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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Embodiment 1, Figures 1-8, Claims 1-6 and 12 in the reply filed on 11/26/2025 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 5 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ragheb [US 4,296,394]
Claim 1, Ragheb discloses an operation mechanism [abs] comprising: a magnet [12/13]; a first movable plate [10] formed of a magnetic material and connected to one pole of the magnet; and a second movable plate [11] formed of a magnetic material and connected to another pole of the magnet, wherein, while the first movable plate is not being operated, the second movable plate is at a return position that overlaps the first movable plate [figure 1], and wherein, while the first movable plate is being operated [via force 20], the first movable plate pushes down a middle portion [17] of the second movable plate [11], such that the middle portion of the second movable plate remains in contact with the first movable plate [10 at point 16] and the second movable plate is tilted, so as to cause a free end of the second movable plate to be separated from the first movable plate [figure 3].
Claim 2, Ragheb discloses the operation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first movable plate [10] and the second movable plate [11] is provided to be tiltable with a terminal end [14/15] as a fulcrum, and wherein a free end of the first movable plate overlaps the middle portion of the second movable plate to be always contactable [figure 3].
Claim 5, Ragheb discloses the operation mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an operation member [18] formed using an elastic material [col. 6 lines 10-13] and configured to operate the first movable plate in response to a pressing operation performed by an operator.
Claim 12, Ragheb discloses an input device comprising: the operation mechanism as claimed in claim 1; and an input mechanism [an electric contact; col. 6 lines 10-13]; that can be switched by tilting the second movable plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4 and 6 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837