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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
With respect to claim 1: The preamble of the claim recites: “A slide rail locking device adapted to be disposed on a slide rail that includes an outer rail and an inner rail which is movable relative to the outer rail, the slide rail locking device comprising”.
Due to the recitation “adapted to” in the preamble, the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail are not positively recited. The preamble suggests the claimed invention is to the slide rail locking device only, and does not include the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail.
However, the body of the claim positively recites the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail. E.G., lines 8-9 recite “an engaging portion that extends from the outer connecting portion in a direction away from the outer rail”. Lines 9-10 recite “the base having a strength that is greater than a strength of the inner rail”. The last lines of the claim recite “thereby allowing the inner rail, the base, and the inner support frame to move relative to the outer rail”.
The preamble of the claim suggests that the claimed invention is to the locking device only, and excludes the slide rail. The body of the claim suggests the claimed invention includes the slide rail.
The scope of the claim is indefinite. The claim, as written, is unclear as to whether the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail are included in or excluded from the claimed invention.
With respect to claims 2-4: The claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) via dependency.
With respect to claim 5: Lines 3-4 of the claim recite “which is distal from the outer rail”, and line 5 recites “which is proximate to the outer rail”. Both recitations positively recite the outer rail.
The scope of the claim is indefinite for similar reasons as claim 1. The claim, as written, is unclear as to whether the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail are included in or excluded from the claimed invention.
With respect to claims 6-11: The claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) via dependency.
With respect to claim 12: The end of the claim recites “when the inner rail, the base, and the inner support frame are moved relative to the outer rail”. This positively recites the inner rail and the outer rail.
The scope of the claim is indefinite for similar reasons as claim 1. The claim, as written, is unclear as to whether the slide rail, outer rail, and/or inner rail are included in or excluded from the claimed invention.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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) 1-2 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0137488 A1 (Chen) in view of JP 2019-063037 A (Fukutani) and US 2022/0228402 A1 (Hanley).
With respect to claim 1: Chen discloses a slide rail locking device adapted to be disposed on a slide rail that includes an outer rail (first rail 22) and an inner rail (second rail 24) which is movable relative to the outer rail, the slide rail locking device comprising: a base unit including an outer frame (the portion of the first end part 22a of the first rail 22 which includes the blocking feature 28), a base (first housing part 34a) that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the inner rail (Figs. 2-4 and [0024]), and an inner support frame (second housing part 34b) that is fixedly connected to the base (Figs. 2-4 and [0024]), the outer frame having an engaging portion (rearmost portion including blocking feature 28) that extends in a direction away from the outer rail (extends rearwardly from the remainder of first rail 22), the inner support frame and the base cooperatively defining a moving slot (“accommodation space” @ [0024]; the inner volume of housing 34 which accommodates the operating members 31, 32 in at least Figs. 2-7); and a locking unit including a locking member (locking member 30) that is rotatably connected to the base (at least Figs. 4-7 and [0024]), a driving member (operating members 31, 32 and driving member 33) that is connected to the locking member (via contact between first contact part 36 of driving member 33 and the auxiliary part 54 of the locking member 30) and that is movably disposed in the moving slot (at least Figs. 2-7), and a resilient member (elastic member 50) that is connected to the base (mounting part 53 of elastic member 50 is mounted on second shaft 44 of the first housing part 34a) and the locking member (second elastic part 51b of the elastic member 50 engages the locking member 30), the locking member having a locking portion (locking part 52) that separably engages the engaging portion of the outer frame (at least Figs. 5-7 and [0037]-[0049]), the driving member being operable to move along the moving slot (operating members 31, 32 move linearly; and/or driving member 33 rotates) to urge the locking member to rotate such that the locking portion of the locking member is disengaged from the engaging portion of the outer frame, thereby allowing the inner rail, the base, and the inner support frame to move relative to the outer rail (at least Figs. 5-7 and [0037]-[0049]).
Chen does not disclose that the rear portion of the first rail 22 that includes the blocking feature 28 (relied upon as the claimed “outer frame”) meets “that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the outer rail” as claimed.
