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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/10/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-4 remain pending in the present application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sumitomo JP 2015015813 (hereinafter Sumitomo) in view of Mack US 1495189 (hereinafter Mack).
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Re. Cl. 1, Sumitomo discloses: A lock mechanism (10a, 10b Fig. 1) comprising: a locking groove portion (36a, 36b, Fig. 1) provided in one of a first member (12, Fig. 1) and a second member stacked on each other to be recessed toward a first side of the one of the first member and the second member in a stacking direction in which the first member and the second member are stacked (see Fig. 1, when 14 is loaded onto 12 as shown by the assembly lines), with one side being opened (see Fig. 3 and 8 opened between 44s) and another side being closed in a locking insertion/removal direction intersecting the stacking direction (see Fig. 3, via 44, 40, 42 or 42, Fig. 8); and a locking protrusion portion (58a, 58b, Fig. 1) provided in another of the first member and the second member to protrude toward the first side in the stacking direction (see Fig. 1 and 4-5), and inserted into the locking groove portion from the one side in the locking insertion/removal direction through the opening to be locked to the locking groove portion (see Fig. 8), wherein the locking groove portion includes: a top wall extending from the one side to the other side (32, Fig. 3); a projection portion that protrudes from the top wall alone the stacking direction (48, Fig. 1, 3); and a pair of guide rails (36a, 36b, Fig. 3) extending along the locking insertion/removal, and the locking protrusion portion includes: a locking portion (portion of 62 that 48 engages to lock the two together as discussed in line 388-390 on Page 10) that protrudes toward the top wall in the stacking direction (see Fig. 1-4), the locking portion abuts the projection portion and locks the locking protrusion portion to the locking groove portion in the insertion/removal direction (Page 10, Lines 388-390); and a pair of guided members (horizontal portions of 36a-b, Fig. 3) guided by the pair of guide rails, respectively, when inserted into the locking groove portion. (see Fig. 8)
Re. Cl. 2, Sumitomo discloses: A protector (Fig. 1) comprising: a first member (12, Fig. 1) allowing a first wiring member to be inserted thereinto along an axial direction (see Fig. 1, within 16); a second member (14, Fig. 1) stacked on the first member in a stacking direction intersecting with the axial direction and allowing a second wiring member to be inserted thereinto along the axial direction (see Fig. 1); and a lock mechanism (10a, 10b, Fig. 1) connecting the first member and the second member to each other (see Fig. 1, shown by directional arrows), wherein the lock mechanism includes a locking groove portion (36a, 36b Fig. 1) provided in one of the first member and the second member stacked on each other to be recessed toward a first side of the one of the first member and the second member in the stacking direction (see Fig. 1, in a vertical direction which 12 and 14 are stacked), with one side being opened (see Fig. 8, opened between 44s) and another side being closed in a locking insertion/removal direction intersecting the stacking direction (closed at 42, Fig. 8), and a locking protrusion (58a, 58b, Fig. 1) portion provided in the another of the first member and the second member to protrude toward the first side in the stacking direction (see Fig. 1), and inserted into the locking groove portion from the one side in the locking insertion/removal direction through the opening to be locked to the locking groove portion (see Fig. 1 and 7), and the locking groove portion includes: a top wall (32,42 Fig. 1-3) extending from the one side to the other side (see Fig. 1-3); a first side wall portion (vertical part of 36a, Fig. 3) extending along the top wall from the one side to the other side (see Fig. 1-3); a second side wall portion (vertical part of 36b, Fig. 3) extending along the top wall from the one side to the other side (see Fig. 1-3), the second side wall spaced away from and opposing the first side wall (see Fig. 3); a space bound by the top wall and the side wall portions (see annotated figure 3); and
a pair of guide rails in the space (horizontal portions of 36a-b, Fig. 3) extending along the locking insertion/removal direction (see Fig. 8) and the locking protrusion portion includes a pair of guided members (108, Fig. 11) guided by the pair of guide rails (see Fig. 8), respectively, when inserted into the locking groove portion (see Fig. 8).
