DETAILED ACTION
This is a final Office action in response to the IDS filed 04/07/2026 and the amendment filed 04/24/2026.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-16 are pending;
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9-11, 13, 15, and 16 are currently amended; claims 3, 5, 8, 12, and 14 are original;
Claims 1-16 are rejected herein.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments on pages 10 and 11 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026,
"According to the detailed description of the present disclosure, the limitations 'the second mounting seat is kept at any rotation position of the first mounting seat' means that: 'the supporting force provided by the force applying member enables the second mounting seat to be supported at any height position relative to the first mounting seat.' That is, when the supporting force provided by the force applying member (the multiple nested elastic members) balances the torque generated by the gravity of the display, the second mounting seat can be maintained at any height position (see Figures 4 to 6)."
have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Firstly, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). In the instant case, the limitations "the second mounting seat is kept at any position of the first mounting seat" in claim 1 (lines 10 and 11) are clearly materially different from the interpretation "the supporting force provided by the force applying member enables the second mounting seat to be supported at any height position relative to the first mounting seat" as argued by Applicant. Secondly, the limitations "the second mounting seat is kept at any position of the first mounting seat" in claim 1 (lines 10 and 11) remain indefinite because it is not clear as to what the instant limitations at issue mean. How is the second mounting seat (2) "kept at any position" of the first mounting seat (1) as claimed? It is advised that Applicant reword the instant limitations at issue by clearly explaining what they mean in the claim.
Applicant's arguments on pages 11 and 12 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026,
"According to paragraph [0034] of the detailed description of the present disclosure, the fact that the quadrilateral structure can be maintained at any deformed position means that the four sides of the quadrilateral can be maintained at any relative position. Specifically, the first connecting rod has a pivot point A with the first mounting seat, a pivot point C with the second mounting seat; the second connecting rod has a pivot point B with the first mounting seat, a pivot point D with the second mounting seat; the line connecting the four pivot points A, B, D, C forms a quadrilateral structure. When the height position of the second mounting seat changes (that is, the positions of the pivot points C, D changes), the positions of the four sides of the quadrilateral structure change accordingly, to form a new quadrilateral structure ABD1C1(see the following Fig)."
have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Firstly, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). In the instant case, the limitations "the quadrilateral structure is kept at any deformation position by the force applying member" in claims 2 and 11 (lines 9 and 10) are clearly materially different from the explanation provided by Applicant on pages 11 and 12 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026. Secondly, the limitations "the quadrilateral structure is kept at any deformation position by the force applying member" in claims 2 and 11 (lines 9 and 10) remain indefinite because it is not clear as to what the instant limitations at issue mean. How is the quadrilateral structure (1, 2, 10) "kept at any deformation position" by the force applying member (21) as claimed? It is advised that Applicant reword the instant limitations at issue by clearly explaining what they mean in the claim.
Applicant's arguments on page 14 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026,
"Firstly, Huang and Ying belong to different technical fields, and Ying provides a contrary technical teaching.
Huang belongs to the field of Display Supports, which require providing a smooth and continuous supporting force during movement to balance gravity. Ying belongs to the field of nail guns, which require instantly releasing a huge impact force. Applying the 'nested spring' structure used for generating an impact force in Ying to Huang lacks motivation for a person skilled in the art. Moreover, the spring combination in Ying aims to achieve 'greater spring force' and 'faster return speed,' which contradicts the 'smooth supporting force' required by Huang, thus constituting a contrary technical teaching."
have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. It has been held that a prior art reference must either be in the field of the inventor's endeavor or, if not, then be reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with which the inventor was concerned, in order to be relied upon as a basis for rejection of the claimed invention. See In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 24 USPQ2d 1443 (Fed. Cir. 1992). In the instant case, Huang (US 9,004,431 B2) is clearly analogous art, since both the present application and Huang are directed to the same field of endeavor, i.e., supports. Moreover, Ying et al. (US 12,485,520 B2), hereinafter Ying, is clearly analogous art, since both the present application and Ying are reasonably pertinent to a similar problem solving area, i.e., providing forces with springs. In particular, Ying notes the problem of providing a force with a single biasing spring (Ying: col 1, lines 20-58) and further teaches the solution of providing a force with two biasing springs to solve the problem (Ying: col 4, lines 14-26). Since Huang provides a force with a single biasing spring (Huang: 63, fig 2), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the single biasing spring (Huang: 63, fig 2) of Huang as two biasing springs (Ying: 331a, 331b, fig 4) of Ying connected between the stop flange (Huang: 613, fig 3) of Huang and the stop plate (Huang: 64, fig 3) of Huang, based on the teaching of Ying, for the purpose of allowing heavier electronic devices to be used with the supporting arm of Huang by providing a greater spring force against the gravitational torque caused by the heavier electronic devices.
