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 § 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.
Claims 1-2, 12-13 and 20 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 US 2023/0182006 A1 to Hu et al.
Re claim 1, Hu et al. teaches:
A game console, comprising: a main body, at least one outer surface of the main body being recessed inward to form at least one fixing groove, (Abstract, Fig. 1, Fig. 8, main body 10 comprises groove 11 for receiving a corresponding block 31 attached to each handle 30)
an upper portion of a rear inner wall of the at least one fixing groove being recessed rearward to form a restricting groove; (Fig. 8 illustrates that the construction of groove 11 includes re-entrant features that restrict a width and/or depth of the groove – note for example feature 17)
at least one sliding block fixed in the at least one fixing groove, (Figs. 1-2, block 31 of each handle 30 slides so as to insert into groove 11 of main body 10. It is noted that this claim limitation does not elaborate on how a sliding block is to be fixed such as by what particular structural features. As such, a configuration of Hu wherein a handle comprising sliding block 31 is slid into main body 10 meets this limitation.)
an inside of the at least one sliding block having an accommodating groove recessed inward from an inner surface of the at least one sliding block, (See Figs. 3-6 which depict no. 31 as comprising a face, the portion including three arrows, wider than the body of the connector, which forms a groove when No. 31 is installed on 30, see Figs. 3-4)
and a limiting hole penetrating through a rear of the at least one sliding block; (Fig. 6 illustrates opening 311 through which a spring-loaded detent installs. As a matter of a broadest reasonable claim interpretation (BRI), the terms top, bottom, front, back/rear, left, right, and the like are interpreted as relative terms enumerating distinct features but not as absolute or global terms. As such, the recitation of “…rear of the at least one sliding block” does not connote absolute orientation but merely a different surface than another that is considered the front – for example the surface that faces adjoining main body 10 when aligned for installation or installed.)
at least one handle part detachably mounted to at least one side of the main body; (Fig. 1, handle is 30 and main body is 10)
at least one sliding rail disposed to one side surface of the at least on handle part which faces the main body, (A broadest reasonable interpretation of “disposed” is that this term is synonymous with “arranged”. This limitation does not specify that the sliding rail must be integral with or permanently fixed to any structure comprising the handle part. A sliding rail that is arranged to a side of a handle that faces a main body at a time when the handle and main body are locked together is interpreted as meeting this limitation. Looking at Figs. 1-2 wherein the main body 10 comprises sliding rails and the handle 30 comprises the sliding block, when these are mated in accordance with the instructions “direction of inserting”, the sliding rail 11 will be positioned or arranged to a side of handle 11 and which will face the main body 10.)
the at least one sliding rail being matched with the at least one sliding block, (Figs. 1-2, direction of inserting)
and the at least one sliding block being slidably assembled with the at least one sliding rail, (Figs. 1-2, direction of inserting)
an outer surface of an upper portion of a rear of the at least one sliding rail being recessed inward and opposite to the main body to form a notch, the limiting hole being corresponding to the notch; (Fig. 8 No. 113)
at least one limiting structure movably assembled to an inner surface of the at least one sliding block, (Fig. 6, detent No. 71)
the at least one limiting structure having a buckling block, the buckling block being limited in the limiting hole, (Fig. 6, No. 71 retracts into No. 311)
the buckling block projecting beyond the rear of the at least one sliding block, (Fig. 5, it can be seen that No. 711 protrudes pas the vertical wall of No. 31, which is being interpreted as a rear surface)
the buckling block being restricted in the restricting groove; When inserted as per Figs. 1-2, No. 71/711 will latch in a feature of No. 11, see Fig. 7)
L7: at least one elastic element elastically abutting between the at least one limiting structure and a front inner wall of the accommodating groove of the at least one sliding block; (Fig. 6, spring 73)
and at least one push button mounted to a rear of the main body, the at least one push button keeping abutting against the at least one limiting structure; ([0052], “… button 33 is arranged so that when the handle 30 needs to be pulled out and removed from the main body 10, the button 33 can be pressed to drive the snap 71 to squeeze the elastic member 73 and detach from the snap hole 113, thereby realizing the unlocking of the limit assembly 70 more conveniently. …”
wherein when the at least one sliding block fully slides into the at least one sliding rail, the at least one elastic element is located at an original status, the buckling block is buckled in the notch to prevent the at least one handle part breaking away from the main body; ([0042], “… the limit assembly 70 is clamped and fixed through the snap 71 and the snap hole 113 on the side wall of the sliding groove 111, so that the sliding block 31 and the sliding rail 11 can be fixed when the snap 71 is elastically clamped into the snap hole 113, and the sliding block 31 and the sliding rail 11 can be unlocked when the snap 71 is detached from the snap hole 113.”
and wherein when the at least one push button is pressed, the at least one push button keeps pressing against the at least one limiting structure, and the at least one limiting structure compresses the at least one elastic element along a pressing direction of the at least one push button, the buckling block is receded from the notch along the pressing direction of the at least one push button, the at least one handle part is detached from the main body along a sliding direction of the at least one handle part. ([0052], “… button 33 is arranged so that when the handle 30 needs to be pulled out and removed from the main body 10, the button 33 can be pressed to drive the snap 71 to squeeze the elastic member 73 and detach from the snap hole 113, thereby realizing the unlocking of the limit assembly 70 more conveniently. …”)
Re claim 12, this independent claim duplicates parts of claim 1 to account for two handle structures being connectable with a main body. As an initial matter, MPEP 2144.04, which describes legal precedent sources for obviousness rationale, cites In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960), in which the court held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. Additionally, [0038] of Hu admits that the handle 30 diagrammed and described in his disclosure can be duplicated for a case “When two handles 30 are provided, two opposite side wall surfaces of the main body 10 are both provided with a sliding rail 11, so that handles are respectively installed on opposite sides of the main body 10 to adapt to the left and right hands of the user.”
Re claim 20, this independent claim omits certain features of claim 1 and is broader than claim 1. Refer to the rejection of claim 1 for discussions of all of the features found in claim 20.
Re claim 2, [0038] of Hu admits that the handle 30 diagrammed and described in his disclosure can be duplicated for a case “When two handles 30 are provided, two opposite side wall surfaces of the main body 10 are both provided with a sliding rail 11, so that handles are respectively installed on opposite sides of the main body 10 to adapt to the left and right hands of the user.”
Re claim 13, refer to the discussion of “first guide member” and “second guide 53” in [0038] and Figs. 1-2 illustrating these features.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 and 14-19 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
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 STEVEN J HYLINSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-1995. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-530.
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/STEVEN J HYLINSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715