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.
(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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being by US Pub No. 20230036772 (“Lu”).
Regarding Claim 1,Lu discloses an 8-cube room organizer (see Figs .1-11), comprising:
a first shelving unit (upper , best seen in Figs 7-8) comprising a first plurality of panels (1, 4, 5) forming a 4-cube room organizer with four individual cubes, wherein the first plurality of panels (1, 4, 5) are attached to each other using a first type of fasteners (17, 18);
a second shelving unit (lower) comprising a second plurality panels (3, 6, 7) forming a 4-cube | room organizer with four individual cubes, wherein the second plurality of panels (3, 6, 7) are attached to . each other using the first type of fasteners (17, 18);
wherein the first and second shelving units (upper and lower) are attached to each other using a : plurality of a second type of fasteners (9), the second type of fasteners (9) each requiring tightening at only one end, and wherein at least a portion of the second type of fastener (9) is housed within panels bearing cutouts (13) which provide room for a tightening tool(as shown in Fig.8) used to tighten the only one end of the second type of fastener.
Regarding Claim 2, Lu discloses wherein the second type of fasteners (9) comprises draw bolts (9).
Regarding Claim 3, Lu discloses, wherein the draw bolts (9) are tightened to a fastener (11) embedded in panels (side) adjacent to the panels bearing the cutouts,
Regarding Claim 4, Lu discloses wherein when the first and second shelving units (upper and lower) are attached to form an 8-cube room organizer, a horizontal panel is first removed from one of the first or the second shelving units.
Regarding Claim 5, Lu discloses wherein the first type of fasteners (17, 18) comprises wooden dowels.
Claims 9-11 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Member’s Mark 8 -Cube Room Organizer Manual ( hereinafter, “MM”).
Regarding Claim 9, MM disclose an 8-cube room organizer (see Figs. 1-8), comprising:
a shelving unit comprising two opposing vertical exterior panels (B) connected to: (a) five horizontal panels, which include three interior horizontal panels ( C, D) and two exterior horizontal panels (A), and (b) four interior vertical panels;
wherein at least two different fastener types (best seen in Figs. 7-8) are used for the connections, including:
(i) a first type of fastener (5) is used to connect the three interior horizontal panels (C, D) to the two opposing vertical exterior side panels, and to connect the four | interior vertical panels to the five horizontal panels; and
(ii) a second type of fastener (1, 4) is used to connect the two exterior horizontal panels (A) to the two opposing vertical panels.
Regarding Claim 10, MM discloses wherein the first type of fastener (5) comprises wooden dowels (5).
Regarding Claim 11, MM discloses wherein the second type of fastener (1, 4) | requires tightening at only one end (screw requires tightening).
Regarding Claim 14, MM discloses a third type of fastener (2,3) for connecting opposing ends of an interior middle horizontal shelf to each of the two opposing vertical panels.
Regarding Claim 15, MM discloses wherein the third type of fastener (2,3) comprises a cam lock assembly(see cam 2).
|
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103(a) as being unpatentable over 20230036772 (“Lu”), alone.
Regarding Claims 6-8, Lu discloses -a method for creating an 8-cube room organizer, comprising the steps of:
forming a first shelving unit by attaching a plurality Claim 6of panels using a first type of fasteners (17, 18), to form a 4-cube room organizer with four individual cubes;
forming a second shelving unit by attaching a plurality of panels using the first type of fasteners, to form a 4-cube room organizer with four individual cubes;
attaching the first and second units to each other to form an 8-cube room | organizer using a plurality of a second type of fasteners (9), wherein each of the second type of | fasteners requires tightening at only one end, and wherein at least a portion of the second type of fasteners is each housed within panels bearing cutouts, the cutouts providing room for a lightening , tool used to tighten the only one end of the second type of fastener; Claim 7-the step of removing a horizontal panel from one of the first or the second shelving units, prior to the attachment of the first and the second shelving units to each other to form an 8-cube room organizer; Claim 6-wherein the first type of fastener comprises a wooden dowel, and the second type of fastener comprises a draw bolt.
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention that of the invention to use and assemble the 8 cube room organizer g according to the method steps set forth above, since Lu discloses the invention of claims 6-8 such method steps would occur during the ordinary course using the room see MPEP 2112.02
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103(a) as being unpatentable over MM as applied to claim 11 above, in view of US Pub No. 20230036772 (“Lu”).
MM discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose the second fastener in a cutout within of the at least one of the two opposing vertical panels
Regarding Claims 12-13, Lu discloses wherein at least a portion of the second type of fasteners ( 9) is each housed within a cutout (13) located within at least one of the two opposing vertical panels (17), the cutout which provides room for a tightening tool used to tighten the only one end of the second type of fastener (as seen in Fig.8; Claim 13-wherein the second type of fastener comprises a draw bolt (9) and nut (11).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention that the at least one of the opposing side panels could be adapted with a cutout to house the tightening bolt similar to the room organizer taught by MM, [0024], so the tightening bolt can be easily accessed while concealing the fastening means.
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 KIMBERLEY S WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571)270-3328. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 12:30-6:30.
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, Daniel Troy can be reached on 5712703742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KIMBERLEY S WRIGHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637