Applicant's arguments on page 14 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026,
" Secondly: There is a technical obstacle to combining Huang and Ying.
The support arm of Huang (especially the force generating mechanism shown in Figures 2-4) has a specific structure. Replacing the single spring 63 of Huang with the nested spring of Ying in a simple manner is not obvious. In Ying, the nested spring is sleeved on a guide rod and abuts against a piston and a rear limit seat, respectively. In Huang, the spring 63 is directly connected between the moving unit and the swing rod. To integrate the structure of Ying into Huang, it is necessary to change the entire driving and connection mode of the force generating mechanism of Huang, for example, adding a guide rod and limit structure similar to Ying, which goes beyond the scope of 'simple replacement' and requires inventive effort."
have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Firstly, the modification of Huang, based on the teaching of Ying, with respect to claim 1, as proposed in the Office action mailed 02/13/2026 and maintained in the instant Office action, is to simply form the single biasing spring (Huang: 63, fig 2) of Huang as two biasing springs (Ying: 331a, 331b, fig 4) of Ying connected between the stop flange (Huang: 613, fig 3) of Huang and the stop plate (Huang: 64, fig 3) of Huang. It is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that this proposed modification would not "change the entire driving and connection mode of the force generating mechanism of Huang" as alleged by Applicant. Secondly, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981).
Applicant's arguments on pages 14 and 15 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026,
"Thirdly, the present disclosure achieves unexpected technical effects.
In claim 1 of the present application, by using nested elastic members,
significantly increases the load-bearing range without increasing the overall volume of the support arm. This is unachievable in the prior art (e.g., Huang). If Huang needs to increase the load-bearing capacity, the spring volume must be increased, thereby enlarging the overall external dimensions. In contrast, the present disclosure utilizes the internal space to resolve the contradiction between 'large volume' and 'small load-bearing capacity.' At the same time, the multiple nested elastic members jointly provide a supporting force, ensuring dynamic balance between the supporting force and the gravitational torque throughout the entire movement stroke of the support arm, thereby achieving 'maintenance at any position.' The combination of Huang and Ying would not obviously lead to this solution that reduces volume, increases load-bearing range, and maintains dynamic balance."
have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The arguments on pages 14 and 15 of the remarks filed 04/24/2026 are mere allegations, which are not evidence required to show unexpected results. See MPEP § 716.02.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 04/07/2026 has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 9, line 2, the limitations "wherein a number of the at least one supporting member is two" are awkwardly worded and should be worded as --wherein the at least one supporting member comprises two supporting members-- or the like.
Claim 9, line 3, "two supporting" in line 3 appears to be --the two supporting--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the limitations "the second mounting seat is kept at any position of the first mounting seat" in lines 10 and 11 are indefinite. It is not clear as to what these limitations mean. How is the second mounting seat (2) "kept at any rotation position of the first mounting seat" (1)? Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 2, the limitations "the quadrilateral structure is kept at any deformation position by the force applying member" in lines 9 and 10 are indefinite. It is not clear as to what the instant limitations mean. How is the quadrilateral structure "kept at any deformation position by the force applying member" as claimed? Similar rejection applies to the limitations in claim 11 (lines 9 and 10). Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 3-10 and 12-16 are rejected as being dependent from a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-3, 6-12, 15, and 16, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. (KR 20220006263 A)1, hereinafter Kwon.
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses a supporting arm (10, fig 3) comprising: a first mounting seat (50, fig 3); a second mounting seat (40, fig 3); at least one supporting member (352, fig 25), wherein two opposite ends of the at least one supporting member are configured to be rotatably connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, respectively (see Figures 3, 4, 19, 25, 30, and 31); and a force applying member (343, fig 22) arranged between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat (see Figures 3 and 22), wherein the force applying member comprises at least two elastic members (343, fig 22) nested sequentially from inside to outside (see Figure 22), and the at least two elastic members jointly provide a supporting force, such that the second mounting seat is kept at any position of the first mounting seat (see Figures 3, 4, 22, 19, 25, 30, and 31; and/or, see translation, paragraphs 0176 and 0246-0253).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, wherein: at least one side of the force applying member is provided with the at least one supporting member (see Figures 3 and 4), the at least one supporting member comprises a first connecting rod (352a, fig 35, see annotation, the left side portion 352) and a second connecting rod (352b, fig 35, see annotation, the right side portion 352), a first end of the first connecting rod and a first end of the second connecting rod are both pivotally connected to the first mounting seat (see Figures 3, 4, 19, 25, 30, and 31), a second end of the first connecting rod and a second end of the second connecting rod are both pivotally connected to the second mounting seat (see Figures 3, 4, 19, 25, 30, and 31), and the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod, the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat form a quadrilateral structure (see Figures 3, 4, 19, 25, 30, and 31); and the quadrilateral structure is kept at any deformation position by the force applying member (see Figures 3, 4, 19, 25, 30, and 31).
