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Claims 7-9, 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 2025-12-30.
Applicant's election with traverse of species I in the reply filed on 2025-12-30 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that:
That claims 1-5, and 10-14 are generic, and species I includes claim 6. This is accepted. (Applicant’s request for rejoinder in the event of an allowance is acknowledged.)
That species I-IV should not be restricted. This is not found persuasive because election of species does not depend on the nature of the differentiation in the claims between the different species, instead, as pointed out in the election of species mailed 2025-10-30, the difference between the species is described by the disclosure of the present specification (i.e. the cited paragraphs and figures), that they map to any particular claims is insufficient evidence to support the assertion that they should not be separated. Unless applicant is arguing that because claim 1 is generic to all species, therefor all species are obvious from one another (which does not appear to be the case), then the evidence pointed out in the election of species mailed 2025-10-30 continues to weigh in favor of the species being treated as separate and distinct inventions which present an undue search burden. To quote in part 37 C.F.R. 1.146: “In the first action on an application containing a generic claim to a generic invention (genus) and claims to more than one patentably distinct species embraced thereby, the examiner may require the applicant in the reply to that action to elect a species of his or her invention to which his or her claim will be restricted if no claim to the genus is found to be allowable.”
As the present application contains claims to more than one patentably distinct species embraced thereby, it is eminently proper that the examiner require the applicant elect a species. The “more than a reasonable number” clause allows the examiner, at their discretion, to allow more than one species be selected. However as pointed out in the prior action, all of the species are both independent and distinct from one another and would also present an undue search burden, and so it is proper to require the selection of one species to be examined.
That species I and III are not separable. This is not found persuasive because the cited paragraphs of the present application which describe the respective species recite features which clearly delineate species I from species III, that they share features in common is insufficient evidence to show that they should be examined together, especially in light of their divergent disclosures in the present application.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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)(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) 1-5, 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LIU (US 2023/0236635).
Regarding claim 1 LIU discloses:
A foldable electronic device comprising:
a foldable enclosure (e.g. FIG.3) which comprises multiple sub-enclosures (e.g. left/right sides FIG.3) and is foldable and unfoldable (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.3/FIG.6); and
a hinge (e.g. 300 FIG.3) configured to rotatably connect the multiple sub-enclosures around at least one rotation axis (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.3/FIG.6), wherein the hinge comprises:
multiple hinge leaves (e.g. 1, 2 FIG.8) respectively coupled to ends of the multiple sub-enclosures (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.1) and configured to rotate during folding and unfolding operations of the foldable enclosure (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.3/FIG.6), a rotation guide (e.g. 81, 82 FIG.9) which is formed on each of the hinge leaves (e.g. indicated FIG.1/FIG.2) and comprises a rotation surface having a curved-surface of a shape corresponding to a rotation trajectory of the hinge leaves (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9), a force transmission member (e.g. 83, 84 FIG.9) having a pressing surface configured to press against the rotation surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown FIG.9), a force diverting part (e.g. wings for 85 FIG.8) configured to convert a force having a directional component parallel to the pressing surface to a force having a directional component perpendicular to the pressing surface (e.g. shown FIG.9, FIG.10), to change a direction in which force is applied, thereby pressing the force transmission member against the curved-surface of the rotation guide, and a hinge actuator (e.g. 85 FIG.8) configured to apply to the force diverting part the force having the directional component parallel to the pressing surface (e.g. indicated based on movement FIG.9/FIG.10).
Regarding claim 2 LIU discloses:
the rotation surface of the rotation guide comprises a cam surface which is an area recessed based on the rotation trajectory (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9).
Regarding claim 3 LIU discloses:
an area of the pressing surface, which comprises an area configured to contact with the rotation surface, has an inclined area oriented in a direction having a tangential directional component of the rotation trajectory (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9).
