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 .
This is the First Office action on the Merits from the examiner in charge of this application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10: since claim 1, line 7 recites the blocking feature “arranged on the first rail”, the recitation in claim 10, lines 3-4 of the blocking feature “arranged on the supporting bracket” renders claim 10 indefinite for failing to clearly define the metes and bounds of the claimed invention. It is not clear how it is possible for the blocking feature being arranged on both the first rail and the supporting bracket. Claim 10 will be examined as best understood or so far as definite.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 11-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0369478 to Li et al (hereinafter Li).
Li discloses (Claim 1). A slide rail assembly comprising: a first rail 301; a second rail 201 displaceable relative to the first rail 301 along a longitudinal direction, the second rail 201 comprising a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the longitudinal direction; a blocking feature 302 arranged on the first rail 301; an engaging member 15; a resilient member 31 configured to provide a resilient force to the engaging member 15; and an operating member located between the first end portion and the second end portion of the second rail 201 along the longitudinal direction and located adjacent to a lateral side of the second rail 201 (such as shown in Figs. 8-9 which show an end of the second rail 201 extends beyond the handle 1), the operating member being movably switchable between a first state and a second state; wherein (Figs. 8-9) when the second rail is located at a retracted position relative to the first rail, the blocking feature 302 blocks the engaging member 15 applied with the resilient force provided by the resilient member 31 for preventing a displacement of the second rail 201 from the retracted position along a first direction; wherein the operating member is configured to move from the first state (Figs. 8-9) to the second state (Figs. 1-7) to drive the engaging member 15, such that the engaging member 15 is not blocked by the blocking feature 302 for allowing the displacement of the second rail from the retracted position along the first direction; (Claim 2). The slide rail assembly of claim 1, further comprising an operating device, the operating device comprising the engaging member 15, the resilient member 31, the operating member and an auxiliary member 2, the auxiliary member 2 being configured to be mounted on the second rail 201, and one of the engaging member 15 and the operating member being movably mounted on the auxiliary member 2; (Claim 3). The slide rail assembly of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary member 2 is detachably mounted on the second rail 201; (Claim 4). The slide rail assembly of claim 2, wherein the operating member is pivotally connected to the auxiliary member 2 by a first shaft member 11, and an axial direction of the first shaft member 11 is parallel to a height direction of the second rail 201; (Claim 5). The slide rail assembly of claim 4, wherein the engaging member 15 is pivotally connected to the auxiliary member 2 by a second shaft member 12, and an axial direction of the second shaft member 12 is parallel to the height direction of the second rail 201; (Claim 6). The slide rail assembly of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary member 2 comprises a first predetermined portion 22 and a second predetermined portion 21, the first predetermined portion 22 and the second predetermined portion 21 are perpendicularly connected to each other and respectively extend along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the operating member is pivotally connected to the second predetermined portion 21 of the auxiliary member 2 by the first shaft member 11, and the engaging member 15 is pivotally connected to the first predetermined portion 22 of the auxiliary member 2 by the second shaft member 12; (Claim 7). The slide rail assembly of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary member 2 configured to be mounted on the second rail 201, the auxiliary member 2 comprising a first predetermined portion 22 and a second predetermined portion 21, the first predetermined portion 22 and the second predetermined portion 21 being perpendicularly connected to each other and respectively extend along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the operating member being pivotally connected to the second predetermined portion 21 of the auxiliary member 2 by a first shaft member 11, an axial direction of the first shaft member 11 being parallel to the height direction of the second rail 201, the operating member comprising (see below attached marked-up copy) an operating portion and a driving portion, the first shaft member 11 being located between the operating portion and the driving portion, and the operating portion of the operating member in the first state extending along the transverse direction and being spaced away from the second predetermined portion 21 of the auxiliary member 2 at a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction; (Claim 8). The slide rail assembly of claim 1, wherein the second rail 201 comprises a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite to the first lateral side along a transverse direction, the first rail 301 is located adjacent to the first lateral side of the second rail 201, and the operating member is located adjacent to the second lateral side of the second rail 201 (please note that the term “adjacent is broad enough that the operating member of Li meets the claimed limitations); (Claim 11). A slide rail assembly comprising: a first rail 301; a second rail 201 displaceable relative to the first rail and configured to support a carried object; a blocking feature 302 arranged on the first rail 301; an engaging member 15 movable relative to the first rail; and an operating member movably mounted on the second rail 201, the operating member being movably switchable between a first state and a second state; wherein when the second rail 201 is located at a predetermined position relative to the first rail 301, the engaging member 15 is blocked by the blocking feature 302 for preventing a displacement of the second rail from a predetermined position along a first direction; wherein the operating member is configured to move from the first state to the second state to drive the