Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This is a first office action on the merits of application SN 18/579,509 and filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Copy of JP2001130096 appears to be the correct translation, but the attached Japanese copy appears to be a different patent than the cited one.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103
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.
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(s) 1-8, 11, 14, 17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Japanese Patent JP 1660831 to Hara alone or in view of US Patent Publication 2011/0273071 to Kim
Hara teaches
Claim 1. A housing structure, comprising: a cover portion including a first cover portion (A, C) provided on one surface of a first housing (as best seen in annotated figure A-A below), and a second cover portion (B, D) provided on the one surface of the first housing below the first cover portion; a first inclined portion (A) provided at a lower end portion of the first cover portion and inclined toward an inner side of the first housing (as best seen in annotated figure A-A below); a second inclined portion (B) provided at an upper end portion of the second cover portion and inclined toward the inner side of the first housing (as best seen in annotated figure A-A below); and a first handle portion (E, F), which is a handle for opening and closing the cover portion, in which a distal end portion (right or left side/corner of the handle adjacent to the inclined portion A) of the handle is located on an inclined surface of the first inclined portion, and which is formed to include a grip portion (F) of the handle on an opposite side from the inclined surface of the first inclined portion (as best seen in annotated figure A-A below).
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Kim teaches a door with an inclined edge (40). The incline includes an opening (44) with a handle portion (50) as best seen in figure 4 and 5.
In the alternative, if the grip or portion closest to the user (F) is considered to be the distal end, then before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the handle portion of Hara from an outward extended handle into an inward (recessed) handle portion as taught by Kim a functional equivalent handle that reduces accidental catches from clothing etc, and for aesthetic reasons.
Regarding claim 2, Hara in view of Kim teaches
Claim 2. further comprising a covering portion (B) provided below the distal end portion of the first handle portion and covering an upper end surface (as best seen in figures 9 and 10) of the second cover portion.
Regarding claim 3, Hara teaches
Claim 3. wherein the covering portion is inclined in the same direction as the second inclined portion (as best seen in figure 9).
Regarding claim 4, Hara teaches
Claim 4. wherein the first inclined portion is formed over the lower end portion of the first cover portion (as best seen in figure 9).
Regarding claim 5, Hara teaches
Claim 5. wherein the second inclined portion is formed over the upper end portion of the second cover portion (as best seen in figure 9).
Regarding claim 6 and 7, Hara in view of Kim does not expressly disclose a second housing. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the housing structure of Hara by adding a identical second housing since it has been held that a mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04.
Regarding claim 8, 11, 14, and 17, Hara in view Kim teaches
Claim 8 and 11. wherein: the housing structure includes a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth housing (as best seen in figure 1 adjacent housings/cabinet are adjacent and below counter level) connected to the second housing. Hara in view of Kim does not expressly discloses third, fourth, fifth, and sixth inclined portion aligned with the second housing inclined portion. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the assembly of Hara in view of Kim by aligning the inclined shape along all cabinets for aesthetic reasons.
Regarding claim 20, Hara teaches
Claim 20. An image formation device
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(s) 9, 12, 15, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent JP 1660831 to Hara alone or in view of US Patent Publication 2011/0273071 to Kim as applied to claim 8 and 11 above, and further in view of Japanese Design Patent 1501374 to Hoshino
Hara in view of Kim discloses every element as claimed and discussed above except a third handle portion adjacent to the inclined portion. Hoshino teaches a door with an inclined top and a recess in the top of the housing adjacent to the incline portion as a handle as best seen in figures 1 and 11. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the assembly of Hara in view of Kim by adding a recess adjacent the top edge of the door as a functional equivalent handle and for aesthetic reasons.
Claim(s) 10, 13, 16, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent JP 1660831 to Hara alone or in view of US Patent Publication 2011/0273071 to Kim as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Japanese Patent JP 2007 041505 to Kenji.
Hara in view of Kim discloses every element as claimed and discussed above except a notification screen. Kenji teaches a display unit in a housing connected to the printer as seen in figure 3 and discussed in paragraph 0018. Before the effective date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the assembly of Hara in view of Kim by adding a notification unit to the inclined portion as taught by Kenji as a function equivalent and aesthetic location for the display.
Conclusion
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/TIMOTHY M AYRES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3637 /DANIEL J TROY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3637