Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/562,013

DECORATIVE MEMBER, HOUSING ASSEMBLY, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Nov 17, 2023
Examiner
CHEN, ZHITONG
Art Unit
2649
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Honor Device Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 10m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allow Rate
450 granted / 590 resolved
+14.3% vs TC avg
Strong +20% interview lift
Without
With
+19.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
624
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.5%
-37.5% vs TC avg
§103
81.9%
+41.9% vs TC avg
§102
3.7%
-36.3% vs TC avg
§112
5.0%
-35.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 590 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
CTNF 18/562,013 CTNF 91509 DETAILED ACTION 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-18, 28 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20220377163 A1 (Li), in view of US 20210234948 A1 (Li2) . Regarding Claims 1 , 28 and 31: A decorative member, configured to be mounted to a housing of an electronic device, the decorative member comprising a support, a cover plate, a first adhesive layer, and a balance valve, and wherein:the support comprises a main board portion, a decorative ring, and a connecting portion, two side surfaces of the main board portion are respectively a first surface and a second surface, the first surface faces outside of the housing, the second surface faces inside of the housing, the decorative ring protrudes from a periphery of the first surface, the cover plate is arranged on the first surface, a first vent gap is arranged between the cover plate and the decorative ring, the connecting portion is connected to a periphery of the second surface and is configured to be connected to the housing, at least one accommodating hole extends in the main board portion, and the first adhesive layer is bonded between the cover plate and the main board portion and is arranged around an outer circumference of the at least one accommodating hole; and a balance hole extends in the support, the balance hole comprises at least two first balance holes extending in the main board portion, the balance valve comprises first balance valves covering the at least two first balance holes in a one-to-one correspondence, at least two vent channels in communication with each other are formed between the main board portion and the cover plate, the first adhesive layer is configured to avoid the at least two vent channels, each of the at least two vent channels is in communication with the first vent gap, and the at least two first balance holes are in communication with the at least two vent channels (Li: Figs. 6-11a-b, disclose a decorative assemble that comprises of a support 121, a cover plate 123, a 1 st adhesive layer 122, and a balance valve 124; the support comprises a main board 1211 and a decorative ring 1212 (implicitly indicate a connection portion), two surfaces of the main board are the 1 st surface (1213) facing outside of the housing, 2nd surface 1214 faces inside of the housing; the ring 1212 protrudes from a periphery of the 1 st surface (e.g., Fig. 10); the cover place 123 is arranged on the 1 st surface see Figs. 9-11a-b with a 1 st vent gap(S) is between the cover plater 123 and decorative ring 1212 that connection portion is implicitly given, at least 1 accommodating hole 1216 is on the main board portion, the 1 st adhesive layer 122 is bonded between the cover plate and the main board portion and is arranged around an outer circumference of the hole 1216, a balance hole 1334 on the support 121 and comprises at least two first balance holes (par. 97-100,119), the balance valve 124 comprises covering the 1 st balance holes 1334 corresponds to at least two vent channels (92) between the main board and cover plate, the 1 st adhesive layer 122 is to avoid the vent channels, and each of the vent channel (92) is in communication with the first vent gad(S), 1 st balance holes 1334; in addition, Li2 further illustrates in Figs. 2-7, structures of a decorative assemble ). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify Li with a decorative assemble constructs as further taught by Li2. The advantage of doing so is to provide a mechanism for decorative assemble for air tightness to avoid air pressure imbalance of mobile terminal operation and quality (Li2: Background). Regarding Claim 2, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 1, wherein the main board portion comprises a first region and a second region respectively located on two sides of a center line of the main board portion, and the at least two first balance holes extend in both the first region and the second region (Li: par. 119; Li2: par. 53, 65). Regarding Claim 3, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises at least two adhesive sheets isolated from each other, and outer edges of the at least two adhesive sheets extend to an edge of the main board portion; and the at least two vent channels comprise at least two first vent channels, each of at least two first vent channels extend from a middle of the main board portion to the edge of the main board portion, and the at least two first balance holes are located in a middle region of the at least two first vent channels (Li: Fig. 7, adhesive sheets 122 and two vent channels 92 extending from the middle of the main board 1211 ). Regarding Claim 4, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises one adhesive sheet, an edge of the one adhesive sheet comprises a notch section, the notch section is located between adjacent first balance holes of the at least two first balance holes, and a spacing is defined between the notch section and an edge of the main board portion; and the at least two vent channels comprise at least two second vent channels, each of at least two second vent channels are formed between the notch section and the decorative ring, and the at least two second vent channels extend along a periphery of the main board portion and is in communication with the adjacent first balance holes (Li: e.g., Fig. 9 and par. 125). Regarding Claim 5, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive layer comprises at least two adhesive sheets isolated from each other, an edge of the at least two adhesive sheets that face an edge of the main board portion comprises a notch section, the notch section is located between adjacent first balance holes of the at least two first balance holes, and a spacing is defined between the notch section and the edge of the main board portion; and the at least two vent channels comprise at least one first vent channel and at least one second vent channel, the at least one first vent channel