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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 12, 14, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Philips (U.S. PGPUB 2024/0005725).
Re claim 1, 14 and 19: Phillips discloses a gaming device (see Fig. 11, object 100) comprising:
a cabinet defining an internal cavity therein (see paragraph [0006, 0007, 0040]: “the arrangement allows access to the interior volume of compartment 104 through the front opening”);
a door sized to cover at least a portion of the internal cavity (see Fig. 11, object 108: panel); and
a hinge assembly removably coupling the door to the cabinet, the hinge assembly comprising a hinge body, wherein the hinge body comprises a first section coupled to the cabinet by a pivot coupling and extending radially outward from the pivot coupling (see Fig. 7, object 604), the hinge body further comprising a second section connected to the first section, wherein the second section contains a slot for receiving at least a portion of the door therein (see Fig. 7, object 618).
Re claim 3: Phillips discloses with respect to the gaming device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly rotates the door along an arc between a closed position, in which the door is positioned to contact the cabinet, and an open position, in which the door is spaced from the cabinet to provide access to the internal cavity (see Figs.9-11: the panel swings from a closed to an open position to provide access to the interior compartment).
Re claim 12: Phillip discloses with respect to the gaming device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises:
an additional hinge body pivotably coupled to the cabinet (see Fig. 6, there are two hinge bodies that consist of 303A, 303B, 304A, 304B wherein one is placed on the left side of the cabinet and the other is placed on the second side); and
a hinge connection bracket coupled to the hinge body and the additional hinge body (see Fig. 6, object 304, 308, 309: many parts can be considered a bracket that links the two hinges together, include the cabinet as it, itself contains mounts (320L, 320R) for linking the two hinges together, as well as the frame (object 308) which connects the hinges as well).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillip in view of Gallagher
(U.S. PGPUB 20210035405)
Re claim 2: Phillips fails to disclose with respect to the gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a damper pivotably coupled to the hinge body and the cabinet, the damper being configured to provide a resistance force on the hinge as the door is moved from a closed position to an open position. However, Gallagher similarly discloses a hinged arrangement for raising a game cabinet panel to reveal an interior (see Fig. 6), however, Gallagher further discloses use of a dampener in the hinge assembly (see paragraph [0030]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed, to modify the game system of Phillips with the dampener of Gallagher, for the purpose of allowing the door to close more slowly which will prevent wear and tear on the cabinet.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16,17, 18, and 20 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 REGINALD A RENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-1913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at (571)270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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REGINALD A. RENWICK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3714
/REGINALD A RENWICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715