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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 21, 32-33 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Xu et al. (CN 114185398 A, IDS cited and Xu hereinafter)
Regarding Claim 21, Xu discloses (figs. 1-40) a hinge mechanism for use in a foldable electronic device, the hinge mechanism comprising: a main shaft (1) provided with a first track slot and a second track slot (not labeled slots in main shaft 1, see figs 34-35); and a rotating module (20, fig.10) comprising: a first rotating assembly (20a) located between a first housing mounting bracket (31) and a second housing mounting bracket (32), the first rotating assembly comprising: a first swing arm (41, fig.12) rotatably connected to the main shaft and slidably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, a first support arm (51) rotatably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, and a first connector (61) located between the first swing arm and the first support arm, wherein the first connector is rotatably connected to the first swing arm, rotatably connected to the first support arm, and is configured to move along the first track slot to limit a movement track of the first connector (page 23, 2nd paragraph IDs translation and fig.14), a second rotating assembly (20a’) located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket, the second rotating assembly comprising: a second swing arm (42) rotatably connected to the main shaft and slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, a second support arm (52) rotatably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, and a second connector (62) located between the second swing arm and the second support arm (fig.14), wherein the second connector is rotatably connected to the second swing arm, rotatably connected to the second support arm, and is configured to move along the second track slot to limit a movement track of the second connector (page 23, 2nd paragraph and fig.14), wherein the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main shaft (fig.13), and wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to be disposed opposite to a foldable part of a flexible display of the electronic device, and the electronic device is configured to be unfolded or folded via the hinge mechanism (fig.4).
Regarding Claim 32, Xu discloses (figs. 1-40) the hinge mechanism according to claim 21, wherein an axis center (dotted line, fig.5) at which the first swing arm rotates around the main shaft is located on one side of the main shaft that is away from the flexible display, and an axis center (dotted line, fig.5) at which the second swing arm rotates around the main shaft is located on one side of the main shaft that is away from the flexible display.
Regarding Claim 33, Xu discloses (figs. 1-40) the hinge mechanism according to claim 21, wherein: the first connector comprises a plurality of first sub-connectors (6111 and 121) that are sequentially rotatably connected, the plurality of first sub-connectors are located between the first swing arm and the first support arm, the first swing arm is rotatably connected to a first sub-connector adjacent to the first swing arm (fig.13), and the first support arm is rotatably connected to a first sub- connector adjacent to the first support arm; and the second connector comprises a plurality of second sub-connectors (6211 and 6221) that are sequentially rotatably connected, the plurality of second sub-connectors are located between the second swing arm and the second support arm, the second swing arm is rotatably connected to a first adjacent second sub-connector, and the second support arm is rotatably connected to a second adjacent second sub-connector (fig.13).
Regarding Claim 35, Xu discloses (figs. 1-40) an electronic device, comprising: a first housing (10); a second housing (30); a flexible display (200) continuously covering the first housing, the second housing, and a hinge (20) mechanism, wherein the flexible display is fastened to the first housing and the second housing (fig.1); and the hinge mechanism disposed opposite to a foldable part of the flexible display (fig.1), wherein the first housing and the second housing are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the hinge mechanism, a first housing mounting bracket (31) is fastened to the first housing, and a second housing mounting bracket (32) is fastened to the second housing, and wherein the electronic device is configured to be unfolded or folded via the hinge mechanism, the hinge mechanism comprising: a main shaft (1) provided with a first track slot and a second track slot (not labeled slots in main shaft 1, see figs 34-35), and a rotating module (20) comprising: a first rotating assembly (20a) located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket, the first rotating assembly comprising: a first swing arm (41, fig.12) rotatably connected to the main shaft and slidably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, a first support arm (51) rotatably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, and a first connector (61) located between the first swing arm and the first support arm, wherein the first connector is rotatably connected to the first swing arm, rotatably connected to the first support arm, and is configured to move along the first track slot to limit a movement track of the first connector (page 23, 2nd paragraph IDs translation and fig.14), and a second rotating assembly (20a’) located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket, the second rotating assembly comprising: a second swing arm (42) rotatably connected to the main shaft and slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, a second support arm (52) rotatably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, and a second connector (62) located between the second swing arm and the second support arm, wherein the second connector is rotatably connected to the second swing arm, rotatably connected to the second support arm, and is configured to move along the second track slot to limit a movement track of the second connector (page 23, 2nd paragraph and fig.14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22-31, 34 and 36-40 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 22, the prior art fails to disclose, “the main shaft comprises a base and a cover, the base is provided with a first arc-shaped slot and a third arc-shaped slot, the cover covers the base, and the cover comprises a first protrusion disposed toward the first arc-shaped slot and a third protrusion disposed toward the third arc-shaped slot; a gap between a surface of the first protrusion and a slot surface of the first arc-shaped slot is configured as the first track slot, the first connector comprises a first arc-shaped surface and a second arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in an unfolded state and a folded state, the first arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the surface of the first protrusion and the second arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the slot surface of the first arc-shaped slot; and a gap between a surface of the third protrusion and a slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot is configured as the second track slot, the second connector comprises a third arc-shaped surface and a fourth arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the third arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the surface of the third protrusion and the fourth arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot.”
Claims 23-25 are objected being depend on claim 22.
Regarding claim 26, the prior art fails to disclose, “the main shaft comprises a base, and the base is provided with a second arc-shaped slot and a fourth arc-shaped slot; the first swing arm comprises a first arc-shaped rotating block, the first arc-shaped rotating block is accommodated in the second arc-shaped slot, and the first arc-shaped rotating block is configured to slide along a slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot to enable rotatable connection between the first swing arm and the main shaft; and the second swing arm comprises a second arc-shaped rotating block, the second arc- shaped rotating block is accommodated in the fourth arc-shaped slot, and the second arc-shaped rotating block is configured to slide along a slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot to enable rotatable connection between the second swing arm and the main shaft.”
Claims 27-31 are objected being depend on claim 26.
Regarding claim 36, the prior art fails to disclose,“ the main shaft comprises a base and a cover, the base is provided with a first arc-shaped slot and a third arc-shaped slot, the cover covers the base, and the cover comprises a first protrusion disposed toward the first arc-shaped slot and a third protrusion disposed toward the third arc-shaped slot; a gap between a surface of the first protrusion and a slot surface of the first arc-shaped slot is configured as the first track slot, the first connector comprises a first arc-shaped surface and a second arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in an unfolded state and a folded state, the first arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the surface of the first protrusion and the second arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the slot surface of the first arc-shaped slot; and a gap between a surface of the third protrusion and a slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot is configured as the second track slot, the second connector comprises a third arc-shaped surface and a fourth arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the third arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the surface of the third protrusion and the fourth arc-shaped surface is configured to abut against the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot.”
Claims 37-39 are objected being depend on claim 36.
Regarding claim 40, the prior art fails to disclose, “the main shaft comprises a base, the base is provided with a second arc-shaped slot and a fourth arc-shaped slot; the first swing arm comprises a first arc-shaped rotating block, the first arc-shaped rotating block is accommodated in the second arc-shaped slot, and the first arc-shaped rotating block is configured to slide along a slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot to enable rotatable connection between the first swing arm and the main shaft; and the second swing arm comprises a second arc-shaped rotating block, the second arc- shaped rotating block is accommodated in the fourth arc-shaped slot, and the second arc-shaped rotating block is configured to slide along a slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot to enable rotatable connection between the second swing arm and the main shaft.”
However, the prior art (included in PTO 892 and cited in IDS), when taken alone, or, in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ROCKSHANA D CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841