Regarding claim 4 LIU discloses:
the force diverting part comprises: a first slider (e.g. sections of 85 in contact with wings of 80 FIG.8) coupled to the hinge actuator, and a second slider (e.g. sections of wings of 80 in contact with 85 FIG.8) coupled to the force transmission member and configured to slidably contact against the first slider (e.g. sliding on pins shown not pointed out FIG.1), and wherein at least one of the first slider and the second slider comprises an inclined surface (e.g. surface of helically wound springs 85 FIG.8) inclined with respect to a pressing direction of the pressing surface.
Regarding claim 5 LIU discloses:
the hinge actuator is configured to press the second slider (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9), via the first slider (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9), in a direction having a directional component parallel to the at least one rotation axis of the hinge, and wherein the second slider is configured to slide against the first slider along the inclined surface and thus to move such that the pressing surface of the force transmission member is pressed against the rotation guide by the hinge actuator.
Regarding claim 10 LIU discloses:
A hinge device for a foldable electronic device comprising
a foldable enclosure which comprises multiple sub-enclosures and is foldable and unfoldable and a hinge configured to rotatably connect the multiple sub-enclosures around at least one rotation axis, the hinge device comprising:
multiple hinge leaves (e.g. 1, 2 FIG.8) respectively coupled to ends of the multiple sub-enclosures (e.g. left/right sides FIG.3) and configured to rotate during folding and unfolding operations of the foldable enclosure (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.3/FIG.6);
a rotation guide (e.g. 81, 82 FIG.9) which is formed on each of the hinge leaves (e.g. indicated FIG.1/FIG.2) and comprises a rotation surface having a curved-surface of a shape corresponding to a rotation trajectory of the hinge leaves (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9);
a force transmission member (e.g. 83, 84 FIG.9) having a pressing surface configured to press against the rotation surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown FIG.9);
a force diverting part (e.g. wings for 85 FIG.8) configured to convert a force having a directional component parallel to the pressing surface to a force having a directional component perpendicular to the pressing surface (e.g. shown FIG.9, FIG.10), to change a direction in which force is applied, thereby pressing the force transmission member against the curved-surface of the rotation guide; and
a hinge actuator (e.g. 85 FIG.8) configured to apply to the force diverting part the force having the directional component parallel to the pressing surface (e.g. indicated based on movement FIG.9/FIG.10).
Regarding claim 11 LIU discloses:
the rotation surface of the rotation guide comprises a cam surface which is an area recessed based on the rotation trajectory (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9).
Regarding claim 12 LIU discloses:
an area of the pressing surface, which comprises an area configured to contact with the rotation surface, has an inclined area oriented in a direction having a tangential directional component of the rotation trajectory (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.9).
Regarding claim 13 LIU discloses:
the force diverting part comprises:
a first slider (e.g. sections of 85 in contact with wings of 80 FIG.8) coupled to the hinge actuator, and a second slider (e.g. sections of wings of 80 in contact with 85 FIG.8) coupled to the force transmission member and configured to slidably contact against the first slider (e.g. sliding on pins shown not pointed out FIG.1), and wherein at least one of the first slider and the second slider comprises an inclined surface (e.g. surface of helically wound springs 85 FIG.8) inclined with respect to a pressing direction of the pressing surface.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZHANG et al. (US 2024/0241552).
Regarding claim 1 ZHANG discloses:
A foldable electronic device comprising:
a foldable enclosure (e.g. laptop, paragraph [0049]) which comprises multiple sub-enclosures (e.g. display part system part, paragraph [0049]) and is foldable and unfoldable (e.g. described paragraph [0049]); and
a hinge configured to rotatably connect the multiple sub-enclosures around at least one rotation axis, wherein the hinge comprises:
multiple hinge leaves (e.g. 40 FIG.1) respectively coupled to ends of the multiple sub-enclosures and configured to rotate during folding and unfolding operations of the foldable enclosure (e.g. described paragraph [0053]), a rotation guide (e.g. 201 FIG.2) which is formed on each of the hinge leaves and comprises a rotation surface having a curved-surface of a shape corresponding to a rotation trajectory of the hinge leaves (e.g. shown FIG.2), a force transmission member (e.g. 302 FIG.2) having a pressing surface configured to press against the rotation surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.2), a force diverting part (e.g. 202 FIG.1) configured to convert a force having a directional component parallel to the pressing surface to a force having a directional component perpendicular to the pressing surface (e.g. via rotation FIG.2/FIG.4) to change a direction in which force is applied, thereby pressing the force transmission member against the curved-surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.4), and a hinge actuator (e.g. 303 FIG.2) configured to apply to the force diverting part the force having the directional component parallel to the pressing surface (e.g. shown FIG.2).
