DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Status of claims
Claims 1-16 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “CX” has been used to designate both “rotation axis” in [0016] and [0017] and “rotating shaft” in [0017]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 5, 7-9, 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Examiner proposes amending the limitation in lines 2-3 of claim 5 “the door is located at a center of the carrying slot” to read --the door is located central to the carrying slot-- as it can be seen in the figures of the instant application that door (111) is not located along a center of the carrying slot (112c), as opening (112e) is located at the center of the carrying slot (see [0016]), but rather the door is located central to a vertical axis of the carrying slot.
Examiner suggests amending the limitation in lines 2-3 of claim 7 “the attachment block is partially sunk into the sinking slot via a gravity” to read --the attachment block is partially sunk downwards into the sinking slot along a vertical direction-- as the term “gravity” could potentially introduce ambiguity within the claim and such more accurately depicts that the attachment block sinks down into the sinking slot.
The limitation in lines 3-4 of claim 8 should be corrected to read --the door and the first shell are stopped at an upper portion and a lower portion of the attachment block, respectively-- to clearly indicate that the door is stopped at the upper portion and the first shell is stopped at the lower portion.
In accordance with Examiner’s suggestion above regarding claim 7, Examiner suggests amending the limitation in line 5 of claim 8 “the upper portion and the lower portion are arranged along a direction of the gravity” to read --the upper portion and the lower portion are arranged along the vertical direction
The limitation in lines 2-4 of claim 9 should be corrected to read --a periphery of the carrying slot has a plurality of positioning protrusions or a plurality of positioning notches, and a periphery of the turntable has the other of the plurality of positioning notches or positioning protrusions-- to clearly indicate that protrusions and notches are respectively formed on the carrying slot and turntable.
Examiner suggests amending claim 14 to read --wherein the attachment block and the receiving slot are a polygonal body and a polygonal slot, respectively, having contours adapted to each other-- as such more clearly describes the contour/shape relationship between the receiving slot and attachment block.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 2-14 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 2 recites the limitation “wherein the connecting base further comprises a turntable rotatably disposed in the body along a rotating shaft” in lines 1-2 and claim 4 recites the limitation “wherein the rotating shaft passes through the door”. Applicant’s specification identifies reference character “CX” in Fig. 2-5 as referring to both a “rotation axis” in [0016]-[0017] and a “rotating shaft” in [0016]. It is unclear from the language of claim 2 based on the entirety of Applicant’s disclosure as to whether Applicant is intending to define of a rotating shaft or a rotating axis, or whether Applicant accidentally mistranslated a term from their priority document. Fig. 2-5 all show of an axis within the figures, with no identifiable rotating shaft present within Applicant’s embodiment. Further, it is unclear within claim 4 when taking into account Applicant’s entire disclosure as to how a rotating shaft would pass through the door (111), as the door is a solid component present within Applicant’s embodiment. While Applicant does not depict of a rotating shaft passing through the door, they do depict that axis “CX” passes through opening “112e” and receiving slot “114”. As such, for the purpose of this action, Examiner will interpret that the term rotating shaft reads as “rotation axis”. Further, regarding claim 4, Examiner will interpret that claim 4 reads as “wherein the rotation axis passes through the receiving slot”.
Claim 3 recites “the first shell has a door and a chute, and the door is movably coupled to the chute to expose the door or shield a portion of the door” in lines 4-5. Claim 1 already defines that the connecting base comprises a door movably assembled on the body of the connecting base. It is therefore unclear from the language of claim 3 as to whether Applicant is introducing a new door within the claim, or if they are intending to refer to the door of claim 1. Being that Applicant’s embodiment depicts of door (111) located within chute (112f) of the first shell (112a) of the body (112) of the connecting base, Examiner will interpret that the door of claim 3 is referring to the door of claim 1 and will interpret the above limitations as reading as “the first shell has
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the unlocking process”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation within the claim. For the purpose of this action, Examiner will interpret this limitation as reading as “an unlocking process”.
