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 Species I in the reply filed on 6/26/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 8-12 and 18-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Claims 1-7, 13-17, and 20 are prosecuted below.
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, 7, 13-15, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being anticipated by Lai (US 6862758).
Re Clm 1: Lai discloses an auxiliary mounting device (72), comprising: a first engaging element (left arm 722) having a first engaging region (internally pointed region) for partially covering a hole (711) of a housing (71, see fig 7); a second engaging element (right arm 722) corresponding to the first engaging element and having a second engaging region (internally pointed region) for partially covering the hole of the housing (fig 7); and a connecting mechanism (body 721) connected to the first engaging element and the second engaging element and for being detachably fixed on a surface of the housing (See figs); wherein the first engaging region and the second engaging region divide the hole into an installing space (top) and a constricting space (bottom), the installing space is communicated with the constricting space through a constricting gap between the first engaging region and the second engaging region (as shown), and the installing space is larger than the constricting space; wherein when the first engaging region and the second engaging region are expanded in opposite directions due to an external force, a width of the constricting gap is changed from a first width to a second width (see fig 7 [Wingdings font/0xE0] fig 8).
Re Clm 7: Lai discloses wherein the first engaging region has a first arc line (of internal circular surface of 722), the second engaging region has a second arc line (of internal circular surface of 722), and the constricting space is formed by the first arc line, the second arc line and a part of the hole (see fig 8).
Re Clm 13: Lai discloses a mounting system, comprising: a housing (71) comprising a surface (any surface of 71) and a hole (711) disposed on the surface of the housing; and an auxiliary mounting device (72), comprising: a first engaging element (left arm 722) having a first engaging region (internally pointed region) for partially covering a hole (711) of a housing (71, see fig 7); a second engaging element (right arm 722) corresponding to the first engaging element and having a second engaging region (internally pointed region) for partially covering the hole of the housing (fig 7); and a connecting mechanism (body 721) connected to the first engaging element and the second engaging element and for being detachably fixed on a surface of the housing (See figs); wherein the first engaging region and the second engaging region divide the hole into an installing space (top) and a constricting space (bottom), the installing space is communicated with the constricting space through a constricting gap between the first engaging region and the second engaging region (as shown), and the installing space is larger than the constricting space; wherein when the first engaging region and the second engaging region are expanded in opposite directions due to an external force, a width of the constricting gap is changed from a first width to a second width (see fig 7 [Wingdings font/0xE0] fig 8), wherein the first width is smaller than a diameter of the mounting member, the second width is greater than or equal to the diameter of the mounting member, so the mounting member passes through the constricting gap, and the mounting member is constricted to the constricting space after the first engaging region and the second engaging region resume (see fig 8 and column 3).
Re Clm 14: Lai discloses wherein the surface is an outer surface or an inner surface of the housing (see figs).
Re Clm 15: Lai discloses wherein the hole is cross-shaped. Examiner notes that the broad recitation of “cross-shaped” is overly broad and that the keyhole reads on “cross-shaped”.
Re Clm 20: Lai discloses wherein the connecting mechanism, the first engaging element and the second engaging element are connected and integrally formed into a plate-shaped structure (72, as shown), the auxiliary mounting device further comprises at least one positioning protrusion (723) protruding from the plate-shaped structure, and the at least one positioning protrusion is for engaging with a positioning groove (712) of the housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 and 16-17 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose wherein the connecting mechanism comprises: two elastic elements respectively adjacent to the first engaging element and the second engaging element; and two hook elements respectively connected to the two elastic elements; wherein when the two elastic elements are deformed, a distance between the two hook elements is decreased, so the two hook elements enter the hole; wherein when the two elastic elements resume, the two hook elements are wedged at two ends of the hole.
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 JONATHAN PETER MASINICK whose telephone number is (571)270-3060. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8a-5p EST.
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, Amber Anderson can be reached at (571)270-5281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JONATHAN P MASINICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
Prosecution Insights