Regarding claim 4 ZHANG discloses:
the force diverting part comprises: a first slider (e.g. 232 FIG.5) coupled to the hinge actuator, and a second slider (e.g. 231 FIG.5) coupled to the force transmission member and configured to slidably contact against the first slider (e.g. shown FIG.5), and wherein at least one of the first slider and the second slider comprises an inclined surface inclined with respect to a pressing direction of the pressing surface (e.g. edges going up/down during rotation FIG.5).
Regarding claim 6 ZHANG discloses:
the first slider and the second slider comprise a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface (e.g. both having inclined surfaces shown FIG.7) which slide in contact with each other (e.g. described paragraph [0059]).
Regarding claim 10 ZHANG discloses:
A hinge device for a foldable electronic device comprising
a foldable enclosure which comprises multiple sub-enclosures and is foldable and unfoldable and a hinge configured to rotatably connect the multiple sub-enclosures around at least one rotation axis, the hinge device comprising:
multiple hinge leaves (e.g. 40 FIG.1) respectively coupled to ends of the multiple sub-enclosures (e.g. display part system part, paragraph [0049]) and configured to rotate during folding and unfolding operations of the foldable enclosure (e.g. laptop, paragraph [0049]);
a rotation guide (e.g. 201 FIG.2) which is formed on each of the hinge leaves and comprises a rotation surface having a curved-surface of a shape corresponding to a rotation trajectory of the hinge leaves (e.g. shown FIG.2);
a force transmission (e.g. 302 FIG.2) member having a pressing surface configured to press against the rotation surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.2);
a force diverting part (e.g. 202 FIG.1) configured to convert a force having a directional component parallel to the pressing surface to a force having a directional component perpendicular to the pressing surface (e.g. via rotation FIG.2/FIG.4), to change a direction in which force is applied, thereby pressing the force transmission member against the curved-surface of the rotation guide (e.g. shown/indicated FIG.4); and
a hinge actuator (e.g. 303 FIG.2) configured to apply to the force diverting part the force having the directional component parallel to the pressing surface (e.g. shown FIG.2).
Regarding claim 13 ZHANG discloses:
a first slider (e.g. 232 FIG.5) coupled to the hinge actuator, and a second slider (e.g. 231 FIG.5) coupled to the force transmission member and configured to slidably contact against the first slider (e.g. shown FIG.5), and wherein at least one of the first slider and the second slider comprises an inclined surface inclined with respect to a pressing direction of the pressing surface (e.g. edges going up/down during rotation FIG.5).
Regarding claim 14 ZHANG discloses:
the hinge actuator is configured to press the second slider (e.g. via 202 FIG.5), via the first slider (e.g. described paragraph [0059]), in a direction having a directional component parallel to the at least one rotation axis of the hinge (e.g. as indicated by orientation FIG.5), and wherein the second slider is configured to slide against the first slider along the inclined surface such that the pressing surface of the force transmission member is moved to press against the rotation guide by the hinge actuator (e.g. via 202 FIG.5).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references cited on the PTO-892 disclose/teach similar hinged circuit board housings as those disclosed in the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THERON S MILLISER whose telephone number is (571)270-1800. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6.
Limited examiner interviews are available.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached at (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THERON S MILLISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights