DETAILED ACTION
This is the second office action for US Application 18/814,548 for a Collapsible Device Mounting Arm.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 27 January 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 27 January 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2015/0233639 to Mustari in view of US 5,165,264 to Chen. Regarding claim 1, Mustari discloses an adjustable device mounting arm comprising first and second adjustable length arms (see figures 1 and 9… 14 or 114). Each of the first and second adjustable length arms have a first end (at 34 or 134) and a second end (at 12 or 112). The second ends of the first and second adjustable length arms are rotatably joined to allow the second adjustable length arm to rotate with respect to the first adjustable length arm (see figures 1, 8, and 9… the second end of arms 14/114 are rotatably attached via 12/112).
Each of the first and second adjustable length arms have an inner arm section (28 or 128), an outer arm section (34 or 134), and the inner arm section is selectively slidable with respect to the outer arm section to adjust the length of the arm. The first ends of the first and second adjustable length arms define first and second mounts (see figures 6 and 7… each arm has a mount 42 or 140 at the end).
Mustari does not specifically disclose the adjustable length arms as having a locking device. Chen provides a teaching of providing a locking device (4, 13, and 23) to prevent inner (1) and outer (2) arm sections of an adjustable length arm from rotating with respect to one another (see column 2, lines 51-54). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have provided a locking device with in the adjustable length arms of Mustari, to prevent the inner and outer sections of the arms from rotating relative to one another as taught by Chen.
Regarding claim 2, the teaching of Chen results in one of the inner and outer arm sections including a tab (4) and the other of the inner and outer arm sections as defining a groove (23). The tab is received in the groove to prevent the inner arm section from rotating with respect to the outer arms section (see column 2, lines 44-49).
Regarding claim 3, Mustari in view of Chen discloses a portion of the inner arm section selectively sliding inside a portion of the outer arm section, but does not disclose the inner and outer arm sections as having noncircular cross sections. However, the specific shapes of the inner and outer arm sections are a design preference that would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention as the shape of the arm sections does not have any particular significance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2024/0251972 to Schub
US 2013/0320170 to Smed
US 2004/0031894 to Smed
US 7770319 to McDonald
US 8206235 to Sardo
The above prior art discloses various mounting arrangements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN M MARSH whose telephone number is (571)272-6819. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 9 am-7:30 pm.
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, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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STEVEN M. MARSH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/STEVEN M MARSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632