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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
expanding part
the setting part is pierced, … inserted or blocked on the fastened object
the setting part is a concave part, a convex part, a perforating part, a through hole
the fastened object or the object is a circuit board, a metal element, a plastic element, a heat dissipation component, an IC, a housing or a cabinet
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 10 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 10 recites the limitation “wherein the fastened object laterally enters the entering part, and is fastened by the fastening part” which appears to be an active method step within the apparatus claim and is therefore unclear and improper.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US PG Pub No. 20210010499 A1 and hereinafter “499”).
Re Claim 1
499 discloses:
A fastening structure (see all figures), comprising:
a body part (2), provided with an entering part (e.g. opening area near 23 in figure 2); and
a fastening part (12), arranged at the body part (see figs. 1-3), the fastening part is used to fasten a fastened object that enters the entering part (see all figs and in particular see figs. 4-5, see abstract).
Re Claim 2
499 discloses:
wherein the body part is provided with an assembling part (immediately below 23, see fig. 2, and/or 21), the assembling part is used to connect to an object by riveting, fastening (see all figs, see abstract), locking, welding or expanding, or the assembling part is provided with a pressure applying part and a material entering part, so as to apply pressure on the pressure applying part by external force, so that the material of the object enters the material entering part, or the assembling part is provided with an expanding part, so as to apply pressure on the expanding part by external force, so that the expanding part is expandingly connected to the object.
Re Claim 3
499 discloses:
wherein the body part is provided with an anti-rotation part (22), or the anti-rotation part carries out anti-rotation, orientation, limiting direction, limiting position or limiting an entering position of the fastened object with the object.
Re Claim 4
499 discloses:
wherein the entering part is provided with at least one setting part (23 and/or the side wall on the right side and above reference numeral 21 in the figure 2 depiction), or the setting part is pierced, placed, inserted or blocked on the fastened object.
Re Claim 5
499 discloses:
wherein the horizontal direction or the vertical direction of the entering part is provided with at least one setting part (back wall near reference numeral 2 in fig. 2), or the setting part is a concave part, a convex part, a perforating part, a through hole, a step part, a plane, an engaging part, a platform part or a threaded part.
Re Claim 6
499 discloses:
wherein an elastic component is further included (3), and two ends of the elastic component respectively abut against the body part and the fastening part (figs. 4-5).
Re Claim 7
499 discloses:
wherein the fastening part is provided with a head (121), the head is movably combined with the fastening part (figs. 2, 4-5), and a fastening height and an unfastening height are provided between the head and the body part, so that the head drives the fastening part for fastening or unfastening (figs. 4-5).
Re Claim 8
499 discloses:
wherein the fastening part is a cylinder body (figs. 2 and 4-5), rod body (figs. 2 and 4-5), threaded body (fig. 9), outer fastening body (figs. 4-5), inner fastening body (figs. 4-5) or elastic fastening body.
Re Claim 9
499 discloses:
wherein the fastening part is provided with a head and a lateral motion component, the lateral motion component is provided with a sliding part, the lateral motion component moves laterally and drives the head with the sliding part, so that the head links the fastening part for fastening or unfastening (regarding all of the above see figures 6-8 or figures 9-10, each of which contain the features as described above; see rejections above for corresponding element mapping as to each of the embodiments).
Re Claim 10
499 discloses:
wherein the fastened object laterally enters the entering part (see figs. 4-5), and is fastened by the fastening part (see figs. 4-5).
Re Claim 11
499 discloses:
characterized in that the fastened object is provided with a fastened part (figs. 4-5), the fastening part is fastened into the fastened part (figs. 4-5).
Re Claim 12
499 discloses:
wherein the fastened object is provided with a fastened part (figs. 4-5), the fastened part is a horizontally closed structure (figs. 4-5; it is noted that the horizontal closure is in several directions and no particular direction is required by the claim).
Re Claim 14
499 discloses:
A fastening method of a fastening structure,
using the fastening structure according to claim 1 for fastening (see claim 1 rejection above), wherein the fastened object laterally enters the lateral entering part of the body part, so as to fasten the fastening part into the fastened part of the fastened object, so that the fastened object is limited to the body part, or the fastened object is horizontally and vertically limited with the entering part and the fastening part (see figs. 2 and 4-5).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US PG Pub No. 20210010499 A1 and hereinafter “499”).
Re Claim 13
499 discloses all claim limitations, see above, except:
wherein the fastened object or the object is a circuit board, a metal element, a plastic element, a heat dissipation component, an IC, a housing or a cabinet.
The reference is silent as to the above. However, the above are all commonly fastened objects in the art. It would have been well-known and commonplace to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to have the fastened object or the object be any of the above as they are each commonly known in the art to be fastened for the purpose of securing and/or arranging an element as desired.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Similar fasteners and fastening devices are provided. The fastening arrangements all relate to the currently claimed invention, which is quite broad. Applicant’s disclosed invention is far more narrow than the claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E SOSNOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-7944. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM and 9 PM through 11:59 PM Monday through Friday, generally.
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, Justin Mikowski can be reached at (571)272-8525. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID E. SOSNOWSKI/
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3673
/David E Sosnowski/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3673
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