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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a center line extending between the left side and the table top” instead of “a center line extending between the left side and [the right side of] the table top”. 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.
Claim(s) 1-5 & 7-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Havens (1339389).
Regarding claim 1, Havens teaches a foldable table (Fig. 1), the foldable table comprising a table top (8-10) that is changeable between a use mode in which the table top has a first area when viewed downwardly along a central axis (i.e., line along 20) of the foldable table (Figs. 1 & 3-4) and a storage mode in which the table top has a second area when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the foldable table that is less than the first area (Figs. 2 & 5), and a table top support (11, 15, 18-19 & 27) coupled to the table top and configured to be supported on a floor such that the table top is spaced apart from the floor (Fig. 4), the table top support including a central support post (18-19 & 27) defining the central axis, a fixed leg unit (11) coupled to the central support post, and a stowable leg unit (15) pivotably coupled to the central support post for rotation about the central axis, wherein the stowable leg unit is movable about the central axis to define an expanded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially perpendicular to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the table (Fig. 3) and a folded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the table (Fig. 5), wherein the foldable table is changeable between an expanded-use configuration in which the stowable leg unit is in the expanded mode and the table top is in the use mode (Figs. 1 & 3-4) and a folded-storage configuration in which the stowable leg unit is in the folded mode and the table top is in the storage mode to establish a reduced footprint of the foldable table so that a user may store the foldable table (Figs. 2 & 5).
Regarding claims 2 & 14, Havens teaches a stowable leg unit (15) that includes a back leg assembly (A in Fig. 3 Annotated & J in Fig. 7 Annotated) having a back leg (A) extending between the floor and the table top (Fig. 1) and a back-leg rotatable mount (J) arranged around the central support post (Figs. 4-5) and coupled (via 17) to the back leg for movement therewith about the central axis (Figs. 4-5), the back leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the back leg supports a back end of the table top (Figs. 1 & 3-4) and a folded position in which the back leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit (Figs. 2 & 5), and wherein the stowable leg unit further includes a front leg assembly (B & J) having a front leg (B) extending between the floor and the table top (Fig. 1) and a front-leg rotatable mount (J) arranged around the central support post (Figs. 4-5) and coupled (via 17) to the front leg for movement therewith about the central axis (Figs. 4-5), the front leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the front leg supports a front end of the table top (Figs. 1 & 3-4) and a folded position in which the front leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit (Figs. 2 & 5).
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Regarding claims 3 & 15, Havens teaches a fixed leg unit (11) that includes a left leg assembly (C & J) supporting a left side of the table top and a right leg assembly (D & J) supporting a right side of the table top, the left leg assembly and the right leg assembly both being fixed to at least one of the central support post and the table top (p. 1, lines 60-61).
Regarding claims 4 & 15, Havens teaches a left leg assembly (C & J) that includes a left leg (C) extending between the floor and the table top (Fig. 1) and a left-leg fixed mount (J) coupled (via 14) to the left leg and the central support post (Figs. 4-5) and a right leg assembly (D & J) that includes a right leg (D) extending between the floor and the table top (Fig. 1) and a right-leg fixed mount (J) coupled (via 14) to the right leg and the central support post (Figs. 4-5), and wherein a mount segment (i.e., front portion of 14) of the left leg is offset from a mount segment (i.e., rear portion of 14) of the right leg relative to the central axis and a mount segment (i.e., front portion of 17) of the front leg (B) is offset from a mount segment (i.e., rear portion of 14) of the right leg so that, when the back leg assembly (A & J) is in the folded position, an upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 16) of the back leg is substantially parallel to an upper segment (i.e., front portion of 13) of the left leg and substantially collinear to an upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 13) of the right leg (Fig. 5), and, when the front leg assembly (B & J) is in the folded position, an upper segment (i.e., front portion of 16) of the front leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 13) of the right leg and substantially collinear to the upper segment (i.e., front portion of 13) of the left leg (Fig. 5).
Regarding claims 5 & 16, Havens teaches a mount segment (i.e., rear portion of 17) of the back leg (A) that engages the mount segment (i.e., rear portion of 14) of the right leg (D) when the back leg assembly (A & J) is in the expanded position (Fig. 3) and the mount segment of the back leg engages the mount segment (i.e., front portion of 14) of the left leg (C) when the back leg assembly is in the folded position (implied by Fig. 5), and wherein the mount segment (i.e., front portion of 17) of the front leg (B) engages the mount segment (i.e., front portion of 14) of the left leg (C) when the front leg assembly (B & J) is in the expanded position (Fig. 3) and the mount segment of the front leg engages the mount segment (i.e., rear portion of 14) of the right leg (D) when the front leg is in the folded position (implied by Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Havens teaches a table top (8-10) that includes a central panel (8, 10) extending between a left side and a right side of the table top (Fig. 3), a back panel (E) coupled to the central panel and extending to a back end of the table top (Fig. 3), and a front panel (F) coupled to the central panel and extending to a front end of the table top (Fig. 3), the central panel including a central panel body (8) defining a center line (K) extending between the left side and the right side of the table top, a back edge (G) facing the back panel, and a front edge (H) facing the front panel.
Regarding claim 8, Havens teaches a fixed leg unit (11) that includes a right leg (D) having an upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 13) arranged between the center line (K) and the back edge (G) of the central panel body (8) and a left leg (C) having an upper segment (i.e., front portion of 13) arranged between the center line (K) and the front edge (H) of the central panel body, the upper segments of the right leg and the left leg being substantially parallel to the floor (implied by Figs. 1 & 4-5).
