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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 5/22/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 6, and 13 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) in view of Zhao et al. (Pub. No. US 2016/0163920; hereafter Zhao) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Zhao and Zhou et al. (Pub. No. CN 114198373; hereafter Zhou).
Applicant’s arguments, filed 5/22/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-5under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) in view of Jiang (Pub. No. CN 214425455; hereafter Jiang) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Jiang and Zhou
Applicant has incorporated claim limitations from previously presented claim 7, which was rejected over Zhao in view of Zhou (or Jiang in view of Zhou), into claim 1. Claim 1 is therefore no longer anticipated by Zhao (or Jiang), and the 102 rejection is therefore withdrawn. However, Applicant has not persuasively argued why the combination of Zhao (or Jiang) in view of Zhou is in error, or does not meet the claim limitations currently recited in claim 1.
Applicant merely states that “because neither Zhao nor Jiang teaches or suggests a clamping mechanism in which two clamping bodies rotate relative to each other to clamp a side frame of a photography device, a person having ordinary skill in the art would have no motivation to combine the clamp disclosed in Zhou” (see Applicant’s remarks p. 10, emphasis original). This argument is unpersuasive. Applicant is essentially arguing that because the primary reference does not disclose the claimed feature, there is no motivation to combine with a reference which does disclose the claimed feature. This defeats the purpose of obviousness. If the primary reference were required to disclose the feature claimed in order to provide proper motivation for the feature to be taught in, then there would be no reason to provide a secondary reference. Furthermore, there is no requirement that any reference, let alone the primary reference, specifically teach or suggest the combination for the combination to be valid. While Examiner recognizes that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found in the references themselves, motivation may also come from the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
In this case, as Examiner has noted in the previous Office Action dated 2/26/2026, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to substitute the attachment clamps of Zhao with an attachment mechanism like that in Zhou in order to provide a device which can attach to the compatible photographic devices contemplated by Zhou, while maintaining the benefits of the handle of Zhao.
Similarly with respect to Jiang, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the connection portion 2 of Jiang to be compatible with the clamping mechanism of Zhou in order to obtain the rotational benefit of the device of Jiang with the quick-connect and handle benefits of the device of Zhou.
Applicant’s arguments that there is no proper motivation to combine the prior art references are unpersuasive, and the rejections made in view of Zhao and Zhou are maintained, and new rejections made in view of Jiang and Zhou are presented below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 6-14, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao et al. (Pub. No. US 2016/0163920 A1; hereafter Zhao) in view of Zhou et al. (Pub. No. CN 114198373 A; hereafter Zhou).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao discloses a rotary connection structure comprising: a first external connection assembly being adapted to externally connect with a first side frame of a first photography device (see Zhao Fig. 2, item 10); and a rotation damping structure comprising a mounting member being adapted to be connected to a second photography device (see Zhao Fig. 1, item 308), a fastening member (see Zhao Fig. 1, item 302), and a connecting member (see Zhao Fig. 1, item 306), one end of the fastening member extending through the connecting member (see Zhao paragraph [0072] “The connecting body 306 can be provided with a fitting hole 3062 penetrating the fixing surface 3061 for receiving a portion of a threaded shaft 3022 of the connecting member 302”) to fixedly connect to the mounting member (see Zhao paragraph [0080] “The threaded shaft 3022 of the connecting member 302 can pass through the third through-hole 3084 of the bearing body 308 and be threadedly connected to the bearing member”), the connecting member being rotatable, in a damped manner, about the fastening member (while Zhao does not explicitly state that the connecting portion is rotated about the fastening member, as can be seen from Fig. 1, the dampers 305, bearing member 308, connecting member 306, and fastening member 302 are all co-axial, so when Zhao discloses that the connecting member can have damped rotation due to dampers 305, the rotation would also be about the fastening member 302), the connecting member being connected to the first external connection assembly (see Zhao Figs. 1 and 2, “connecting body” 306 is connected to “connecting portion” 301, which is part of the first external connection assembly 10).
Zhao does not specifically disclose that the first external connection assembly comprises two clamp bodies and a mounting base, the mounting base is fixedly connected to the connecting member, the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extend beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame, and free ends of the two clamp bodies extend beyond a rear end of the mounting base.
