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) 15, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maher (U.S. PGPUB 2016/0343204).
Re claim 15: Maher discloses an electronic gaming machine (see Fig. 1, object 10) comprising:
a cabinet (see Fig. 1, object 10: cabinet);
a display (see Fig. 1, object 18: display); and
a hinge assembly coupled between the cabinet and the display (see Fig. 4A, objects 472, 486), the hinge assembly comprising:
a first bracket coupled to the cabinet (see Fig. 4A: bracket at pivot point 483 );
a second bracket coupled to the display (see Fig. 4A: the door, including the display, itself is a bracket, as it is the attachment mechanism to extend the hinge arms outward); and
a linkage system (see Fig. 4A: hinge arms) extending between the first bracket and the second bracket, the linkage system including a first link pair and a second link pair, the first link pair including links having a linear shape (see Fig. 4A and 5A object 486, consisting of a link pair of rods including an shorter rod and a longer rod that extends when the door is extended outward. The linked pair can also be considered a pair of the pair of said rods on the left and right side of the cabinet as described in claim 4 and paragraph [0006]. The instant application only requires that a link be part of the linkage system, and that there are two of said links, and not necessarily that the links are connected together) and the second link pair including links having an oblique shape (see Fig. 4A, object 472: the hinge arms, i.e. links, of the invention are oblique shaped, and each of the pair of hinge arms, is located symmetrically on the right and left side of the cabinet, see claim 4 and paragraph [0045]), wherein the hinge assembly is configured to swing the display from a lowered position to a raised position (see Fig. 4A and Fig. 5A: showing the door swinging from a lower to and upper position).
Re claim 19: Maher discloses with respect to the electronic gaming machine in accordance with claim 15, wherein the hinge assembly is selectively expandable and retractable between a retracted position and an expanded position, and wherein the hinge assembly swings the display from the lowered position to the raised position as the hinge assembly is expanded from the retracted position to the expanded position (see Figs. 4A and 54: the door opens and closes through a traction and expansion of object 472).
Re claim 20: Maher discloses with respect to the electronic gaming machine in accordance with claim 15 wherein the second link pair includes a first section, a second section, and a third section, the first section being oriented obtusely relative to the second section, and the second section being oriented obtusely relative to the third section (see Fig. 4A, object 472: the hinge arm can be viewed as having three sections, a beginning, middle, and an end, wherein the beginning and end parts are obtusely oriented from the middle part.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
Claims 16-18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mittler discloses a similar invention to the instant application (U.S. PGPUB 2018/0081391).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REGINALD A RENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-1913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at (571)270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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REGINALD A. RENWICK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3714
/REGINALD A RENWICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715