Chen does not disclose “an outer connecting portion that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the outer rail” as claimed.
Chen does not disclose the engaging portion (portion at blocking feature 28) extends “from the outer connecting portion” as claimed.
Chen [0021] teaches that blocking feature 28 can be directly or indirectly arranged on the first rail 22.
Fukutani Figs. 1-2 and 5 show attaching a locking member 7 to a rail 2 using a rivet 732 that passes through the fixing portion 73 of the locking member 7. Fukutani’s fixing portion 73 is “an outer connecting portion that is adapted to be fixedly connected” as claimed, and the fixing base 72 that includes he locking projection 75 is “an engaging portion that extends from the outer connecting portion in a direction away” as claimed.
The locking projection 75 of Fukutani’s locking member 7 and/or locking member 7 itself is/are analogous to Chen’s blocking feature 28, as being the non-moving component at a first rail that is selectively engaged and disengaged by a moving component at a second rail to thereby lock and unlock the first and second rails.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Chen’s first rail 22 by making the blocking feature 28 a separate component therefrom that is attached using Fukutani’s fixing portion 73 and rivet 732, in order to meet Chen’s [0021] disclosure of the blocking feature 28 being indirectly arranged on the first rail 22.
Such a modification meets the outer frame (the modified, separated component that includes blocking feature 28) “that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the outer rail” as claimed (using fixing portion 73 and rivet 732).
Such a modification meets an outer connecting portion (fixing portion 73) that is adapted to be fixedly connected to the outer rail (using rivet 732).
Such a modification meets the engaging portion (portion of the modified, separated component that includes blocking feature 28) “extends from the outer connecting portion in a direction away from the outer rail” (rearwardly from fixing portion 73) as claimed.
Chen does not disclose “the base having a strength that is greater than a strength of the inner rail” as claimed.
Hanley [0078] discloses forming various components of a shelving system 40 (which includes a drawer slide locking means analogous to Chen’s invention) made from metals, polymers, and/or composites depending on their application. The metals may include, but are not limited to, aluminum, steel, and titanium. Plastics, elastomers, and rubbers may be used. Materials may be chosen to provide various desired characteristics such as strength, rigidity, elasticity, performance, and durability.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Chen’s housing 34 (the claimed “base”) and second rail 24 (the claimed “inner rail”) to be made of materials having different strengths, with the material of housing 34 stronger than the material of rail 24, because Hanley shows it is known in the art to form components of drawer slides using various materials having different strength, rigidity, durability, etc.
With respect to claim 2: Chen, as modified, meets wherein the locking member (Chen’s locking member 30) further has a rotation portion (middle section 56) that is rotatably disposed on the base (rotatably mounted on second shaft 44 of first housing part 34a) and that is connected to the locking portion (middle section 56 is integrally formed with locking part 52), and a linking portion (auxiliary part 54) that is connected to the rotation portion (auxiliary part 54 is integrally formed with middle section 56) and the driving member (via contact between auxiliary part 54 and first contact part 36).
With respect to claim 11: See the annotated image below. Chen, as modified, meets wherein the engaging portion of the outer frame (at Chen’s blocking portion 28) has an upper plate section (horizontal section) that is connected to the outer connecting portion, and an engaging section (vertical section) that extends downwardly from the upper plate section and that is spaced apart from the outer connecting portion, the locking portion of the locking member separably engages the engaging section (locking part 52 separably engages blocking portion 28).