Claims 4-9 are rejected as they depend from claims 2-3 and claims 11-13 are rejected as they depend from claim 10. 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 1-9, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by EliteGroup Computer Systems Co., LTD (TW-M647420; hereinafter EG).
Regarding claim 1, EG discloses an attachment mechanism (Fig. 1-4), for attaching a first electronic device (2, [0039] of the attached translated description states 2 is a display) and a second electronic device (comprising 4 and 50, [0051] of the attached translated description states 4 is an electronic component) together, the attachment mechanism comprising:
a connecting base (comprising 10, 20, 30) assembled on the second electronic device (see Fig. 4), the connecting base comprising:
a body (body formed by material of 10, 20, 30) having a receiving slot (comprising 12, 24);
a door (40) movably assembled on the body (door is movably assembled within chute 15, see [0049] of the attached translated description) to shield a portion of the receiving slot or expose the receiving slot (see in Fig. 4 the receiving slot is shielded by the door); and
an attachment block (3) assembled on the first electronic device (see Fig. 2A, see [0039] of the attached translated description), wherein when the receiving slot is exposed, the attachment block is inserted and locked into the receiving slot (see [0040] of the attached translated description stating that attachment block 3 is inserted and locked into the receiving slot 24), and the door shields the portion of the receiving slot to stop the attachment block (see Fig. 4, see [0049] of the attached translated description stating that one end of the door 40 abuts against the attachment block 3, i.e. the door shields the portion of the receiving slot to stop the attachment block), so that the first electronic device is attached to the second electronic device via the attachment block and the connecting base (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, EG discloses wherein the connecting base further comprises a turntable (20) rotatably disposed in the body along a rotation axis (see Fig. 1-3 showing the turntable within the body, [0045] of the attached translated description states 10, 30 of the connecting base rotate in relation to the turntable 20, i.e. the turntable and body of 10, 30 rotate relative to one another, see rotation axis in Annotated Fig. 1 below), the turntable has the receiving slot (portion 24 of the receiving slot is on the turntable, see Fig. 1), and the first electronic device is inserted and locked in the receiving slot by the attachment block (see [0040] of the attached translated description), and drives the turntable to rotate in the body (see [0045] of the attached translated description, being that 10 and 30 rotate relative to 20, 20 also rotates relative to 10 and 30, thus the turntable 20 rotates within 10 and 30).
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Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 3, EG discloses wherein the body comprises a first shell (10) and a second shell (30) attached to each other (see Fig. 2A-E, 4), the first shell is located between the first electronic device and the second shell (see Fig. 1, 4), the second shell is located between the first shell and the second electronic device (see Fig. 4), the first shell has a chute (15), and the door is movably coupled to the chute to expose the door or shield a portion of the door (see [0049] of the attached translated description).
Regarding claim 4, EG discloses wherein the rotation axis passes through the receiving slot (see rotation axis in Annotated Fig. 1 passing through receiving slot 12, 24 in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, EG discloses wherein the first shell (10) has a carrying slot (14), the turntable (20) is rotatably assembled on the carrying slot (se Fig. 2A-E, see [0040] of the attached translated description), the door is located at a center of the carrying slot (see door 40 located central to the carrying slot in Fig. 3-4), and the chute and the carrying slot are located at two opposite surfaces of the first shell (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, EG discloses wherein when the turntable (20) is assembled on the carrying slot (14), the receiving slot (12, 24) and the first shell (10) form a sinking slot adjacent to the door (see sinking slot in Annotated Fig. 2 below; sinking slot is formed by the space located between portion 24 of the receiving slot and portion 122 of the first shell within the carrying slot 14).
