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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/18/2025 has been entered.
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) 10-13 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication 2008/0276841 to Brauning in view of US Patent Publication 2003/0010260 to Chang.
Brauning teaches
10. A table (figure 1C), comprising a first tabletop (1, T1) and a second tabletop (1, T2) disposed adjacent to each other to jointly form a working surface (figure 1C); and a detachable under-table structure (2) disposed beneath the first tabletop and the second tabletop to support the tabletops, comprising beams (20, 21, 22, 23) and two detachable table leg structures (3,20, 26, 28 figure 8B), wherein the two detachable table leg structures are arranged oppositely relative to each other, two ends of each of the beams are detachably fixed to the two detachable table leg structures, respectively, and a top surface of each of the beams is flush with top surfaces of the detachable table leg structures (as best seen in figure 9), wherein each of the two detachable table leg structures comprises: a jointing member (26, 28) and two leg bodies (3, 20) arranged oppositely relative to each other, wherein each of the leg bodies includes a vertical support member (3) and a horizontal connecting member (20) fixedly connected to each other, wherein two ends of the jointing member are configured to detachably fix to two horizontal connecting members of the two leg bodies respectively (as best seen in figure 8B, 13A, 13B, and 15B), and wherein the jointing member is configured to be located between the two horizontal connecting members, wherein, upon attachment, the jointing member and the two horizontal connecting members are aligned along a straight horizontal axis (as best seen in figure 8B, 13A, 13B, and 15B), wherein the vertical support member and the horizontal connecting member of each of the two leg bodies form an integral L-shaped structure (as best seen in figure 9-11), with a first end of the horizontal connecting member being fixed to a first end of the vertical support member, a second end of the vertical support member being configured to stand on ground, and a second end of the horizontal connecting member being detachably coupled to a corresponding end of the jointing member (figure 8B and 15B), wherein the beams comprise a first beam (20), a second beam (23), and a third beam (20), all arranged parallel to each other (as best seen in figure 8B), wherein two ends of each of the first and third beams are detachably connected to two vertical support members of the two detachable table leg structures (as best seen in figure 8B, 9H, 9G, and 11), respectively, wherein two ends of the second beam are detachably connected to two horizontal connecting members of the two detachable table leg structures, respectively, the two horizontal connecting members of the two detachable table leg structures being disposed opposite to each other;
Brauning does not expressly disclose a beam reinforcement bar.
Chang teaches a table with two beams (12) connected to vertical support members (120). The beams support a tabletop (11). A keyboard tray is slidable below the tabletop and is attached to each beam with drawer slides as best seen in figures 2-4.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the table of Brauning by adding a keyboard tray below the tabletop and attached to the beams as taught by Chang as a convenient location for a keyboard. While Chang only attaching the slides to two beams, the examiner considers that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand also attaching to the third beam to increase strength/stability of the slide rail. The slide rail is considered to be the reinforcement bar.
Regarding claim 11, Brauning teaches
11. wherein each of the two horizontal connecting members is provided with a slot (200) at an end near the jointing member, and the two ends of the jointing member are respectively inserted into slots of the two horizontal connecting members (as best seen figure 13A and 13B).
Regarding claim 12, Brauning teaches
12. wherein the jointing member comprises at least one jointing surface, the jointing surface is provided with at least two jointing holes (286), each of the two horizontal connecting members is provided with a first connecting hole (210) at an end near the jointing member, and the jointing surface is connected (via screw 289) to the two horizontal connecting members through the jointing holes and first connecting holes (as best seen in figure 13B).
Regarding claim 13, Brauning teaches
13. wherein the horizontal connecting member comprises several sidewalls (as best seen in figures 12D, 12E, and 13A), each adjacent two sidewalls of the horizontal connecting member are connected to each other, wherein the first connecting hole is provided on one of the sidewalls of the horizontal connecting member (as best seen in figures 12D, 12E, and 13A).
Regarding claim 16, Brauning teaches
16. wherein a bottom (figure 9A) of the vertical support member is provided with a height adjustment component (30), the height adjustment component comprises a base (square plate) and a height adjustment bolt (vertical component with threads) fixed on the base, and a bottom surface of the vertical support member is provided with a screw hole (31) matching the height adjustment bolt.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication 2008/0276841 to Brauning in view of US Patent Publication 2003/0010260 to Chang as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of US Patent Publication 2005/0265778 to Tzeng.
Brauning in view of Chang does not expressly disclose the vertical support member is flush with a top surface of the horizontal connecting member.
Tzeng teachesa table composed a vertical support members (1,4) connected flush to horizontal connecting members and beams (11) as best seen in figures 5 and 9.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the connection at the corners with system taught by Tzeng for aesthetic reasons.
Claim(s) 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication 2008/0276841 to Brauning in view of US Patent Publication 2003/0010260 to Chang as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of US Patent 9,833,063 to Blick.
Brauning in view of Chang does not expressly disclose the vertical support member is flush with a top surface of the horizontal connecting member and a leg reinforcement member.
Blick teaches a table with vertical support members (111) connected flush with horizontal connecting members (131) and beams (121) as best seen in figures 2, 17, and 20. A leg reinforcement member (135) connects between a pair of vertical support members.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the table of Brauning in view of Chang by making the vertical support members flush with the horizontal connecting member and beams and add a leg reinforcement member as taught by Blick as a functional equivalent configuration and for aesthetic reasons.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Publication 2008/0276841 to Brauning in view of US Patent Publication 2003/0010260 to Chang as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of US Patent 10,477,962 to Kourieh
Brauning in view of Chang does not expressly disclose a leg reinforcement member.
Kourieh teaches a table with a pair detachable leg structures connected to a pair of beams (3a,3b). Each detachable leg structure has a leg reinforcement member (4c) and a horizontal connecting member (4a) connected to a pair of vertical support members (4b,4d).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person ordinary skill in the art to modify the table of Brauning in view of Chang by adding a leg reinforcement member between vertical support members as taught by Kourieh to increase strength and stability.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues that the struts/beams of Brauning surround the tabletop rather than being positioned beneath the tabletop. The examiner disagrees since Brauning recites that the tabletop rests on the frame (Par 121, line 15) and as best seen in figures 1A-1E, 1K-1P, 2A-2C, 3 show the tabletops located on top of the frame and being adjacent to each other.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY MICHAEL AYRES whose telephone number is (571)272-8299. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 11:30-8.
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/TIMOTHY M AYRES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3637