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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6, 7, and 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/13/2026.
Please note: Claim 5 is hereby withdrawn as being drawn to a non-elected species. Claim 5 recites elements of Species B.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group A, Figs. 1-9, Claims 1-5 and 8-10 in the reply filed on 2/13/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains grammatical errors (“An electric has comprises”) and legal phraseology such as the term “comprises.” A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Glatz et al. in US Publication 2020/0397103 in view of Wu in US Publication 2005/0016571.
Regarding Claims 1, 2, and 8, Glatz teaches an electric umbrella, comprising: a column (1) having a top (at the top end thereof); a first driving assembly (6); a slider (4) slidably disposed on the column; an umbrella frame (5); wherein, the umbrella frame comprises a first connecting rod (3) having a first end and a second end, a second connecting rod (2), a plurality of long rods (5.2), a plurality of short rods (5.3), a long rod nest (5.1), a short rod nest (5.5), a large support rod (5.3 between 5.5 and 2) and a central pipe (8.3) connecting to either the long rod nest or the short rod nest; the first end of the first connecting rod rotatably connects to the top of the column (see Fig. 1) and the second end of the first connecting rod rotatably connects to the second connecting rod (see Fig. 1), the second connecting rod rotatably connects to the long rod nest (see Fig. 1), the first connecting rod (see Fig. 1), the slider and the large support rod (see Fig. 1), respectively; the first driving assembly is disposed on the column (see Fig. 1) to drive the slider movably along the column so as to adjust an inclination angle of the umbrella frame (see Figs. 5 and 7).
Glatz is silent on the use of a second driving assembly. Wu teaches an umbrella including an umbrella frame with a second connecting rod (16), a plurality of long rods (21), a plurality of short rods (22), a long rod nest (17), a short rod nest (24), a large support rod (26) and a central pipe (20) connecting to either the long rod nest or the short rod nest as well as a second driving assembly (29), a power source in the form of a battery (35) charged by a solar panel (36); a control module (7); and a traction rope (23) having a first end and a second end; the second driving assembly is an electric driver (an “electromotor”) which is capable of winding the traction rope for unfolding or folding the umbrella frame, the second driving assembly is disposed on the short rod nest; the first end of the traction rope connects to the second driving assembly and the second end of the traction rope passes through the central pipe and connects to the long rod nest (at 19), wherein the second driving assembly comprises a second motor (the “electromotor”) having an output (the “output axle” – paragraph 0029) and a second driving gear (30) having an input and an output, the output of the second motor connects to the input of the second driving gear, a winding wheel (34) connects to the output of the second driving gears, the traction rope comprises a third traction rope segment, the third traction rope segment is winded on the winding wheel and an end of the third traction rope segment connects to the long rod nest (at 19) of the umbrella frame. Wu teaches that the control module comprises a control main board (the “signal receiver”) and a control panel and/or a wireless control module (the “remote controller”); the control main board connects to the control panel and/or the wireless control module, and the control main board connects the second driving assembly, so as to control the second driving assembly step by step or simultaneously, thereby enabling step-by-step or simultaneous automatic unfolding/folding of the electric umbrella and automatic adjustment of a sun-shading angle of the electric umbrella. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Glatz by adding a second driving assembly as taught by Wu in order to allow the user to independently operate the umbrella frame and to use the control module of Wu to control both of the driving assemblies in order to provide a central means for operation of the umbrella.
Regarding Claim 10, Glatz teaches an electric umbrella, comprising: a column (1) having a top (at the top thereof); a first driving assembly (6); a slider (4) slidably disposed on the column; an umbrella frame (5); the umbrella frame comprises a first connecting rod (3) having a first end and a second end, a second connecting rod (2), a plurality of long rods (5.2), a plurality of short rods (5.3), a long rod nest (5.1), a short rod nest (5.5), a large support rod (5.3 between 5.5 and 2) and a central pipe (8.3) connecting to either the long rod nest or the short rod nest; the first end of the first connecting rod rotatably connects to the top of the column (see Fig. 1) and the second end of the first connecting rod rotatably connects to the second connecting rod (see Fig. 1), the second connecting rod rotatably connects to the long rod nest (see Fig. 1), the first connecting rod, the slider and the large support rod, respectively (see Fig. 1); the first driving assembly is disposed on the column to drive the slider movably along the column so as to adjust an inclination angle of the umbrella frame (see Figs. 5 and 7).
Glatz is silent on the use of a second driving assembly. Wu teaches an umbrella including an umbrella frame with a second connecting rod (16), a plurality of long rods (21), a plurality of short rods (22), a long rod nest (17), a short rod nest (24), a large support rod (26) and a central pipe (20) connecting to either the long rod nest or the short rod nest as well as a second driving assembly (29), a power source in the form of a battery (35) charged by a solar panel (36); a control module (7); and a traction rope (23) having first and second ends, the second driving assembly is an electric driver (an “electromotor”) which is capable of winding the traction rope for unfolding or folding the umbrella frame, the second driving assembly is disposed on the long rod nest (at 19); the first end of the traction rope connects to the second driving assembly (via pulley 19) and the second end of the traction rope passes through the central pipe and connects to the short rod nest (at 34). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Glatz by adding a second driving assembly as taught by Wu in order to allow the user to independently operate the umbrella frame
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Glatz, as modified, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Akin et al. in US Publication 2014/0028242. Glatz, as modified, teaches the use of a solar panel and battery (see above), but is silent on the details thereof. Akin teaches an umbrella with a power source, wherein the power source comprises a solar photovoltaic panel (135), a solar module (180) having two ends and an energy storage battery (185); the solar module is arranged between the solar photovoltaic panel and the energy storage battery, the solar module converts solar energy into electric energy to charge the energy storage battery, the energy storage battery may also be charged by the solar energy, or removed to be charged. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Glatz, as modified, by using a power source as taught by Akin in order to provide renewable power to operate the umbrella.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 4 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. Vennik, Glatz, Glatz et al., He et al., Chen, and Chang teach umbrellas of note.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAH C. HAWK whose telephone number is (571)272-1480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Dunn can be reached at 5712726670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NOAH C. HAWK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3636
/Noah Chandler Hawk/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636