extends from a middle of the main board portion to an edge of the main board portion, and the at least one second vent channel extends along a periphery of the main board portion and is in communication with the adjacent first balance holes (Li: e.g., Fig. 9 and par. 125). Regarding Claim 6, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 3, wherein the decorative ring comprises at least one stepped groove, and the at least one stepped groove is arranged corresponding to an end of the at least two first vent channels; and the at least one stepped groove extends from an inner wall surface to an outer wall surface of the decorative ring, and the stepped groove is in communication with a top end surface of the decorative ring (Li: e.g., Fig. 10, stepped groove of ring 1212 ). Regarding Claim 7, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion comprises a side wall and a lapping rim, the side wall is connected to the periphery of the second surface and extends toward the housing, the lapping rim is connected to an end of the side wall facing away from the main board portion, and the lapping rim is connected to the housing (Li: e.g., Fig. 10 , side wall 112 and housing 11 ). Regarding Claim 8, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 7, wherein the side wall is provided with at least one air guide groove, a notch of the at least one air guide groove is located on the first surface and is in communication with the at least two vent channels, the at least one air guide groove extends toward a side where the lapping rim is located, and the at least one air guide groove is in communication with the outside (Li: Fig. 10, air guard groove S ). Regarding Claim 9, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 8, wherein the side wall is further provided with a first vent hole, and the first vent hole is exposed outside the housing and extends from an outer wall surface of the side wall to be in communication with the at least one air guide groove (Li: Figs. 10-11a-b, vent hole 1221 ). Regarding Claim 10, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 8, wherein the lapping rim is attached to a side surface of the housing facing inside of the electronic device, and the side wall extends out of the electronic device through a mounting hole extending in the housing; and a second vent gap is between the side wall and a hole wall of the mounting hole, and the at least one air guide groove is in communication with the second vent gap (Li: e.g., Fig. 10 , side wall 112 and housing 11 ). Regarding Claim 11, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 10, wherein a communication groove extends in the side wall, the communication groove is arranged corresponding to the hole wall of the mounting hole, and two ends of the communication groove are respectively in communication with the at least one air guide groove and the second vent gap (Li: Figs. 10, 14a, communication groove ). Regarding Claim 12, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 11, wherein a groove top wall of the communication groove closest to the first surface is higher than a plane where an outer surface of the housing is located (Li: Figs. 10, 14a, communication groove ). Regarding Claim 13, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 10, wherein the lapping rim comprises at least one widened portion, the at least one widened portion extends toward outside of the support, at least one air guide channel is formed between the at least one widened portion and an inner surface of the housing, and the at least one air guide channel extends to the side wall and is in communication with the at least two vent channels; and the balance hole further comprises at least one second balance hole provided on the at least one widened portion, the at least one second balance hole is located in the at least one air guide channel, and the balance valve further comprises a second balance valve covering the at least one second balance hole (Li: Figs. 10, 14a, communication groove ). Regarding Claim 14, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 13, wherein at least two widened portions are arranged, the at least two widened portions are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the lapping rim, and at least one second balance hole extends in each of the at least two widened portions (Li: e.g., Fig. 1 and par. 73-79). Regarding Claim 15, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 13, wherein the at least one widened portion is an annular portion, and the at least one widened portion comprises at least two second balance holes arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction (Li: e.g., Fig. 1 and par. 16-17, 73-79). Regarding Claim 16, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 13, wherein at least one second balance hole is arranged corresponding to the at least one air guide groove in a circumferential direction of the support (Li2: par. 81-84). Regarding Claim 17, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 13, wherein the at least one second balance hole is staggered from the at least one air guide groove in a circumferential direction of the support (Li2: par. 81-84). Regarding Claim 18, Li as modified further teaches: The decorative member according to claim 8, wherein the side wall comprises an inner extension, the inner extension protrudes from an inner wall surface of the side wall toward a center of the support, and the at least one air guide groove is provided on the inner extension (Li2: Figs. 4-6 and par. 68-73). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHITONG CHEN whose telephone number is (571) 270-1936. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:30am - 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, Yuwen Pan can be reached on 571-272-7855. 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. /ZHITONG CHEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 2 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 3 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 4 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 5 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 6 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 7 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 8 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 9 Art Unit: 2649 Application/Control Number: 18/562,013 Page 10 Art Unit: 2649
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 17, 2023
Application Filed
Feb 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
76%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+19.9%)
2y 10m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 590 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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