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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimoda et al. (US 2002/0044406).
Regarding claim 1 Shimoda discloses:
A shell of an electronic device, comprising:
a shell body (e.g. 3/4 Fig.3), provided with a concave groove and a first through hole communicated with the concave groove (e.g. shown Fig.3);
a matching member (e.g. 6-2 Fig.3), arranged on the shell body and provided with a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole (e.g. shown Fig.3); and
a fixing member (e.g. 8/9 Fig.3), penetrating through the second through hole and the first through hole to fix the matching member to the shell body (e.g. shown Fig.3), and the fixing member passing through the concave groove, wherein a gap between an outer surface of the fixing member and a side wall of the concave groove forms a lanyard hole (e.g. shown Fig.2).
Regarding claim 2 Shimoda discloses:
the concave groove is located at one of four corners of the shell (e.g. shown Fig.2).
Regarding claim 3 Shimoda discloses:
the concave groove is located in one of four side edges of the shell (e.g. shown Fig.2).
Regarding claim 4 Shimoda discloses:
an extension direction of the first through hole is substantially parallel to that of the second through hole (e.g. shown Fig.3).
Regarding claim 5 Shimoda discloses:
the shell body is further provided with a fixing hole (e.g. with 9 therethrough Fig.3), the fixing member is further provided with an end far away from the first through hole (e.g. shown Fig.3), and the end passes through the concave groove and is fixed to the fixing hole (e.g. shown Fig.3).
Regarding claim 6 Shimoda discloses:
the fixing member is a screw (e.g. shown Fig.3) or a screw bolt.
Regarding claim 7 Shimoda discloses:
a protecting member (e.g. 5-1 Fig.3), arranged on the matching member.
Regarding claim 8 Shimoda discloses:
An electronic device, comprising:
a shell body (e.g. 3/4 Fig.3), provided with a concave groove and a first through hole communicated with the concave groove (e.g. shown Fig.3);
a matching member (e.g. 6-2 Fig.3), arranged on the shell body and provided with a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole (e.g. shown Fig.3); and
a fixing member (e.g. 8/9 Fig.3), penetrating through the second through hole and the first through hole to fix the matching member to the shell body (e.g. shown Fig.3), and the fixing member passing through the concave groove, wherein a gap between an outer surface of the fixing member and a side wall of the concave groove forms a lanyard hole (e.g. shown Fig.2); and
a display surface (e.g. 15 Fig.1), wherein extension directions of the first through hole and the second through hole are substantially parallel to a normal direction of the display surface (e.g. shown/indicated Fig.1).
Regarding claim 9 Shimoda discloses:
the electronic device is a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer (e.g. described paragraph [0003]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2025-12-31 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The rejection above points out where the limitation(s) added in amendment are disclosed by the prior art already of record.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THERON S MILLISER whose telephone number is (571)270-1800. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6.
Examiner interviews are available.
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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/THERON S MILLISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841