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Annotated Figure 2
Regarding claim 7, EG discloses wherein after the attachment block (3) is inserted into the receiving slot along a first direction (see first direction in Annotated Fig. 2), the attachment block is partially sunk into the sinking slot via a gravity (when the attachment block is inserted, it will sink into the sinking slot), so that the first shell stops the attachment block from moving out of the receiving slot along a second direction (portion 122 of the first shell will retain the attachment block within the sinking slot and block it from moving in the second direction seen in Annotated Fig. 2, see [0043] of the attached translated description), and the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other (see Annotated Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, EG discloses wherein when a portion of the attachment block (3) sinks into the sinking slot and the door shields the portion of the receiving slot, the door (40) and the sinking slot are opposite to one each other (see Fig. 3, the sinking slot seen in Annotated Fig. 2 and door 40 are on opposing ends of the receiving slot and opposing sides of the first shell), the door and the first shell (10) are stopped at an upper portion and a lower portion of the attachment block, and the upper portion and the lower portion are arranged along a direction of the gravity (see Fig. 4, the door 40 blocks an upper portion of the attachment block and 122 of the first shell blocks a lower portion of the attachment block; the upper and lower portions are arranged along a vertical direction, i.e. the direction of gravity).
Regarding claim 9, EG discloses wherein the carrying slot (14) is a circular slot adapted to the turntable (see Fig. 1, 3), a periphery of the carrying slot has a plurality of positioning protrusions or a plurality of positioning notches (see protrusions 142 of periphery of carrying slot in Fig. 1), and a periphery of the turntable has a plurality of positioning notches or positioning protrusions (see notches 26 on periphery of turntable in Fig. 1), so that a positioning of a rotation stroke of the turntable is provided by the positioning protrusions temporarily falling into the positioning notches (see [0040] and [0044] of the attached translated description).
Regarding claim 14, EG discloses wherein the attachment block (3) and the receiving slot (12, 24) are a polygonal body and a polygonal slot (attachment block 3 is a polygonal body and receiving slot is a polygonal slot, see Fig. 1) for which contours are adapted to each other (the shapes, i.e. contours, of the body and slot are adapted to each other as seen in Fig. 1-3).
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EG in view of Whelan et al. (US 2,460,613; hereinafter Whelan).
Regarding claim 10, while EG discloses that the door and body comprise screw holes that are capable of receiving a fastener to secure the door to the body (see Annotated Fig. 3 below), they do not explicitly disclose wherein a screw is assembled on the door and locked to the body or unlocked form the body, wherein during an unlocking process, the door is pushed away from the body via the screw.
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Whelan (Fig. 1-4) teaches of an assembly configured to releasably attach a first component (C) to a second component (B) via a screw (S), wherein the screw is assembled to the first component (C, see Fig. 1-3) and configured to lock and unlock with a screw hole (16) of the second component (see the figures, see Col. 2 line 34 – Col. 3 line 60), such that when the screw unlocks from the second component, the first component is pushed away from the second component via the screw (see Fig. 2 showing the first and second components unlocked from one another), wherein the screw comprises a head and a screw rod (see Fig. 4), the screw rod has a first section (11) that is unthreaded and a second section (14) that is threaded, wherein the first section is connected between the head and the second section (see Fig. 4), wherein a fastener (N) is buckled on the first section, such that a portion of the first component is clamped between the head of the screw and the fastener (see Fig. 3), such that the screw and the first component are pivotally connected together (see Fig. 2), wherein the second section of the screw is to be threaded with the screw hole of the second component (see Fig. 3), and when the second section of the screw is unlocked and unthreaded from the screw hole, the first component and screw head can gradually move away from the second component (see Fig. 2), during which, the fastener is retained on the second section of the screw and prevents accidental loss of the screw (see Col. 3 line 37 – Col. 4 line 8).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify EG with the teachings of Whelan, to have the attachment mechanism further comprise a screw that is assembled to the door and configured to lock and unlock with the screw hole of the body, wherein the screw comprises a head and a screw rod, the screw rod having a first section that is threaded and a second section that is unthreaded, wherein the first section is connected between the head and the second section, wherein a fastener is buckled on the first section, such that a portion of the door is to be clamped between the head of the screw and the fastener, so that the screw and the door are pivotally connected together, wherein the second section of the screw is to be threaded/unthreaded with the screw hole of the body, and when the second section of the screw is unlocked and unthreaded form the screw hole, the head of the screw is gradually moved away from the body to drive and push the door away from the body and the receiving slot, during which, the fastener is retained on the second section of the screw and prevents accidental loss of the screw.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EG in view Whelan as applied to claim 10 above and in further view of Burt (US 3,640,327).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of EG and Whelan further teach wherein the screw comprises a head and a screw rod (as taught in claim 10), and the screw rod has a first section and a second section (as taught in claim 10), with the first section connected between the head and the second section (as taught in claim 10), and wherein the second section has threads and the first section does not have threads (as taught in claim 10).
