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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin CN 107690010.
Regarding claim 1, Lin CN 107690010 discloses an electronic device (10), comprising
a first device body (110);
a second device body (120);
a flexible display screen (200);
a shaft component (330); and
a connecting rod mechanism (310/320),
wherein:
the first device body (110) is rotatably connected to the second device body (120) via the shaft component (330),
the connecting rod mechanism (310/320) is connected to the first device body (110) and the shaft component (330), respectively,
the flexible display screen (200) comprises a first display screen (portion of 200 at 110), a second display screen (portion of 200 at 120), and a third display screen (portion of 200 at 330),
wherein the first display screen (portion of 200 at 110) is provided on the first device body (110),
the second display screen (portion of 200 at 120) is provided on the second device body (120), and the first display screen (portion of 200 at 110) is connected to the second display screen (portion of 200 at 120) via the third display screen (portion of 200 at 330),
in a folding process of the electronic device (10), the shaft component (330) drives the first device body (110) to approach the shaft component (330) via the connecting rod mechanism (310/320), and
in an unfolding process of the electronic device (10), the shaft component (330) drives the first device body (110) to move away from the shaft component (330) via the connecting rod mechanism (310/320).
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses the electronic device according to claim 1,
wherein the connecting rod mechanism (310/320) comprises a sliding member (610/620) and a first connecting rod (310/320),
wherein:
the sliding member (610/620) is connected to the shaft component (330),
a first end of the first connecting rod (310) is connected to the sliding member (610), and
a second end of the first connecting rod (310) is connected to the first device body (110),
in the folding process of the electronic device,
the shaft component (330) drives the sliding member (610) to move along the shaft component (330), and
the sliding member (610) drives the first device body (110) to approach the shaft component (330) via the first connecting rod (310), and
in the unfolding process of the electronic device,
the shaft component (330) drives the sliding member (610) to move along the shaft component (330), and
the sliding member (610) drives the first device body (110) to move away from the shaft component via the first connecting rod (310).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1-2, a combination of limitations that “wherein the shaft component comprises a first connecting member, a first rotating shaft, and a second rotating shaft,
wherein:
the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are disposed in parallel,
the first connecting member is connected to the first rotating shaft,
the first connecting member drives the first rotating shaft to rotate,
the first device body is slidably matched with the first connecting member, and the first device body approaches or moves away from the first rotating shaft along the first connecting member, and
the second device body is connected to the second rotating shaft”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 4-11 depending from claim 3 would therefore also be allowable.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1-2 , a combination of limitations that “wherein:
the connecting rod mechanism further comprises a third connecting rod, one end of the third connecting rod is connected to the second device body, and
a second end of the third connecting rod is connected to the sliding member,
in the folding process of the electronic device,
the shaft component drives the first device body to approach the shaft component via the first connecting rod, and drives the second device body to approach the shaft component via the third connecting rod, and in the unfolding process of the electronic device, the shaft component drives the first device body to move away from the shaft component via the first connecting rod, and drives the second device body to move away from the shaft component via the third connecting rod”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pai US 20210059059 Fig. 4-17; Wu US 20200341509 Fig. 4-7b; Lin US 20180309861 Fig. 2-6; Cheng US 11194366 Fig. 5-10 disclose an electronic device with a connecting rod mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841