Zhou discloses a first external connection assembly that comprises two clamp bodies (see Zhou Fig. 3, items 1 and 11) and a mounting base, the mounting base is fixedly connected to the connecting member (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 6, the “mounting base” can be construed as the portion in front of spring 33 on which the clamps rest, best shown in Fig. 6. The mounting base can be construed as being fixedly connected to the rest of the connecting member 2.), the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extend beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame, and free ends of the two clamp bodies extend beyond a rear end of the mounting base (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 6, items 1 and 11); Zhou further discloses [claim 7] wherein the first external connection assembly comprises a first fastening assembly, and the first fastening assembly clamps and fixes the first photography device (see Zhou Figs. 1 and 5, items 2 and 6. See also paragraph [0048] “the heads of the two clamping bodies 1 clamp and fix on both sides of the first camera element 6”), the first photography device comprising a first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 5, item 6, the portion shown can be construed as the first side frame), the first external connection assembly comprising two clamp bodies, a mounting base, and a first fastening assembly, the mounting base being fixedly connected to the connecting member, the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extending beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 3, items 1, 2, and 11), a second spring being arranged between the two clamp bodies, the second spring driving the two clamp bodies to clamp and fix the first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 3, item 33); wherein the first fastening assembly is mounted on the mounting base in an extendible/retractable manner, a constraining portion of the first fastening assembly being extendible out of the front end of the mounting base, the constraining portion being insertable into a positioning aperture correspondingly formed in the first side frame (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 4, items 31 and 32); [claim 8] wherein the first fastening assembly comprises at least one push member, one end of the push member being provided with the constraining portion, the constraining portion comprising a cylindrical peg, the cylindrical peg having a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a connecting portion between the push member and the cylindrical peg, a width dimension of a free end portion of the cylindrical peg being arranged to gradually contract (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 4, item 31); [claim 9] wherein the mounting base further comprises at least one elastic member, the elastic member being mounted in the mounting base, such that one elastic member drives one push member, in order to have the constraining portion extending beyond the front end of the mounting base (see Zhou Fig. 3, item 32); [claim 10] wherein the first fastening assembly further comprises a positioning pole, the positioning pole being fixedly mounted on the mounting base, the positioning pole extending in an up-down direction of the mounting base, the push member being formed with a sliding hole extending in a front-rear direction of the mounting base, the positioning pole penetrating through the sliding hole (see Zhou Fig. 3, pole on which spring 33 is mounted); [claim 11] wherein two external surfaces of the clamp bodies adjacent to tail ends are protruded to form connecting portions respectively extending in directions away from the clamp bodies, pressing portions being respectively connected to ends of the connecting portions that are away from the clamp bodies, the pressing portions being extended in a direction toward a rear end of the mounting base, so that a pressing space is defined between the pressing portions and the mounting base (see Zhou Fig. 3, rear portions of item 1); [claim 12] wherein the head portions of the clamp bodies are protruded from inner side surfaces thereof facing the mounting base to form clamping portions, the clamping portions being arranged for retaining engagement with the first side frame, the clamping portions and the clamp bodies defining therebetween an included angle α, 97°≤a≤105°, left and right sides of the first side frame being each recessed to form an insertion slot, the two clamping portions being respectively insertable into the two insertion slots (see Zhou Fig. 7, item α, and paragraph [0011]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was field to replace the clamping mechanism of Zhao with one like that of Zhou in order to enable the device of Zhao to securely clip on photographing devices with the associated mounting connection as those shown in Zhou (see also Response to Arguments, above).
Regarding claim 6, Zhao as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the rotary connection structure further comprises a handgrip, the handgrip being fixedly connected to the mounting member (see Zhao Fig. 4, item 201); or the mounting member is connected with a second external connection assembly, the second external connection assembly being externally connectable with a second photography device (see Zhao Fig. 4, the gimbal head 202 is connectable to a second camera).
Regarding claim 13, Zhao discloses a photography kit comprising a first photography device and a rotary connection structure according to claim 1 (see Zhao Fig. 4, item 200, which can be construed as a photography kit).
Regarding claim 14, Zhao as modified discloses a photography kit comprising a first photography device and a rotary connection structure according to claim 7 (see Zhao Fig. 4, item 200 can be construed as a “photography kit”).
Regarding claim 20, Zhao as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 11, wherein multiple friction portions are formed on the pressing portions in a patterned form, and the friction portions are arranged as projections or dots (mere changes in size or shape are deemed well within the purview of the ordinary workman in the art absent some evidence that the particular shape or configuration is significant. See MPEP 2144.04(IV)(A-B). In this case, the purpose of the shaped portion in Zhou and the instant application are for increasing friction for the user. Changing the shape would be well within the purview of the ordinary workman in the art to achieve the same result of increased friction.)