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With respect to claim 12: See the annotated image above. Chen, as modified, meets wherein the engaging portion of the outer frame further has a lower plate section that is connected to the outer connecting portion and that is spaced apart from and located below the upper plate section, the upper plate section cooperating with the engaging section and the lower plate section to define a plate slot, the plate slot having a first slot part that is defined by the engaging section and the lower plate section (narrow part between the engaging section and the lower plate section), and a second slot part that is defined by the upper plate section and the lower plate section (wider part between the upper plate section and the lower plate section), the first slot part being in spatial communication with the second slot part (in a left-right direction), a width of the first slot part in an up-down direction being smaller than a width of the second slot part in the up-down direction (the distance between the engaging section and the lower plate section is less than the distance between the upper plate section and the lower plate section), the locking portion of the locking member being movably disposed in the second slot part (Chen Figs. 5-7), the locking portion of the locking member being operable to move past the first slot part and to be separated from the outer frame when the locking portion is disengaged from the engaging portion of the outer frame and when the inner rail, the base, and the inner support frame are moved relative to the outer rail (process starting at Chen Fig. 7 and continuing with further extension of the second rail 24 relative to the first rail 22).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0137488 A1 (Chen) in view of JP 2019-063037 A (Fukutani) and US 2022/0228402 A1 (Hanley) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of US 7,404,611 B1 (Que).
With respect to claim 10: Chen, as modified, meets wherein the resilient member is a torsion spring (a spring that exerts torque; the elastic member 50 in the figures of Chen is a torsion spring), and has one end (at second elastic part 51b) that is fixedly connected to the rotation portion of the locking member, and another end (at first elastic part 51a) that is fixedly connected to the base, the locking member further having a positioning portion (portion of locking member 30 that engages elastic member 50), the positioning portion and the rotation portion of the locking member cooperatively positioning a portion of the resilient member (second elastic part 51b).
The portion of Chen’s locking member 30 that engages elastic member 50 does not meet “that extends from the rotation portion toward the inner support frame and then bends downwardly” as claimed.
Que discloses a torsion spring 156 secured to an intermediate member 16 by tabs 160 that are stamped out of the web portion 42 of the intermediate member 16.
See Chen Figs. 4-5. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Chen’s locking member 30 to have a tab 160 thereon that extends downwardly, as an obvious variation of the engagement means for the second elastic part 51b of the elastic member 50. It is obvious for the tab 160 on the locking member 30 to extend downwardly due to the configuration/orientation of the second elastic part 51b.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0137488 A1 (Chen) in view of JP 2019-063037 A (Fukutani) and US 2022/0228402 A1 (Hanley) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of US 7,654,624 B2 (Huang).
With respect to claim 10: Chen, as modified, meets wherein the resilient member is a torsion spring (a spring that exerts torque; the elastic member 50 in the figures of Chen is a torsion spring), and has one end (at second elastic part 51b) that is fixedly connected to the rotation portion of the locking member, and another end (at first elastic part 51a) that is fixedly connected to the base, the locking member further having a positioning portion (portion of locking member 30 that engages elastic member 50), the positioning portion and the rotation portion of the locking member cooperatively positioning a portion of the resilient member (second elastic part 51b).
See Chen Fig. 4. The portion of locking member 30 that engages elastic member 50 does not meet “that extends from the rotation portion toward the inner support frame and then bends downwardly” as claimed.
Huang discloses a tab 26 restricting a middle portion of a resilient member 50.
See Chen Figs. 4-5. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Chen’s locking member 30 to have a tab 26 thereon that extends downwardly, in order to restrict Chen’s elastic member 50 in a similar manner as Huang’s resilient member 50.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0137488 A1 (Chen) in view of JP 2019-063037 A (Fukutani) and US 2022/0228402 A1 (Hanley) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of US 2022/0160127 A1 (King Slide Works).
With respect to claim 12: In the rejection of claim 12 above, Chen’s structure at and around the blocking feature 28 is interpreted to meet the claimed “plate slot”. If this structure is held to not meet the claimed “plate slot”, see King Slide Works Figs. 7-16.
King Slide Works shows it is known in the art to have a rearwardly-open “plate slot” define the “engaging portion” of a slide rail locking device. The blocking portion 204 of King Slide Works is analogous and functionally equivalent to the blocking feature 28 of Chen.
See Chen Figs. 2 and 5-7. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Chen’s blocking feature 28 to be formed by a rearwardly-open slot, as an obvious variation of the construction of the blocking feature 28.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW ROERSMA whose telephone number is (571)270-3185. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW ROERSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637