EG nor Whelan explicitly disclose wherein the screw rod comprises a third section, such that the second section is connected between the first section and the third section, and wherein the third section does not have threads.
Burt (Fig. 1-4) teaches of a screw (10) to be received within a screw hole (31), wherein the screw comprises a head (14) and a threaded section (12), and wherein the screw further comprises a conical unthreaded section (13) located below the threaded section (see Fig. 1, 3), and wherein the conical unthreaded section facilitates entry of the screw within the screw hole (see Col. 3 lines 67-70).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify EG with the teachings of Whelan, such that the screw comprises a conical unthreaded section located below the second threaded section, as such will help facilitate entry of the screw within the screw hole. In doing such, the screw rod will thereby comprise a third section that does not have threads, and the second section will be connected between the first section and the third section.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of EB, Whelan, and Burt further teach of further comprising a fastener buckled on the first section (as taught in claim 10), so that a portion of the door is clamped between the head of the screw and the fastener (as taught in claim 10), so that the screw and the door are pivotally connected together (as taught in claim 10).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of EB, Whelan, and Burt further teach of wherein the body has a screw hole (see Annotated Fig. 3) for locking or unlocking with the second section of the screw (as taught in claim 10), and during the unlocking process, the head of the screw is gradually moved away from the body to drive the door to gradually move away from the receiving slot (as taught in claim 10).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EG in view of Yang (US 6,256,075).
Regarding claim 15, while EG discloses wherein the body has a plurality of locking holes (18, 32), they do not explicitly disclose wherein the locking holes conform to a VESA mount interface standard.
Yang (Fig. 1-5C) teaches of a similar attachment mechanism comprising a connecting base (60) that is to be connected to an outer cover (30) of an LCD monitor (10), wherein the connecting base comprises a plurality of locking holes (61) that are to be connected to locking holes (35) of the monitor via screws (62, see Col. 3 lines 63-65), wherein the locking holes of the connecting base and monitor are arranged according to VESA standards (see Col. 3 lines 48-55).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify EG with the teachings of Yang, to have the locking holes be arranged and conforming to a VESA mount interface standard, as such would allow for the connecting base and attachment mechanism to be mounted to display monitors that conform to VESA standards
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EG in view of Wang et al. (US 6,366,453; hereinafter Wang).
Regarding claim 16, while EG discloses that the first electronic device (2) is assembled on a back of the second electronic device (50, 4; see Fig. 4), they do not explicitly disclose wherein the first electronic device is a computer host nor wherein the second electronic device is a display.
Wang (Fig. 1-9) teaches of a similar attachment mechanism (comprising 14, 16, 18) that connects a first electronic device (20) in the form of a computer host (Col. 2 lines 7-20 state 20 is a computer, i.e. computer host) to the back of a second electronic device (10) in the form of a display (Col. 2 lines 7-20 state 10 is a display).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify EG with the teachings of Wang, to have the first electronic component be a display and the second component be a computer host, such that the computer host is assembled on a back of the display via the attachment block and the connecting base, as one would be motivated to assembly differing compatible electronic components to one another in an ergonomic manner.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN J BAYNES whose telephone number is (571)270-1852. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM EST.
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/KEVIN J BAYNES/Examiner, Art Unit 3678