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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Amendment / Request for Reconsideration-After Non-Final Rejection filed on July 29, 2026 wherein claim(s) 1-2 were amended and claim(s) 9-20 previously withdrawn. The Examiner notes amendments in claims are directed to overcome rejections under 35 USC § 103. Therefore, claims 1-8 are pending and will be examined.
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cargile (U. S. Patent US5588583A) hereinafter CARGILE.
Regarding claim 1, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 below) a supporting structure 10 comprising:
a bottom plate 16-19;
a foldable area (F);
a plurality of side plates 20-25 respectively disposed on all edges (FIG. 3) of the bottom plate 16-19 and forming an accommodating space 12, 13, wherein any adjacent two of the side plates 20-25 are connected to each other (FIG. 1);
at least one flip segment 34, a part of the at least one flip segment 34 being separable from the side plates 20-25 along a segmenting line (page 1, Abstract, line 3, “... die-cut ...”); and
at least one through hole C2B-01,
wherein the at least one through hole C2B-01 and the at least one flip segment 34 are disposed on the side plates 20-25;
wherein the bottom plate 16-19 is foldable along the foldable area (F), and the at least one flip segment 34 is inserted into the at least one through hole C2B-01 to fix the bottom plate 16-19 and the side plates 20-25 in position (FIG. 1).
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Regarding claim 2, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) a supporting structure 10 comprising:
a bottom plate 16-19;
a foldable area (F);
a plurality of side plates 20-25 respectively disposed on edges (FIG. 3) of the bottom plate 16-19 and forming an accommodating space 12, 13, any adjacent two of the side plates 20-25 being connected to each other (FIG. 1);
at least one flip segment 34, a part of the at least one flip segment 34 being separable from at least the side plates 20-25 along a segmenting line (page 1, Abstract, line 3, “... die-cut ...”); and
at least one through hole C2B-01,
wherein the at least one through hole C2B-01 and the at least one flip segment 34 are disposed on the side plates 20-25;
wherein the bottom plate 16-19 is foldable along the foldable area (F), and the at least one flip segment 34 is inserted into the at least one through hole C2B-01 to fix the bottom plate 16-19 and the side plates 20-25 in position (FIG. 1);
wherein when the bottom plate 16-19 is folded along the foldable area (F), the accommodating space 12, 13 is divided into a support zone C1-01 and a base zone C1-02, there is an included angle formed between the support zone C1-01 and the base zone C1-02, the at least one flip segment 34 is disposed in the base zone C1-02, and the at least one through hole C2B-01 is correspondingly disposed the base zone C1-02.
Regarding claim 3, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein the at least one flip segment 34 is flipped along a bending line and toward the at least one through hole C2B-01.
Regarding claim 4, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein a number of the at least one flip segment 34 is two, a number of the at least one through hole C2B-01 is two, and the two through holes C2B-01 are respectively disposed on two of the side plates 20-25 facing each other.
Regarding claim 5, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein the at least one flip segment 34 and the at least one through hole C2B-01 are disposed on one of the side plates 20-25, the at least one flip segment 34 is flipped from the one of the side plates 20-25 along a bending line and toward the at least one through hole C2B-01, and the bottom plate 16-19, which is folded, and the at least one flip segment 34 form a triangular structure (FIG. 2B).
Regarding claim 6, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein the at least one flip segment 34 is disposed on the bottom plate 16-19, the at least one through hole C2B-01 is disposed on one of the side plates 20-25, and when the at least one flip segment 34 is inserted into the at least one through hole C2B-01, the at least one flip segment 34, the one of the side plates 20-25 and the base zone C1-02 form a triangular structure (FIG. 2B).
Regarding claim 7, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein the bottom plate 16-19 comprises a long side C3-01 along a direction, a location of the foldable area (F) is at 35% to 65% of a total length of the long side.
Regarding claim 8, CARGILE teaches (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A - FIG. 2B, FIG. 3 above) supporting structure 10, wherein the supporting structure 10 is made of paper material and is glue-free.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's claim amendments / arguments in the reply filed July 29, 2026 regarding rejections under 35 USC § 103 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejections (i.e., 35 USC § 103) does not rely on exactly all reference(s) / arguments applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the Applicant’s arguments
With respect to the art rejections, in accordance with MPEP 2111.01, during examination, the claims must be interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably allow. In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 367 F.3d 1359, 70 USPQ2D 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Matias (U. S. Patent Application Publication US20180346234A1): Teaches a “pack” with similar characteristics as the claimed invention.
Chatelain (U. S. Patent Application Publication US20170349362A1): Teaches a “pack” with similar characteristics as the claimed invention.
Henke et al. (U. S. Patent Application Publication US20080087556A1): Teaches a “container” with similar characteristics as the claimed invention.
Parker (U. S. Patent US2813621A): Teaches a “carton” with similar characteristics as the claimed invention.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCOS JAVIER RODRIGUEZ MOLINA whose telephone number is (571) 272-8947. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
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 D. STASHICK can be reached on (571) 272-4561. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.J.R.M./
/Anthony D Stashick/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3735
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