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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information disclosure statement of 05/30/2024 has been received and reviewed.
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 20 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 20 recites the limitation "the first and second latching surfaces" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 11647604 to Lin.
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses:
An information processing device (fig 1) comprising: a chassis (30) configured to be insertable into a half-width compartment of a mounting tray (10) attached or attachable to a rack (F1); information processing components (S1) supported by the chassis; and a latching mechanism (40,20) comprising: a fixed portion (20) comprising a first grasping surface (60); and a movable (40) portion pivotably coupled to the fixed portion and comprising a latch (40) and a second grasping surface (42), wherein the second grasping surface is movable between a first extreme (fig 9) and a second extreme (fig 10), wherein in the first extreme, the first and second grasping surfaces are farthest apart and the latch is in a latching position (fig 9), wherein in the second extreme, the first and second grasping surfaces are closet together and the latch is in an unlatched position (fig 10); wherein the first and second grasping surfaces have, while in the second extreme, a positive non-zero angle therebetween (fig 10).
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses:
The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a latching engagement element (hook portion of 40 seen in fig 9) configured to, in the latching position of the latch and in an installed state of the chassis in the compartment, engage with a latch receiver (17) of the mounting tray and secure the information processing device to mounting tray (fig 9).
Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses:
The information processing device of claim 2, wherein the latch engagement element comprises a hook and the latch receiver comprises a pin, the hook configured to receive the pin (fig 9).
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.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11647604 to Lin in view of US 20170293326 to Lin (hereby referred to as 326).
Regarding claim 12, Lin discloses:
An information processing system (fig 1) comprising: a rack (F1) configured to hold a plurality of rack-mountable devices (S1, see col 6 lines 22-24 for teaching multiple S1); and a mounting tray (10) mounted to the rack,; and at least one instance of the information processing device of claim 1 inserted into one of the compartments of the mounting tray (fig 1), wherein the latch of the information processing device is in the latching position and comprises a latching engagement element (hook of 40) engaged with a latch receiver (17) of the mounting tray and securing the information processing device to mounting tray (fig 9).
Lin does not explicitly disclose: the mounting tray comprising two half-width compartments configured to receive two half-width rack-mountable devices, respectively. However, 326 teaches that it is well known in the art for a mounting tray to comprise multiple compartments, including 2 compartments (fig 5). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of 326 into Lin at least because doing so would provide added utility by saving space and allowing for more than 1 compartment to be mounted next to one another.
Claim 13 is rejected as per the rejection of claim 3 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-11 and 14-19 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.
Claim 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 Yahya Sidky whose telephone number is (571)272-6237. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Y.S./Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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