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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen 2023/0266801.
Regarding claim 1, Shen discloses a foldable electronic device (Title – rotating/pivot/folding), comprising: a first body (12, Fig 3); a second body (10, Fig 3); and a hinge module (the structure as depicted in Fig 6), connecting the first body and the second body (Figs 4, 6) along a pivoting axis (axis that run parallel to 1244, for example, Fig 6) such that the first body and the second body relatively rotate to be folded or unfolded via the hinge module (par 0002), wherein the hinge module comprises a latch (1252 and/or including 122, Figs 12, 13), a shaft member (1250, Figs 11, 13), a torsion member (100 and/or including interior thereof, Fig 9), and a screw member (1258, Fig 13), the latch is disposed in the second body (Fig 11), the shaft member is positioned in the latch (once assembled, Figs 12, 13), the screw member penetrates through a side surface of the second body (at 104 and/or including 100/102, Figs 4, 8, once assembled) from outside the second body (outside of 10, Fig 4) and extends inside the second body to lock the latch and the shaft member together (by pressing portion 1266, Fig 12, par 0044), the torsion member is disposed in the first body to move along with the first body (upon pivoting motion once assembled, par 0030; also when portion 1256 pushes components to move, par 0044), the torsion member is pivotally connected to the shaft member (once fully assembled to the pivot structure 124, par 0030, 0044; Figs 3-6), and a friction force generated by a relative pivoting of the torsion member and the shaft member forms a torsion force of the hinge module (see par 0007, 0036), wherein part of the screw member is exposed on the side surface of the second body (as depicted Figs 3-6, 8 for example).
Regarding claim 2, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the latch penetrates through the side surface from outside the second body and extends inside the second body to be coupled to the shaft member and limit each other (see Figs 8, 9).
Regarding claim 3, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the latch has a first limiting portion (1264, for example, Fig 13), the shaft member has a second limiting portion (1254, Fig 13), and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are fitted to each other (Fig 12).
Regarding claim 4, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein one of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is a limiting groove (1254 is limiting groove, Fig 13), the other of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion is a limiting block (1264 is limiting block, Fig 13), and a groove wall of the limiting groove and an outer wall of the limiting block abut each other to limit (see Fig 12).
Regarding claim 5, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the latch has a third limiting portion (as in 1264, Fig 13), the foldable electronic device also comprises a base disposed in the second body (base/body portion of 10 including when 12/120 is coupled thereto, Fig 4), the base has a fourth limiting portion (120, Figs 9,10), and the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion are fitted to each other (see Figs 9, 10).
Regarding claim 6, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein one of the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion is a limiting groove (1244 is considered a limiting groove, Fig 6), the other of the third limiting portion and the fourth limiting portion is a limiting block (120 considered limiting block, Fig 11), and a groove wall of the limiting groove and an outer wall of the limiting block abut each other to limit (see Fig 10).
Regarding claim 7, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the latch has a first section (at top, near 1242, Fig 13), a second section (bottom/opposite 1242, Fig 13, and a third section (middle part near 1264, Fig 13 and/or including 122, Fig 11) that are coaxial with each other (once assembled, Fig 12), the second section is connected between the first section and the third section (Fig 10), the shaft member has a limiting section (near 1248, Fig 13) and a torsion section (near 1262, Fig 13) that are coaxial with each other (Figs 12, 13), the screw member penetrates through the latch from the first section and penetrates out of the latch from the third section (Figs 13, 13), the limiting section is fitted to the third section (Figs 11, 12), the torsion member is pivotally connected to the torsion section (par 0030), and part of the screw member that penetrates out of the third section is locked into the limiting section (at 1220, Figs 11, 12).
Regarding claim 8, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 7, wherein there is a step difference between the first section and the second section (at 1242 for example, Fig 14), the foldable electronic device also comprises a base disposed in the second body (124, par 0033, 034), the base has a limiting groove (portion/groove where 1242 contacts, Fig 17), the second section is fitted into the limiting groove (Fig 17), and the step difference is locked onto a side wall of the limiting groove (Figs 18, 19).
Regarding claim 9, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein part of the latch is exposed from the side surface of the second body (see Fig 10).
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(s) 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen 2023/0266801 in view of Hsu 2021/0216110.
Regarding claim 10, Shen discloses the foldable electronic device according to claim 1, Shen teaches the device further comprising a display module of the first body (par 0002) and a motherboard module of the second body (notebook/computer inherently includes motherboard, par 0029).
Shen discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching a cable assembly electrically connected therebetween, wherein the cable assembly passes beside the hinge module.
Hsu however teaches a cable assembly (30 and/or including 22, Figs 3, 4) electrically connected (par 0023) between a display module (18, Figs 3, 4) and motherboard (28, Fig 4) and passes beside a hinge module (Figs 3, 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify structure of Shen to include a cable assembly electrically connected, as taught by Hsu, in order to facilitate electrical communication between different components of the device, thereby improving functionality.
Regarding claim 11, Shen in view of Hsu disclose the foldable electronic device according to claim 10, Hsu teaches wherein the cable assembly comprises a cable (22, Fig 4) and a connector (30, Fig 3), one end of the cable is electrically connected to the display module (par 0023), and the connector is located at another end of the cable and connected to the motherboard module (par 0023).
Regarding claim 12, Shen in view of Hsu disclose the foldable electronic device according to claim 11, Shen teaches wherein the second body comprises a main body (main body of 10, Fig 2) and a flip cover (flat/planar portion of 12, Fig 2), and the flip cover is assembled to the main body to cover a docking point (point connecting 12 unto 10, not labeled, Fig 4) between the connector and the motherboard module (see Hsu, Figs 3, 4 and Shen par 0023)), or the flip cover is disassembled from the main body to expose the docking point (Figs 1-4).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Chou – US PG pub. 2005/0189196, Figs 2a-2e.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841