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang (Pub. No. CN 214425455; hereafter Jiang) in view of Zhou.
Regarding claim 1, Jiang discloses a rotary connection structure comprising: a first external connection assembly being adapted to externally connect with a first photography device (see Jiang Fig. 3, item 12); and a rotation damping structure comprising a mounting member (see Jiang Fig. 3, item 2), a fastening member (see Jiang Fig. 3, item 23), and a connecting member (see Jiang Fig. 6, item 11), one end of the fastening member extending through the connecting member (see Jiang Fig. 6, items 23 and 11) to fixedly connect to the mounting member (see Jiang Fig.6, item 2), the connecting member being rotatable, in a damped manner, about the fastening member (see Jiang paragraph [0034] “When the first clamping plate 11 is rotated horizontally after assembly, one end of the first connecting piece 23 rotates in the first mounting groove, thereby adjusting the angle of the clamping assembly.”), the connecting member being connected to the first external connection assembly (see Jiang Fig. 3, item 12).
Jiang does not specifically disclose that the first external connection assembly comprises two clamp bodies and a mounting base, the mounting base is fixedly connected to the connecting member, the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extend beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame, and free ends of the two clamp bodies extend beyond a rear end of the mounting base.
Zhou discloses a first external connection assembly that comprises two clamp bodies (see Zhou Fig. 3, items 1 and 11) and a mounting base, the mounting base is fixedly connected to the connecting member (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 6, the “mounting portion” can be construed as the portion in front of spring 33 on which the clamps rest, best shown in Fig. 6. The mounting base can be construed as being fixedly connected to the rest of the connecting member 2.), the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extend beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame, and free ends of the two clamp bodies extend beyond a rear end of the mounting base (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 6, items 1 and 11); Zhou further discloses [claim 7] wherein the first external connection assembly comprises a first fastening assembly, and the first fastening assembly clamps and fixes the first photography device (see Zhou Figs. 1 and 5, items 2 and 6. See also paragraph [0048] “the heads of the two clamping bodies 1 clamp and fix on both sides of the first camera element 6”), the first photography device comprising a first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 5, item 6, the portion shown can be construed as the first side frame), the first external connection assembly comprising two clamp bodies, a mounting base, and a first fastening assembly, the mounting base being fixedly connected to the connecting member, the two clamp bodies being rotatably arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting base, head portions of the two clamp bodies both extending beyond a front end of the mounting base to clamp and fix edges of the two sides of the first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 3, items 1, 2, and 11), a second spring being arranged between the two clamp bodies, the second spring driving the two clamp bodies to clamp and fix the first side frame (see Zhou Fig. 3, item 33); wherein the first fastening assembly is mounted on the mounting base in an extendible/retractable manner, a constraining portion of the first fastening assembly being extendible out of the front end of the mounting base, the constraining portion being insertable into a positioning aperture correspondingly formed in the first side frame (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 4, items 31 and 32); [claim 8] wherein the first fastening assembly comprises at least one push member, one end of the push member being provided with the constraining portion, the constraining portion comprising a cylindrical peg, the cylindrical peg having a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a connecting portion between the push member and the cylindrical peg, a width dimension of a free end portion of the cylindrical peg being arranged to gradually contract (see Zhou Figs. 3 and 4, item 31); [claim 9] wherein the mounting base further comprises at least one elastic member, the elastic member being mounted in the mounting base, such that one elastic member drives one push member, in order to have the constraining portion extending beyond the front end of the mounting base (see Zhou Fig. 3, item 32); [claim 10] wherein the first fastening assembly further comprises a positioning pole, the positioning pole being fixedly mounted on the mounting base, the positioning pole extending in an up-down direction of the mounting base, the push member being formed with a sliding hole extending in a front-rear direction of the mounting base, the positioning pole penetrating through the sliding hole (see Zhou Fig. 3, pole on which spring 33 is mounted); [claim 11] wherein two external surfaces of the clamp bodies adjacent to tail ends are protruded to form connecting portions respectively extending in directions away from the clamp bodies, pressing portions being respectively connected to ends of the connecting portions that are away from the clamp bodies, the pressing portions being extended in a direction toward a rear end of the mounting base, so that a pressing space is defined between the pressing portions and the mounting base (see Zhou Fig. 3, rear portions of item 1); [claim 12] wherein the head portions of the clamp bodies are protruded from inner side surfaces thereof facing the mounting base to form clamping portions, the clamping portions being arranged for retaining engagement with the first side frame, the clamping portions and the clamp bodies defining therebetween an included angle α, 97°≤a≤105°, left and right sides of the first side frame being each recessed to form an insertion slot, the two clamping portions being respectively insertable into the two insertion slots (see Zhou Fig. 7, item α, and paragraph [0011]); [claim 16] wherein an external connection portion is formed on and protrudes from the rear end of the mounting base for connection with the second photography device, a maximum cross-sectional area of a connection portion between the external connection portion and the mounting base is smaller than a surface area of the rear end of the mounting base, and the external connection portion is located between the free ends (see Zhou Fig. 3, note that the shape of the device is substantially similar to that of the instant application in that the external connection on the back end of item 2 of Zhou is similarly connected by a narrowed neck portion and sit between the free ends of the clamp.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was field to replace the clamping mechanism of Zhao with one like that of Zhou in order to enable the device of Zhao to securely clip on photographing devices with the associated mounting connection as those shown in Zhou (see also Response to Arguments, above).
