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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, 2nd to last line recites “one side of the limiting slot is located in the stepped portion”. However, it seems that the stepped portion (113) is located in the limiting slot (23). Therefore, it is unclear how said feature exists.
Claim 6, line 3 recites “a receiving slot penetrating the main body”. However, it seems that the main body penetrates the receiving slot. Therefore, it is unclear how said feature exists.
The remaining claims are rejected for depending on claim 1.
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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Coart (US 2012/0233801) in view of Scholl (US 2005/0177970).
As to claim 1, Coart includes an assembly structure (Fig. 1), comprising:
an accessory piece (16), comprising a main body (The section of 16 right of 36) and a head portion (36) connected to the main body, a stepped surface (56, 58) disposed between the head portion and the main body, the stepped surface comprising a front latching segment (56) and two arc segments (Elements 58 are curved) connected to the front latching segment (para 29), the main body comprising an elastic arm (64) and a latching block (66) disposed on a top thereof, and the latching block located on one end of the elastic arm and comprising a stepped portion (70; Fig. 7); and
a wiper driving arm (14), comprising an arm body (12) and a cover (80, 84) connected to the arm body, the cover comprising a top surface (on 84) and two side walls (80) connected to the top surface, a limiting slot (86) defined on the top surface, and the latching block embedded in the limiting slot, wherein one side of the limiting slot is located in the stepped portion (Fig. 7 shows that 86 is inside of the space formed by 70 and 66) and the latching block is non-protruding from the top surface (66 would not protrude out of 84 because it is less tall than 86).
Coart does not include one side of the top surface abutting against the front latching segment, and the two side walls abutting against the two arc segments respectively.
Scholl includes a wiper driving arm (14; Fig. 1) having a top surface (on 26) and two sidewalls (28). One side of the top surface abutting against a front latching segment (The horizontal part of 40), and the two side walls (The vertical parts of 40) abutting against two segments respectively (The free end 12 of wiper arm 14 abuts against 40; para 32).
It would have been obvious to modify Coart to have one side of the top surface abutting against the front latching segment, and the two side walls abutting against the two arc segments respectively, as taught by Scholl, in order to more securely attach the wiper arm and the assembly piece together due to these two elements being flush with each other.
As to claim 2, further comprising an accessory seat (18), wherein the accessory seat comprises a base (28) and a pivot (30) disposed on the base, an axis hole (The hole at 50) is defined on the main body, and the accessory seat and the accessory piece are combined through the pivot being engaged in the axis hole (Fig. 2 and 3).
As to claim 3, wherein a groove (The space at 68) is defined on an outer periphery of the elastic arm and the latching block of the accessory piece (Fig. 1).
As to claim 4, wherein the stepped portion (Now understood as 66) comprises a step height, the limiting slot comprises a wall thickness (The height of 86), and a dimension (Its height) of the step height is greater than or equal to that of the wall thickness (86 is the same height as 66).
As to claim 6, wherein the accessory piece comprises a blocking rib (54) extending from each arc segment to a lateral (vertical) side of the main body, the cover comprises a receiving slot (The space inside 14) penetrating (going through) the main body (Fig. 4), a protruding leg (82) is extended from each side wall toward the receiving slot, a front (left) end of a bottom of the cover abuts against the blocking rib, and the protruding leg abuts against one side (The rightmost end surface) of the blocking rib (para 29).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Coart (US 2012/0233801) in view of Scholl (US 2005/0177970), or alternatively, further in view of Ehde (US 2011/0277265).
As to claim 5, Coart includes a guiding slope (The vertical surface of 66 that touches 64) disposed on a top of the latching block, and the guiding slope is extended from a top of the stepped portion to the elastic arm (Fig. 6).
Alternatively, Coart may be further combined with Ehde.
Ehde includes an accessory piece (120) having an elastic arm (144) and a latching block (150) [Fig. 8A]. A guiding slope (See Fig. 8A) is disposed on a top of the latching block, and the guiding slope is extended from a top of the stepped portion to the elastic arm (The guiding slope extends from the top of 150 to 144).
It would have obvious to substitute the elastic arm and latching block of Coart for those provided by Ehde, which provides a guiding slope, in order to more easily attach the wiper driving arm to the accessory piece.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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