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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim 18 has been withdrawn without traverse in Applicant’s response filed 2/6/26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 13 recites “one end of the elastic finger is connected to an opening wall of the opening.” It is unclear what limitations are associated with “an opening wall of the opening” or how an opening may include an opening wall. For purposes of examination, it will be understood to mean that the elastic finger is connected to a peripheral wall which forms the opening in the hollow cavity.
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) 1-3, 13-15, 17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao et al. (WO 2022117867) (“Zhao”). Zhao discloses a locking mechanism, comprising: a fixing seat (fig. 15: 32) having a receiving hole (fig. 20: opening facing outwards) and a first locking part (fig. 20 interior flange onto which 1231 clasps); and an installing seat (fig. 18: 912) having an inserting portion (fig. 18: 921, 923) and a second locking part (fig. 18: 9231) connected to the inserting portion, the inserting portion being configured to be inserted into the receiving hole; wherein, the first locking part and the second locking part are configured to engage when the inserting portion is inserted into the receiving hole (as shown in fig. 20).
As concerns claim 2, Zhao discloses wherein the fixing seat comprises a fixing seat body (shown in annotate figure below); the receiving hole is formed inside the fixing body along a length direction thereof (it is formed inward, as shown in fig. 20); and the length direction of the fixing body is substantially parallel to an insertion direction of the inserting portion of the installing seat.
PNG
media_image1.png
638
863
media_image1.png
Greyscale
As concerns claim 3, Zhao discloses wherein the receiving hole is a through hole; the fixing body comprises a first segment and a second segment communicating with each other through the receiving hole in the length direction (as shown above the leftmost first segment holds the fixing cover and the second rightmost segment includes the first locking part); the fixing seat further comprises a detachably connected fixing cover (fig. 19: 914), and the fixing cover is arranged on an end of the first segment of the fixing body.
As concerns claim 13, as best understood, Zhao discloses wherein the inserting portion has a hollow cavity (the space between 923, 921, 9231), and an opening is formed in a cavity wall of the hollow cavity (fig. 18: 923 is a cavity wall and includes a wall opening extending around the front and rear of the inserting portion/hollow cavity); the second locking part is an elastic finger (fig. 18: 9231); and one end of the elastic finger is connected to a peripheral wall of the hollow cavity (fig. 18: upper wall 922).
As concerns claim 14, Zhao discloses wherein the fixing seat further comprises: a closing cover (fig. 19: 914) movably arranged in the receiving hole; and a restoring member (fig. 19: 916) arranged between the closing cover and a hole bottom of the receiving hole (fig. 20).
As concerns claim 15, Zhao discloses wherein an opening edge of the receiving hole is provided with a first limiting part (fig. 20: the flange opposite the side that locks 1231 acts as a first limiting part), and the closing cover is provided with a second limiting part (figs. 19, 20: 143) abutting against the first limiting part.
As concerns claim 17, Zhao discloses wherein the inserting portion is a cylinder or a cylindrical tube, and the receiving hole is a cylindrical hole that allows an insertion of the inserting portion and engages with the inserting portion (as shown in figs. 18-20).
As concerns claim 19, Zhao discloses a baby carrier (fig. 16), comprising: a carrier body (fig. 16: 30); a canopy assembly (fig. 16: 50); and the locking mechanism of claim 1; wherein the fixing seat is connected to the carrier body; the installing seat is connected to the canopy assembly; and the canopy assembly is detachably connected to the carrier body through the locking mechanism (as shown in figs. 16 and 20).
As concerns claim 20, Zhao discloses wherein the canopy assembly comprises: a first pivot seat; a first canopy strip connected to the first pivot seat; a second pivot seat pivotally connected to the first pivot seat; and a second canopy strip connected to the second pivot seat; wherein one of the first pivot seat and the second pivot seat is connected to the installing seat (fig. 17 shows the two canopy strips and respective two pivot seats which intersect/connect to the installing seat @ 922).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 and 16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art reference of Zhao teaches wherein the second locking part is an elastic finger; the elastic finger comprises an elastic body; the elastic body has a connecting end and a free end, but does not teach wherein the first locking part is a locking groove formed in a side wall of the receiving hole; and the fixing seat further comprises a pushing face, and the pushing face is configured to, in a process of inserting the inserting portion into the receiving hole, push the elastic finger to force the free end to deviate in a direction from a groove bottom to a groove opening of the locking groove.
Additionally, Zhao fails to teach wherein one of an inner wall of the receiving hole and the closing cover has a guiding rib; another of the inner wall of the receiving hole and the closing cover has a guiding groove; and the guiding rib is slidingly arranged in the guiding groove. There is no teaching, suggestion or motivation to modify the prior art absent hindsight.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY J BRINDLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7231. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Dunn can be reached at 5712726670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TIMOTHY J BRINDLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636