 212 of fastening plate 21) formed in the perpendicular direction to be engaged with fastening holes of the flange (through holes 212 of fastening plate 21).
Liang does not disclose “and the fastening hole has a wide opening extending in a horizontal direction of the unit” as claimed.
Hegrenes Fig. 2 shows mounting slots 26 in a rail flange 24 of a rail 22. The mounting slots 26 meet “and the fastening hole has a wide opening extending in a horizontal direction of the unit” as claimed. Hegrenes Figs. 6A-6C shows how the widened slot structure accommodates tolerances and/or items not aligning perfectly during mounting.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liang’s through holes 212 and the holes in plate 22 that are behind through holes 212 to be wide openings like Hegrenes’ mounting slots 26, in order to accommodate tolerances and/or imperfect alignment during mounting.
With respect to claims 5-6: Liang discloses wherein the plate-shaped part has a flexible property (necessarily and/or inherently has a non-zero modulus of elasticity).
With respect to claims 9-10: Liang, as modified, meets wherein a fastening part of said at least two fastening parts is a recessed groove (Hegrenes’ mounting slots 26 are “recessed grooves” in the same and/or similar way as Applicant’s recessed grooves 103a, 103b).
With respect to claims 11-12: Liang discloses wherein the angle formed by the hypotenuse and the adjacent side is less than 45 degrees (Liang Fig. 6: the angle between the main body of connection plate 22 and the side of switch 40 is less than 45 degrees).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 8,662,317 B2 (Liang) in view of US 2002/0195408 A1 (Hegrenes).
With respect to claim 13: By making the same combinations and/or modifications as in the rejections above, Liang in view of Hegrenes meets a rack-mount mounting member for accommodating a unit (switch 40) in a rack mount (housing 10), by loading of the unit from a front opening of the rack mount (not numbered front opening, opens towards the left/front in Fig. 1), and by engagement and fastening (via screws 60) of at least two fastening holes (through holes 212), formed in a perpendicular direction of flanges (fastening plates 21) extensively provided at both ends in a lengthwise direction of a front surface of the unit (Fig. 1), with a plurality of fastening holes (through holes 121 and/or fastening holes 323), formed in the perpendicular direction of a pair of rails (left and right rails 12) elongating in the perpendicular direction and disposed on both sides on a front side in an interior of the rack mount (Fig. 1), wherein the rack-mount mounting member comprising: a first connecting portion (front portion of connection plate 22, parallel to and behind fastening plate 21 in Fig. 6), formed by bending and elongating one end of a plate-shaped part (connection plate 22) having a flexible property (necessarily and/or inherently has a non-zero modulus of elasticity) to be parallel to the flange (Fig. 6), connectable or connecting to the flange (by being integral therewith and/or by virtue of the screw 60), and a second connecting portion (rear portion of plate 22), formed by bending and elongating another end of the plate-shaped part to be parallel to a body side panel of the unit (left side panel of switch 40 in Fig. 6), connectable or connecting to the body side panel of the unit (via bolt 50 and through hole 231), wherein, the first connecting portion at the one end of the plate-shaped part is provided with at least two fastening parts (the modified holes 212 and holes in plate 22 behind holes 212), each of which having a wide opening extending in a horizontal direction of the unit (as in Hegrenes’ mounting slots 26), engageable or engaging with each of fastening holes of the flange (via screw 60).
Claim(s) 3-8 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 8,662,317 B2 (Liang) as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of CN 201499407 U (Fan).
With respect to claims 3-4: Liang discloses wherein the connecting portion at one end of the plate-shaped part (front end portion of plate 22) is provided with at least two fastening parts (not numbered holes through plate 22 that are aligned with through holes 212 of fastening plate 21) formed in the perpendicular direction to be engaged with fastening holes of the flange (through holes 212 of fastening plate 21).
Liang does not disclose “and the fastening hole has a wide opening extending in a horizontal direction of the unit” as claimed.
Fan discloses it is known in the art to have wide openings (long holes 101, 102, 201, 202) in mounting brackets.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Liang’s through holes 212 and the holes in plate 22 that are behind through holes 212 to be wide openings like Fan’s holes, in order to accommodate tolerances and/or imperfect alignment during mounting.
With respect to claims 5-6: Liang discloses wherein the plate-shaped part has a flexible property (necessarily and/or inherently has a non-zero modulus of elasticity).
With respect to claims 7-8: Liang, as modified, meets wherein a fastening part of said at least two fastening parts is an oblong hole (Fan’s holes 101, 102, 201, 202 are oblong holes).
With respect to claims 11-12: Liang discloses wherein the angle formed by the hypotenuse and the adjacent side is less than 45 degrees (Liang Fig. 6: the angle between the main body of connection plate 22 and the side of switch 40 is less than 45 degrees).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 8,662,317 B2 (Liang) in view of CN 201499407 U (Fan).
With respect to claim 13: By making the same combinations and/or modifications as in the rejections above, Liang in view of Fan meets a rack-mount mounting member for accommodating a unit (switch 40) in a rack mount (housing 10), by loading of the unit from a front opening of the rack mount (not numbered front opening, opens towards the left/front in Fig. 1), and by engagement and fastening (via screws 60) of at least two fastening holes (through holes 212), formed in a perpendicular direction of flanges (fastening plates 21) extensively provided at both ends in a lengthwise direction of a front surface of the unit (Fig. 1), with a plurality of fastening holes (through holes 121 and/or fastening holes 323), formed in the perpendicular direction of a pair of rails (left and right rails 12) elongating in the perpendicular direction and disposed on both sides on a front side in an interior of the rack mount (Fig. 1), wherein the rack-mount mounting member comprising: a first connecting portion (front portion of connection plate 22, parallel to and behind fastening plate 21 in Fig. 6), formed by bending and elongating one end of a plate-shaped part (connection plate 22) having a flexible property (necessarily and/or inherently has a non-zero modulus of elasticity) to be parallel to the flange (Fig. 6), connectable or connecting to the flange (by being integral therewith and/or by virtue of the screw 60), and a second connecting portion (rear portion of plate 22), formed by bending and elongating another end of the plate-shaped part to be parallel to a body side panel of the unit (left side panel of switch 40 in Fig. 6), connectable or connecting to the body side panel of the unit (via bolt 50 and through hole 231), wherein, the first connecting portion at the one end of the plate-shaped part is provided with at least two fastening parts (the modified holes 212 and holes in plate 22 behind holes 212), each of which having a wide opening extending in a horizontal direction of the unit (as in Fan’s holes 101, 102, 201, 202), engageable or engaging with each of fastening holes of the flange (via screw 60).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW ROERSMA whose telephone number is (571)270-3185. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW ROERSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637