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
Claims 1-3 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 introduces “a top rod” in line 2 and “two spaced-apart rods” in line 6. Claims 1-3 and 5 each later reference “one of the rods”. In the context of the disclosure, it is clear that these limitations reference one of the two spaced-apart rods, but it is recommended that the claims be amended to recite “one of the two spaced-apart rods” to distinguish the references from the top rod.
Claim 1 recites “the winding resilient strip tending to wind around another one of the rotating wheels” in lines 24-25. In the context of the disclosure, it is clear that this limitation requires that the strip be biased to wind around said rotating wheel, but the term “tending” is used in a manner inconsistent with the normal meaning. It is recommended that the term “tending” be replaced with --being biased-- or a similar recitation.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (U.S. Patent No. 9,976,345).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a winding mechanism (20) for a cordless window blind, the cordless window blind including a top rod (12) and two lift strings (54), the winding mechanism being adapted to be mounted to the top rod [FIG. 6] and adapted for winding or unwinding one of the lift strings (column 3, lines 24-39), the winding mechanism comprising:
a housing (30) adapted to be fixedly connected to the top rod and including two spaced-apart rods (vertical rods shown in Figure 2 onto which the rotating components are installed) that are parallel to each other and that extend vertically [FIG. 2];
two rotating wheels (42, 52) respectively and rotatably sleeved on the rods, each of the rotating wheels including a bottom wheel portion, a transmission wheel portion, and a toothed ring portion that are coaxially interconnected in an up-down direction (the bottom wheel portions, toothed ring portions, and transmission wheel portions are each shown in the annotated version of Figure 2 provided below), the toothed ring portions of the rotating wheels meshing with each other, the bottom wheel portion of one of the rotating wheels (52) being connected to and rotatable to wind or unwind the one of the lift strings;
a resistance module (63) sleeved on one of the rods (61), and including a rotating base frame that is rotatably sleeved on the one of the rods (as shown in Figure 3, the wheel 63 defines a base frame in which the gears 64 are located), and three external gears (64) each of which is rotatably disposed on the rotating base frame and is rotatable about an axis extending in the up-down direction (the gears 64 rotate about respective vertical axes as shown in Figure 3 and described in column 4, lines 6-11), the external gears meshing with an inner periphery of the bottom wheel portion (the gears 64 mesh with internal gear 69) of the respective one of the rotating wheels that is rotatably sleeved on the one of the rods [FIG. 5]; and
a winding resilient strip (44) having two end portions that are respectively connected to and able to be respectively and resiliently wound around the transmission wheel portions of rotating wheels (as shown in Figure 2, the winding strip 44 is connected to wheels 42; it is noted that although two rotating wheels are recited in the claims, the assembly is not limited to only two wheels), the winding resilient strip urging the rotating wheels to rotate when the winding resilient strip is unwound from one of the transmission wheel portions and wound around another one of the transmission wheel portions (column 4, lines 36-41), the winding resilient strip tending to wind around another one of the rotating wheels that is not connected to the one of the lift strings [FIG. 2].
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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 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. Patent No. 9,976,345) in view of Lei (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0120133).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses the resistance module, but does not disclose a central gear non-rotatably sleeved on the one of the rods that meshes with the external gears.
Nonetheless, Lei discloses a winding mechanism including a central gear (16) non-rotatably sleeved on a rod (50; paragraph 0029) that meshes with respective external gears (18) [FIG. 4].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the winding mechanism of Chen to include the central gear taught by Lei, in order to provide a quieter assembly that has a lower likelihood of jamming should the friction of the resistance module become significantly larger than the tension of the winding strip.
Regarding claims 3 and 5, Chen discloses the resistance module, the rotating base frame, and the external gears, but does not disclose a rotating top frame located above the rotating base frame.
Nonetheless, Lei discloses a winding mechanism comprising a rotating top frame (upper partition plate 121) that is rotatably sleeved on a rod (50) and located above a rotating base frame (lower partition plate shown in Figure 3), each of the external gears (18) being rotatably disposed between the rotating base frame and the rotating top frame, the central gear being disposed between the rotating base frame and the rotating top frame [FIG. 3].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary sill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the winding mechanism of Chen to include the top and bottom frame configuration taught by Lei, in order to ensure reliable and consistent alignment of the external gears, so as to prevent jamming or rattling during operation.
Regarding claims 4 and 6, Chen discloses that the bottom wheel portion of the respective one of the rotating wheels (63) that meshes with the external gears of the resistance module has an annular meshing wall (69) that meshes with and surrounds the external gears [FIG. 4], and a limiting top wall that is disposed on a top side of the annular meshing wall and that limits the external gears [FIG. 3]. As set forth above, Lei discloses the rotating top frame.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. Patent No. 9,976,345) in view of Toti (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0312917).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses a cordless window blind (10) comprising a window blind mechanism [FIG. 6] including a top rod (12) that extends in a left-right direction, a blind unit (16) that is disposed below the top rod [FIG. 6], a counterweight member (14) that is located at a bottom end of the blind unit, and two lift strings (54) that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, that extend in an up-down direction (extension in the up-down direction is shown in Figure 6; the spacing apart in the left-right direction is understood in view of the lift cord shown extending off to the opposite side of the blind in Figure 6), that are connected to the counterweight member and the blind unit, and that extend into the top rod [FIG. 6]; and the winding mechanism of claim 1 (as set forth above), the winding mechanism being mounted to the top rod, and being connected to the lift strings, a sum of winding resilient forces of the winding resilient strips of the winding mechanisms matching a weight of the counterweight member (column 4, lines 36-57).
Chen does not disclose two winding mechanisms mounted to the top rod.
Nonetheless, Toti discloses a cordless window blind comprising two winding mechanisms (151; two mechanisms are shown in Figures 40-41) arranged in a left-right direction of a top rod of the blind [FIG. 41].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the window blind of Chen to include two winding mechanisms, as taught by Toti, in order to allow for the use of a larger and/or heavier window blind, and to allow for greater control of the blind position or adjustment of the winding force provided by the mechanism.
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses that the blind unit includes a plurality of blind slats that extend in the left-right direction (slats are shown in at least Figures 1 and 6), and that are spaced apart from each other and arranged in the up-down direction below the top rod, each of the lift strings interconnecting the blind slats in the up-down direction (connection of the slats of the blind unit 16 via the lift strings 54 is shown in at least Figure 6).
Regarding claim 9, Chen discloses the blind unit, but does not disclose that it comprises a shade cloth extending in the up-down direction that is resiliently deformable.
Nonetheless, Toti discloses a blind unit including a shade cloth that extends in the up-down direction and that is resiliently deformable (paragraph 0012 discloses a resilient pleated blind defining a shade cloth), the shade cloth having a plurality of connecting portions that are arranged in two lines which are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, the connecting portions in each of the lines being spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction (in the pleated blind structure, horizontal folds are provided that correspond to the slats shown in Figure 41, whereby these folds define connecting portions paced apart from each other in the up-down direction), each of the lift strings interconnecting the connecting portions in a respective one of the lines in the up-down direction [FIG. 41].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the blind unit of Chen to have the resiliently deformable shade cloth taught by Toti, in order to achieve a desired aesthetic effect that is more effective at providing privacy or blocking light.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABE L MASSAD whose telephone number is (571)272-6292. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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/ABE MASSAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634