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 .
This is a non-final Office Action for serial number 18/510,625, Bracket With Multiple Layers Of Space For Clamping Mobile Phone, filed on November 15, 2023 with a priority date of October 17, 2023.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 11,910,916 to Cohn et al. (Cohn).
Cohn ‘916 discloses a bracket (18) with multiple layers of space (Fig. 28) for clamping mobile phone, comprises a main body (140); the main body is provided with a clamping structure; wherein the clamping structure is provided with a first space (space – placement of the devices) capable of clamping a mobile phone as well as a second space (gap shown in Fig. 25) capable of accommodating a thickness of a back of the mobile protruding from the first space.
Regarding claim 2, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein a sum of the thickness of the first space and the second space is 3mm-42mm (thickness of the two devices together).
Regarding claim 3, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the clamping structure clamps the mobile phone, a front side of the mobile phone does not protrude from the first space.
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Regarding claim 4, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the clamping structure comprises a first left sidewall (top sidewall in the 1st space) and a first right side wall (top sidewall in the 1st space), the first space is located between the first left sidewall and the first right sidewall; the clamping structure comprises a second left side wall ( bottom sidewall in the 2nd space) and a second right sidewall ( bottom sidewall in the 2nd space), the second space is located between the second left sidewall and the second right sidewall; the first left sidewall is connected to the second left sidewall, the first right sidewall is connected to the second right sidewall.
Regarding claim 5, Cohn ‘916 discloses at least one sidewall of the second space is provided as a first sloping surface inclined outwardly with respect to a thickness direction of the second space (see Fig. 25).
Regarding claim 7, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the at least one sidewall of the first space is provided as a second sloping surface inclined inwardly with respect to a thickness direction of the first space (Fig. 25).
Regarding claim 8, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein a distance between the first left sidewall and the first right sidewall is set to be adjustable (Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 9, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein a distance between the second left sidewall and the second right sidewall is set to be adjustable (Fig. 35).
Regarding claim 10, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the distance between the first left sidewall and the first right sidewall is adjusted by moving the first left sidewall or the first right sidewall.
Regarding claim 11, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the distance between the second left sidewall and the second right sidewall is adjusted by moving the second left sidewall or the second right sidewall.
Regarding claim 12, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the clamping structure comprises a fixing member (120), the fixing member is movably provided on the main body and sidewalls on a same side of the first space and the second space are able to move synchronously with the fixing member.
Regarding claim 13, Cohn ‘916 discloses wherein the main body is provided with a support structure (146) capable of supporting a bottom of the mobile phone.
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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohn ‘916 in view of U.S. Patent No. 8,490,937 to Crain et al. (Crain).
Cohn ‘916 fails to disclose wherein the clamping structure comprises a left step and a right step. Nevertheless. Crain ‘937 discloses wherein the clamping structure comprises a left step and a right step (20 – Fig. 1). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the clamping structure with sloped between the first (left-right) sidewalls and the second (left-right) sidewalls of Cohen ‘916 with a step between two sidewalls because one would have a motivation to provide more wiggle room when the device is inserted in the clamping structure as taught by Crain ‘937.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 10,663,104 – Clamping Holder
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/TODD M EPPS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 October 17, 2025