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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 1, “the container” should be --the one or more additional pair of active actuators--, and
In line 2, “a specific flank” should be --a specific flank of the flanks--.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 1, “a flank” should be --a flank of the flanks--.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In lines 2-3, “each such additional pair a respective additional inactive configuration” should be --each said one or more additional pair of passive and active actuators a respective additional inactivation configuration--, and
In line 4, “each additional passive actuator and additional active actuator” should be --each additional passive actuator and additional active actuator of said one or more additional pair of passive and active actuators--.
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
“each inactivation configuration” should be --the inactivation configuration--.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 1, “the container” should be --the specific actuation area--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 9 and 10 are 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 9 recites the limitation “each actuation element” in line 1. However, there is insufficient antecedent basis for an actuation element in the claims.
For the purpose of examination, each actuation element will be considered to reference the specific actuation area defined in claim 1.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “each actuator”. Claim 1, from which claim 10 depends, defines a single specific active actuator. However, it is not clear whether each actuator is intended to further limit the specific active actuator in claim one or whether each actuator is referring to a different structure component.
For the purpose of examination, each actuator will be considered to be reference the specific active actuator defined in claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 11-14 are allowable.
Claims 9 and 10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to teach or suggest a box comprising “a specific passive actuator connected to a second portion of the sidewall structure, the specific passive actuator and the specific active actuator being paired to be substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis when the lid is in the closed position, whereby the specific passive actuator is inactivated by a specific inactivation configuration of the lid when the lid is in the closed position, the specific inactivation configuration and the locking tab corresponding to the specific active actuator being substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis”.
The closest prior art to Hoefte (WO 2022/173682 A1) only teaches a lock comprising a specific active actuator (303) moveable form a locking position to an opening position by applying an activation pressure onto the specific active actuator when the lid is in the closed position, whereby the specific active actuator abuts against a corresponding locking tab of the lid when in the locking position, the specific active actuator being displaceable by the actuation pressure by an unlocking displacement distance in a direction normal to the specific portion of the sidewall structure, whereby the flanks comprise a specific actuation area (309, 310, 311), the actuation area facing the specific active actuator, the specific actuation area being configured to permit displacing the specific active actuator from the locking position to the opening position by applying the actuation pressure at the specific actuation area when the lid is int eh closed position (FIG. 3A-7B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Smith et al. (US 10,017291 B2), Garmon (US 4,196,843 A), Baptist (US 4,053,100 A), D’Esposito et al. (US 3,116,007 A), D’Esposito (US 2,711,282 A) and Hammond (US 1,130,271 A).
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/NINA K ATTEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3734
/NATHAN J NEWHOUSE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3734
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