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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because “the lateral wall” on line 2 lacks antecedent basis. For the purposes of examination, “the lateral wall” is interpreted as “the later wall part”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takashi et al. [Takashi hereinafter, JP2000-207984].
In regard to claim 1, Takashi discloses [in Figs. 1-4] a push switch comprising: a movable contact [2]; a fixed contact [16] that comes into contact with the movable contact [2]; a case [1] that includes a recessed part accommodating the movable contact [2] and in which the fixed contact [16] is embedded; and a rubber cap [3, par. 0020] that covers the recessed part of the case [1], wherein the rubber cap [3] includes a rib [34] that protrudes toward the case [1], the case [1] further includes a lateral wall part [10] that forms an inner surface of the recessed part, the lateral wall part [10] has an upper surface in which a grooved part [11] is formed, and the rib [34] is disposed in the grooved part [11] of the lateral wall part [11].
In regard to claim 2, Takashi discloses [in Figs. 1-4] the push switch according to claim 1, wherein the lateral wall part [10] is in a loop-like shape in a top view of the push switch, the grooved part [11] is formed in the upper surface of the lateral wall part [10] in a loop-like shape, and the rib [34] is formed in a loop-like shape.
In regard to claim 3, Takashi discloses [in Figs. 1-4] the push switch according to claim 1, wherein the rubber cap [3] further includes a flange [33] part that covers the upper surface of the lateral wall part [10], the rib [34] is formed on the flange part [33], and in a state before the rib [34] is disposed in the grooved part [11], a height from the flange part [33] to a tip of the rib [34] is greater than a depth of the grooved part [11].
In regard to claims 6 and 7, Takashi discloses [in Figs. 1-4] the push switch according to claim 1, wherein the rubber cap [3] further includes an operation part [29] that presses the movable contact [2] toward the fixed contact [16], the operation part [29] moves between (i) a first position in which the movable contact [2] and the fixed contact [16] do not contact each other and (ii) a second position in which the movable contact [2] and the fixed contact [16] contact each other, and when the operation part [29] is at least in the second position, an inner wall of the grooved part [11] and the rib [34] are in contact with each other, wherein the rib [34] is formed around an entire perimeter of the operation part [29] in a top view of the push switch.
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 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashi et al. [Takashi hereinafter, JP2000-207984] in view of Yanai et al. [Yanai hereinafter, US 2006/0081452]. Takashi discloses [in Figs. 1-4] the push switch according to claim 3. Takashi does not disclose a metallic cover, wherein the metallic cover presses the rib against the case to a degree that the flange part and an upper surface of the case come into contact with each other, wherein in a state in which the metallic cover is pressing the flange part against the case, at least one space is present between the rib and an inner wall of the grooved part. Yanai teaches [in Figs. 1 and 2] a metallic cover [16, par. 0033], wherein the metallic cover [16] presses the rib [14E] against the case [11] to a degree that the flange part [annotated below] and an upper surface of the case [11] come into contact with each other, wherein in a state in which the metallic cover [16] is pressing the flange part against the case [11], at least one space present between the rib [14E] and an inner wall of the grooved part [annotated below]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the metallic cover of Yanai with the push switch of Takashi in order to protect the parts of the push switch.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yusui et al. [US 5,939,690] and Miyamoto et al. [US 11,309,143] disclose similar push switches.
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/LHEIREN MAE A CAROC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833