Regarding claim 9, Havens teaches a back leg assembly (A & J) being movable between an expanded position (Figs. 1 & 3-4) in which an upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 16) of the back leg (A) is substantially perpendicular to the upper segment (i.e., front portion of 13) of the left leg (C) to support the back panel (E) and a folded position (Figs. 2 & 5) in which the upper segment of the back leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the left leg and is arranged between the upper segment of the left leg and the back edge (G) to position the back leg underneath the central panel body (8) (implied by Figs. 3 & 5); and a front leg assembly (B & J) being movable between an expanded position (Figs. 1 & 3-4) in which an upper segment (i.e., front portion of 16) of the front leg (B) is substantially perpendicular to the upper segment (i.e., rear portion of 13) of the right leg (D) to support the front panel (F) and a folded position (Figs. 2 & 5) in which the upper segment of the front leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the right leg and is arranged between the upper segment of the right leg and the front edge (H) to position the front leg underneath the central panel body (implied by Figs. 3 & 5).
Regarding claim 10, Havens teaches a central panel (8, 10) further includes a left bracket (L) coupled to the central panel body (8), the back panel (E), and the front panel (F) at the left side of the table top (Fig. 3) and a right bracket (M) coupled to the central panel body, the back panel, and the front panel at the right side of the table top (Fig. 3), the left and right brackets cooperating to define a back-panel pivot axis between the back panel and the back edge of the central panel body and a front-panel pivot axis between the front panel and the front edge of the central panel body (Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 11, Havens teaches a stowable leg unit (15) includes a back leg assembly (A & J) and a front leg assembly (B & J) coupled to the central post (18-19 & 27), the back leg assembly and the front leg assembly each being changeable between an expanded position in which the back leg assembly supports the back panel and the front leg assembly supports the front panel (Figs. 1 & 3-4) and a storage position in which the back leg assembly is rotated about the central axis to arrange the back leg assembly below the central panel body and the front leg assembly is rotated about the central axis to arrange the front leg assembly below the central panel body (Figs. 2 & 5).
Regarding claim 12, Havens teaches a back panel (E) changeable between a use position in which the back panel is substantially parallel to the floor (Figs. 1 & 4) and a storage position in which the back panel is rotated about the back-panel pivot axis to be substantially parallel to the central axis (Fig. 2), the back panel being blocked from changing from the use position to the storage position when the back leg assembly (A & J) is in the expanded position (Figs. 1 & 4), and wherein the front panel (F) is changeable between a use position in which the front panel is substantially parallel to the floor (Figs. 1 & 4) and a storage position in which the front panel is rotated about the front-panel pivot axis to be substantially parallel to the central axis (Fig. 2), the front panel being blocked from changing from the use position to the storage position when the front leg assembly is in the expanded position (Figs. 1 & 4).
Regarding claim 13, Havens teaches a foldable table (Fig. 1) comprising a table top (8-10), and a table top support (11, 15, 18-19 & 27) having a central support post (18-19 & 27) defining a central axis (Figs. 4-5), a fixed leg unit (11) coupled to the central support post, and a stowable leg unit (15) pivotably coupled to the central support post for rotation about the central axis (Figs. 3 & 5 and p. 1, lines 88-91), wherein the stowable leg unit is changeable between an expanded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially perpendicular to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis (Fig. 6) and a folded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 14, Havens teaches a back leg (A) extending between a lower end of the back leg and an upper end of the back leg (Fig. 1); and a front leg (B) extending between a lower end of the front leg and an upper end of the front leg (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Havens teaches a left leg (C) extending between a lower end of the left leg and an upper end of the left leg (Fig. 1); a right leg (D) extending between a lower end of the right leg and an upper end of the right leg (Fig. 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 6 & 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Havens (1339389) in view of Lusty (GB2059255). Havens teaches the structure substantially as claimed, including an upper end of a left leg (C) and an upper end of a right leg (D) that are a first radial distance (Figs. 5-6) from a central axis (i.e., line alone 20) and an upper end of a front leg (B) and an upper end of a back leg (A) that are a second radial distance from the central axis (Figs. 5-6), wherein the second radial distance is equal to the first radial distance (Fig. 5). Havens fail(s) to teach a second radial distance that is less than the first radial distance. However, Lusty teaches making a second radial distance (i.e., length of 15C) less than (Fig. 3) a first radial distance (i.e., length of 14C). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the second radial distance of Havens less than the first radial distance, as taught by Lusty, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to reduce the amount of material used to construct the table top support, thereby decreasing its cost & weight.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Havens (1339389). Havens teaches a stowable leg unit (15) that includes back (A & J) and front (B & J) leg assemblies respectively having back-leg & front-leg rotatable mounts (J) arranged around the central support post (18-19 & 27) and back (A) & front (B) legs coupled to the back-leg & front-leg rotatable mounts and having a linear shape (Fig. 1). Additionally, altering the size & shape of a component has been held to involve only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04). It would have been an obvious design consideration to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the back & front legs of Havens, with a reasonable expectation of success, by reshaping the back & front legs to each have a generally concave shape defined by upper segment extending axially downward & radially inward from an upper end to a first curve, a mount segment extending radially inward from the first curve and radially outward to a second curve to open radially outward relative to the central axis, and a lower segment extending radially outward from the second curve, beyond the upper end, & substantially parallel to the central axis, depending on the desired needs of the person constructing the table top support (e.g., intended use of the table top support, aesthetic considerations, compactness, ease of manufacture, etc.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW ING whose telephone number is (571)272-6536. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.. 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.
/MATTHEW W ING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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