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 office action is in response to the reply filed on 12/8/2025, wherein claims 1-2 were amended. Claims 3-19 remain withdrawn from consideration.
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 1-2 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 1 is rendered indefinite by the limitation “and each extending along a side surface”, in line 7, since it is unclear what structure is extending along a side surface. For examination purposes, Examiner interprets the limitation as “and each protrusion extending along a side surface”.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hong et al. (US 2015/0041361).
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses a packaging tray (See Fig. 1) comprising: a housing part (at 200) housing a flat-plate-shaped member (P1) to be housed (when 200 is placed on 100), including a glass plate member; a holding part (at 100) covering the member to be housed and the housing part to hold the member (when 200 is placed on 100) to be housed in a direction different from a direction of the housing part; and a plurality of protrusions (at 130) provided in the holding part, protruding toward the housing part, and each extending along a side surface (e.g. top horizontal surface of P1 in Fig. 4) of the member to be housed in an extension direction (left to right direction in Fig. 4) in which the side surface extends, wherein each protrusion includes a first region (bottom-left corner of 130 in Fig. 4 - See Fig. 4 labeled below) between its end surface (See Fig. 4 labeled below) and center in the extension direction and a second region (See Fig. 4 labeled below) different from the first region, and a shape of each protrusion in the first region differs from a shape of the protrusion in the second region, the end surface has a first width (See Fig. 4 labeled below) extending along a first direction different from the extension direction, the first region contacts the second region at a connecting surface, the connecting surface has a second width (See Fig. 4 labeled below) along the first direction, and the first width is smaller than the second width.
PNG
media_image1.png
788
1126
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Hong discloses each protrusion has a taper-shaped holding side surface coming into contact with the side surface of the member to be housed to hold the member to be housed in the extension direction, a length of the holding side surface is smaller than a length of the side surface of the member to be housed in the extension direction, and the holding side surface in the first region is further away from the side surface of the member to be housed when getting closer to an end portion in the extension direction (as shown in Fig. 4).
Response to Arguments
In view of Applicant's amendment, a new interpretation of the Hong et al. (US 2015/0041361) reference has been identified and applied. Applicant's arguments have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN A REYNOLDS whose telephone number is (571)272-9959. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Stashick can be reached at (571) 272-4561. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/STEVEN A. REYNOLDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735