engaging member, such that the engaging member 15 is not blocked by the blocking feature 302 for allowing the displacement of the second rail from the predetermined position along the first direction; (Claim 12). The slide rail assembly of claim 11, further comprising a resilient member 31 configured to provide a resilient force to the engaging member 15; (Claim 13). The slide rail assembly of claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary member 2 configured to be mounted on the one of the second rail and the carried object, and the engaging member 15 being movably mounted on the auxiliary member 2; (Claim 14). The slide rail assembly of claim 13, wherein the operating member is movably mounted on the auxiliary member 2; (Claim 15). The slide rail assembly of claim 14, wherein the operating member is pivotally connected to the auxiliary member 2 by a first shaft member 11, and the engaging member 15 is pivotally connected to the auxiliary member 2 by a second shaft member 12; (Claim 16). The slide rail assembly of claim 15, wherein an axial direction of the first shaft member 11 is parallel to a height direction of the second rail, and an axial direction of the second shaft member 12 is parallel to the height direction of the second rail; (Claim 17). The slide rail assembly of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary member comprises a first predetermined portion 22 and a second predetermined portion 21, the first predetermined portion 22 and the second predetermined portion 21 are perpendicularly connected to each other and respectively extend along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the operating member is pivotally connected to the second predetermined portion 21 of the auxiliary member 2 by the first shaft member 11, and the engaging member 15 is pivotally connected to the first predetermined portion 22 of the auxiliary member 2 by the second shaft member 12; (Claim 18). The slide rail assembly of claim 11, further comprising an auxiliary member 2 configured to be mounted on the second rail 201, the auxiliary member 2 comprising a first predetermined portion 22 and a second predetermined portion 21, the first predetermined portion 22 and the second predetermined portion 21 being perpendicularly connected to each other and respectively extend along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the operating member being pivotally connected to the second predetermined portion 21 of the auxiliary member 2 by a first shaft member 11, an axial direction of the first shaft member 11 being parallel to the height direction of the second rail, the operating member comprising (see below attached marked-up copy) an operating portion and a driving portion, the first shaft member 11 being located between the operating portion and the driving portion, and the operating portion of the operating member in the first state extending along the transverse direction and being spaced away from the second predetermined portion of the auxiliary member at a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction; (Claim 19). The slide rail assembly of claim 11, wherein the second rail 201 comprises a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along a longitudinal direction, and the operating member does not protrude from the first end portion of the second rail along the longitudinal direction (such as shown in Figs. 8-9 which show an end of the second rail 201 extends beyond the handle 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 9-10, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of USP 10631639 to Chen et al (hereinafter Chen).
Li discloses all the elements as discussed above except for the limitations recited in the above-listed claims.
However, Chen discloses a slide rail assembly comprising: a first slide rail 30; a second slide rail 32 displaceable relative to the first rail 30 along a longitudinal direction, the second rail 32 comprising a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion along the longitudinal direction; a blocking feature 34 arranged on the first rail 30; an engaging member 36; a resilient member 66 configured to provide a resilient force to the engaging member 36; and an operating member 36 located along the longitudinal direction and located adjacent to a lateral side of the second rail 32, the operating member being movably switchable between a first state and a second state; wherein when the second rail is located at a retracted position relative to the first rail, the blocking feature blocks the engaging member applied with the resilient force provided by the resilient member for preventing a displacement of the second rail from the retracted position along a first direction; wherein the operating member is configured to move from the first state to the second state to drive the engaging member, such that the engaging member is not blocked by the blocking feature for allowing the displacement of the second rail from the retracted position along the first direction; a third rail 38 movably mounted between the first rail 30 and the second rail 32; a supporting bracket 26,28 arranged on the first rail 30 and configured to be mounted on a rack 24, and the blocking feature is arranged on the supporting bracket.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, in view of Chen, to modify Li to include the limitations in Claim 9 of further comprising a third rail movably mounted between the first rail and the second rail; Claim 10 of further comprising a supporting bracket arranged on the first rail and configured to be mounted on a rack, and the blocking feature is arranged on the supporting bracket; and Claim 20 of further comprising a third rail and a supporting bracket, the third rail being movably mounted between the first rail and the second rail, and the supporting bracket being arranged on the first rail and configured to be mounted on a rack with a reasonable expectation of success in order to increase the overall versatility of the slide rail assembly.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and all show structures similar to various elements of applicant’s disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANH VAN TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-6868. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DANIEL TROY can be reached at (571)270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HVT
February 26, 2026
/HANH V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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