Re. Cl. 3, Sumitomo discloses: the locking groove portion includes: a first side wall portion (vertical part of 36a, Fig. 3) extending along the top wall from the one side to the other side (see Fig. 1-3); a second side wall portion (vertical part of 36b, Fig. 3) extending along the top wall from the one side to the other side (see Fig. 1-3), the second side wall spaced away from and opposing the first side wall (see Fig. 1-3); and a space bound by the top wall and the side wall portions (see annotated figure 3),.
Re. Cls. 1-3, Sumitomo does not disclose the guide rails are inclined relative to the top wall toward the one side in the stacking direction from the one side to the other side in the locking insertion/removal direction, or each of the pair of guided members being inclined toward the one side in the stacking direction from the one side to the other side in the locking insertion/removal direction (Cl. 1-2) or the guide rails are in the space and inclined relative to the top wall (Cl. 3). Mack discloses a locking mechanism (Fig. 3-4) which includes a locking groove portion (20 Fig. 3) formed in a first member and a locking protrusion portion (24, Fig. 2) provided on a second member. Re. Cls. 1-2, Tirona discloses that guide rails (19, Fig. 3) are inclined toward the one side in the stacking direction from the one side to the other side in the locking insertion/removal direction (see Fig. 3, the guide rails 19 are inclined towards the bottom which extend from one side of the locking insertion/removal direction (i.e. top to bottom as shown in Fig. 3), and the locking protrusion and its opposed sides being inclined toward the one side in the stacking direction from the one side to the other side in the locking insertion/removal direction (see Fig. 4, 24 is inclined in a similar manner relative to the vertical insertion direction); and the guide rails are in the space and inclined relative to the top wall (see Fig. 3, the inner surface of the rails 19 are in the space where 24 fits and are inclined relative to back wall attached to 17).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Sumitomo device to have the inclination in the guide rails and guided members as disclosed by Mack with reasonable expectation of success since Mack states that such a modification rigidly holds the parts together without rattling yet permit easy and quick dismantling (Lines 75-80).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sumitomo in view of Mack as applied to claims 1-3 above, and further in view of Beyer US 2017/0159849 (hereinafter Beyer).
Re. Cl. 4, Sumitomo in view of Mack does not disclose the locking protrusion portion includes an arm portion that has a fixed end and a free end, and the locking portion is on the free end and protrudes from the free end in the stacking direction. Beyer discloses a lock mechanism (Fig. 2) which includes a locking groove portion (28, Fig. 2) including a projection portion (70, Fig. 2) that protrudes from a top wall along the stacking direction (see Fig. 2 and 5, 70 protrudes outward from top wall portion 68, 89) and a locking protrusion portion (22, Fig. 2) including a locking portion (50, Fig. 2) that protrudes toward the top wall in the stacking direction (see Fig. 2 and 5); wherein the locking groove portion and locking protrusion portion function to lock together in a stacking direction (see Fig. 5) while the locking portion abuts the projection portion (see Fig. 5). Re. Cl. 4, Beyer discloses the locking protrusion portion includes an arm portion (see 50, Fig. 2) that has a fixed end (see Fig. 5, end affixed to 40) and a free end (end with 50, Fig. 5), and the locking portion is on the free end and protrudes from the free end in the stacking direction (see Fig. 5, toward 70).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the projection portion and locking portion of Sumitomo with the projection and locking portions of Beyer with reasonable expectation of success since it has been held obvious to replace one known means with another to achieve a predictable result. KSR Int’l Co. V. Teleflex Inc. 550 U.S. ___, 82 USPQ 2d 1385 (Supreme Court 2007) (KSR)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Davis US 3003734, Hjerpe US 2011/0114802, Hoeppner US 2023/0094816, Nuez US 2024/0022056, and Mutchnik US 4003537 disclose other known locks which are presented to the Applicant for their consideration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E GARFT whose telephone number is (571)270-1171. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at (571)272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER GARFT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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