DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on 5/2/2024.
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 § 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 3 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 3, line 3, recites “…formed in said main body; said base further…”. The term “said main body” lacks antecedent basis because it was not introduced as a structure in claim 3 nor in claim 1. The Examiner notes that “a main body” was introduced in claim 2, however, claim 3 depends on claim 1. For examination purposes, the Examiner will interpret the term “main body” as having antecedent basis.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN 108075328).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5) an interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance, comprising:
a base (1) comprising a receiving slot (slot where 45 is located in figure 4 – 5) and a storage slot (slot where 22 is located on) inside;
a locking mechanism (3) installed in said receiving slot (slot where 45 is located in figure 4 – 5), said locking mechanism (3) comprising a latching member (311) corresponding to a board edge (board edge of 5) of a preset interface card (5) for locking (see figure 4 – 3 for “locking”); and
a lifting mechanism (2, 21, 22) installed in said storage slot (slot where 22 is located on), said lifting mechanism (2, 21, 22) comprising a pushing block (21) capable of elastically pushing the board edge (board edge of 5) of said preset interface card (5) upward after said latching member (311) and the board edge of said preset interface card are unlocked (see figure 4 – 5).
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching member (311) further comprises a receiving chamber (3R) formed in said main body (3B); said base (1) further comprises a blocking wall (3W) located at a rear side of said receiving slot (slot where 45 is located in figure 4 – 5); said locking mechanism (3) further comprises a transverse elastic member (36), said transverse elastic member (36) being a spring (see figure 3) having one end thereof positioned in said receiving chamber (3R) and an opposite end thereof stopped against said blocking wall (3W).
~ Please see annotation of figure 4 – 1 in the Wang reference, where the main body 3B, the sliding surface 3S, the plate member 3P, the push portion 3C, the receiving chamber 3R, and the blocking wall 3W can be seen.
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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(s) 2, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN 108075328) in view of Wang (US 20230235771, hereinafter referred to as Wang2).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching member (311) comprises a main body (3B), a plate member (3P) located at a top side of said main body (body of 3), a sliding surface (3S) located on a bottom side of said plate member (3P); said base (1) further comprises two side panels (see two side panels of 1 in figure 3) respectively formed on two opposite sides of said receiving slot (slot where 45 is located in figure 4 – 5) and two transverse slideways (13, 14) respectively located on said two side panels (see figure 3, 13 and 14 are in both side panels) of said receiving slot (slot where 45 is located in figure 4 – 5), each said side panel (see two side panels of 1 in figure 3) having a top surface (see top surface that 1 is pointing to in figure 3) provided for said sliding surface (3S) of said latching member (311) to contact and slide (i.e. see sliding in figures 4 – 3 and 4 – 4); said locking mechanism (3; 8) further comprises a sliding shaft (63) having two opposite positioning ends (ends of 63 in both sides).
But Wang does not explicitly disclose two shaft holes respectively located on two opposite sides of said main body, and said sliding shaft being inserted through said shaft holes with said positioning ends respectively slidably positioned in said transverse slideways.
Wang2 teaches (figures 1 – 4) a fastening device comprising two shaft holes (121) respectively located on two opposite sides of said main body (12), and said sliding shaft (122) being inserted through said shaft holes (121) with said positioning ends (ends of 122) respectively slidably positioned in said transverse slideways (see slideways where 122 is located in figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the fastening device as disclosed by Wang2 to provide two shaft holes respectively located on two opposite sides of said main body, and said sliding shaft being inserted through said shaft holes with said positioning ends respectively slidably positioned in said transverse slideways, to achieve the effect of smooth movement so as to facilitate the action of unlocking and locking the mechanism (¶0069 in Wang2).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 1.
But Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein said base further comprises two limiting walls formed on two opposite sides between said receiving slot and said storage slot; said latching member comprises a main body, and two front side walls recessed on a front side of said main body and respectively stopped against said two limiting walls of said base.
Wang2 teaches (figures 1 – 4, annotation) a fastening device wherein said base (11) further comprises two limiting walls (see walls between 113 and 114 in figure 2) formed on two opposite sides between said receiving slot (113) and said storage slot (i.e. semicircular slot near 114); said latching member (12) comprises a main body (body of 12), and two front side walls (12R) recessed on a front side of said main body (body of 12) and respectively stopped against said two limiting walls (see walls between 113 and 114 in figure 2) of said base (11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the fastening device as disclosed by Wang2 to provide wherein said base further comprises two limiting walls formed on two opposite sides between said receiving slot and said storage slot; said latching member comprises a main body, and two front side walls recessed on a front side of said main body and respectively stopped against said two limiting walls of said base, improve the mechanical stability of the latching member.