Regarding claim 2, Jiang as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the rotation damping structure further comprises a sleeve, the sleeve comprising a positioning portion and an extension portion connected to each other, a diameter size of the positioning portion being greater than a diameter size of the extension portion, the fastening member extending through the extension portion, the connecting member being formed with a receiving trough that rotatably receives the positioning portion therein, the receiving trough comprising a circular hole, the extension portion extending through the circular hole and fixedly connected to the mounting member (see Jiang Fig. 6, items 23 and 24).
Regarding claim 3, Jiang as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the fastening member comprises a screw rod and a screw top portion arranged at one end of the screw rod, the screw top portion being received in the positioning portion, the screw rod extending through the extension portion to threadedly connect with the mounting member (see Jiang Fig. 6, items 2 and 23).
Regarding claim 4, Jiang as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the rotation damping structure further comprises two damping gaskets both of which are mounted on the extension portion, one of the damping gaskets being located on the positioning portion and a trough bottom of the receiving trough, another one of the damping gaskets being located between the connecting member and the mounting member (see Jiang Fig. 6, items 25 and 26).
Regarding claim 5, Jiang as modified discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 2, wherein a free end of the extension portion is inserted into a retention notch that is formed by recessing the mounting member, the extension portion engaging a notch sidewall of the retention notch so that the extension portion and the mounting member are not rotatable (see Jiang Fig. 6, item 24 and paragraph [0039] “One end of the protective sleeve 24 is rotatably accommodated in the first mounting groove, and the other end extends out of the bottom wall of the first mounting groove and is inserted into the second mounting groove. It cannot rotate relative to the rotating connection 21.”).
Claim(s) 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of Zhou as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Filson et al. (Pub. No. US 2011/0034219 A1; hereafter Filson).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Zhao in view of Zhou discloses the rotary connection structure of claim 1, and Zhou further discloses that the there is a hole in the mounting base (see Zhou Figs. 5 and 6, note the hole where the spring 33 is placed). However, Zhou discloses a torsion spring instead of a compression spring.
Filson discloses that compression and torsion springs are both well-known mechanisms for biasing a clamp system (see Filson paragraph [0007] “A spring such as a tension spring, coil spring, ribbon spring, compression spring, or torsion spring may be used in biasing the clip towards the closed position.”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to replace the torsion spring of Zhao in view of Zhou with a compression spring as a simple substitution of one known element for another to yield predictable results (see MPEP 2143(I)(B)).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of Zhou and Filson as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Smalligan (U.S. Patent No. 10,610,014 B2; hereafter Smalligan).
Regarding claim 19, Zhao in view of Zhou and Filson discloses the rotary connection structure according to claim 18, but does not specifically disclose that the compression spring is mounted on a positioning bar, and the positioning bar is mounted in the mounting space.
Smalligan discloses a compression spring that is mounted on a positioning bar, and the positioning bar is mounted in the mounting space (see Smalligan Figs. 1 and 6, items 62A, 62B, and 112).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide the device of Zhao in view of Zhou and Filson with a positioning bar for the compression spring so that the compression spring does not become misaligned or detached during operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is 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.
Finality
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAM S REISNER whose telephone number is (571)270-7542. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:30PM.
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/NOAM REISNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 10/5/2026