~ Please see annotation of figure 3 in the Wang2 reference, where the two recessed front side walls 12R can be seen.
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Claim(s) 4 – 6, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN 108075328) in view of Chang (US 20220066519).
Regarding claim 4, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching member (311) comprises a main body (3B), a plate member (3P) located at a top side of said main body (3B), a push portion (3C) protruding from a front side of said plate member (3P), a guide slope (32) formed on a front side of said push portion (3C).
But Wang does not explicitly disclose a semicircular plate-shaped positioning body located on a bottom surface of said push portion for resisting and positioning by a positioning groove on the board edge of said interface card.
Chang teaches (figure 3A) a locking mechanism comprising a semicircular plate-shaped positioning body (325, 365) located on a bottom surface of said push portion (385, 375) for resisting and positioning by a positioning groove (162) on the board edge of said interface card (board edge of 123).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the locking mechanism as disclosed by Chang to provide a semicircular plate-shaped positioning body located on a bottom surface of said push portion for resisting and positioning by a positioning groove on the board edge of said interface card, as this is a known configuration that improves the locking mechanism’s reliability when replacing a component card (¶0003 in Chang).
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 4.
But Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein said latching member further comprises an operating portion formed at a rear side of said plate member and extending to two opposite sides.
Chang teaches (figure 3A, annotation) a locking mechanism wherein said latching member (300) further comprises an operating portion (see annotation) formed at a rear side of said plate member (see annotation) and extending to two opposite sides (operating portion is extending on opposite sides of 300).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the locking mechanism as disclosed by Chang to provide wherein said latching member further comprises an operating portion formed at a rear side of said plate member and extending to two opposite sides, as this is a known configuration that improves the locking mechanism’s reliability when replacing a component card (¶0003 in Chang).
~Please see annotation of figure 3A in the Chang reference, where the plate member and the operating portion can be seen.
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Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 4, wherein said latching member (31) further comprises a plurality of tooth-like structures (311) and an indication pattern (see triangular protrusion near 311 in figure 3) located on a top surface (top surface of 31) of said plate member (3C) said indication pattern (see triangular protrusion near 311 in figure 3) being used for indicating an unlocking direction (i.e. triangular protrusion near 311 in figure 3 is capable of being used for indication of the unlocking direction).
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches (figures 1 to 4 – 5, annotation) a base (1) and a fixing unit (12) of the interface card positioning fastener with elastic push assistance as claimed in claim 1.
But Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein said base further comprises a plurality of spacers located on a bottom side thereof, said fixing unit being fixed to a preset circuit board and comprising a screw groove in communication with said receiving slot, said spacers protruding downward from an outer edge of said screw groove.
Chang teaches (figures 3A – 5B) a locking mechanism wherein said base (310) further comprises a fixing unit (330, 415) and a plurality of spacers (there are two spacers 330 in figure 5A) located on a bottom side thereof (see figure 5A), said fixing unit (330, 415) being fixed to a preset circuit board (130) and comprising a screw groove (416) in communication with said receiving slot (328), said spacers (there are two spacers 330 in figure 5A) protruding downward from an outer edge of said screw groove (416).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang with the locking mechanism as disclosed by Chang to provide wherein said base further comprises a plurality of spacers located on a bottom side thereof, said fixing unit being fixed to a preset circuit board and comprising a screw groove in communication with said receiving slot, said spacers protruding downward from an outer edge of said screw groove, as this is a known configuration that improves the locking mechanism’s reliability when replacing a component card (¶0003 in Chang).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 10 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:
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record fails to teach two longitudinal slideways respectively formed below said two guide inclined portions for said two guide blocks to penetrate and position respectively, said longitudinal slideways also presenting a structure that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
Claim 10 is also allowable because claim 10 depends from allowable claim 9 and therefore incorporates all of the limitations of claim 9.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos E. Lopez-Pagan whose telephone number is (703)756-5734. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30a - 5:00p.
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/CARLOS E LOPEZ-PAGAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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