PNG
media_image1.png
586
602
media_image1.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (352a – First Connecting Rod)]
[AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (352b – Second Connecting Rod)]
Regarding claims 3 and 12, the supporting arm further comprising: a connecting member (33, fig 3) connected to the second connecting rod (see Figures 3, 4, and 25); and a stopping member (342, fig 3) connected to the first connecting rod or the first mounting seat (see Figures 3, 4, and 25), wherein the at least two elastic members are located between the connecting member and the stopping member (see Figures 3, 4, and 22), and two opposite ends of each of the at least two elastic members are connected to the connecting member and the stopping member, respectively (see Figures 3, 4, and 22).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, wherein the stopping member is movably arranged along an axis of the at least two elastic members (see Figures 3, 4, 22, 30, and 31), a side of the second connecting rod facing the force applying member is provided with a guide groove (35a, fig 35, see annotation, the guide groove defined by the bottom portion 351 and the side portions 352), and the stopping member is in sliding fit with the guide groove (see Figures 3, 4, 22, 30, and 31).
PNG
media_image1.png
586
602
media_image1.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (35a – Guide Groove)]
Regarding claims 7 and 16, the supporting arm further comprising a limiting member (351, fig 25) connected to the second connecting rod (see Figure 25), wherein at least a part of the limiting member is arranged at an included angle with the second connecting rod (see Figure 25), and the limiting member is at least located at a circumferential side of the force applying member (see Figures 3, 4, 22, and 25), such that the force applying member is prevented from falling off (see Figures 3, 4, 22, and 25).
Regarding claim 8, the supporting arm further comprising: a guide sleeve (344, fig 3); and a guide rod (341, fig 3) in sliding fit with the guide sleeve (see Figures 3, 4, and 22), wherein the force applying member is located on an outer circumference of both the guide sleeve and the guide rod (see Figures 3, 4, and 22), such that the force applying member is to be guided (see Figures 3, 4, and 22).
Regarding claim 9, the supporting arm further comprising a housing (31, 32, 37, fig 4), wherein a number of the at least one supporting member is two (352, fig 25) and the housing is connected to two supporting members (352, fig 25, see Figures 3, 4, and 25), wherein the housing covers an outer circumference of the two supporting members and the force applying member (see Figures 3, 4, 22, and 25).
Regarding claim 10, wherein: the housing comprises an upper cover plate, a left cover plate and a right cover plate, wherein the upper cover plate and the left cover plate are connected and arranged at an included angle, the upper cover plate and the right cover plate are connected and arranged at an included angle, so as to form a U-shaped structure provided with a mounting cavity; or the supporting arm further comprises a lower cover plate (37, fig 4) connected to the at least one supporting member (see Figures 3 and 4), and the lower cover plate is located on a bottom of the at least one supporting member (see Figures 3 and 4); or the two supporting members are located at a left side of the force applying member and a right side of the force applying member, respectively.
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 1-8 and 11-16, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US 9,004,431 B2) in view of Ying et al. (US 12,485,520 B2), hereinafter Ying.
Regarding claim 1, Huang discloses a supporting arm (200, fig 1) comprising: a first mounting seat (4, fig 2); a second mounting seat (5, fig 2); at least one supporting member (2a, 3a, fig 2, see annotation, the reference number 2a refers to the right connecting rod of the upper link 2, the reference number 3a refers to the right connecting rod of the lower link 3; alternatively, 2a, fig 2, see annotation, the right connecting rod of the upper link 2), wherein two opposite ends of the at least one supporting member are configured to be rotatably connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, respectively (see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-5); and a force applying member (63, fig 2) arranged between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat (see Figures 1-3), wherein the force applying member comprises at least one elastic member (63, fig 2), and the at least one elastic member provides a supporting force (see Figures 1-3, see col 4, lines 6-24), such that the second mounting seat is kept at any position of the first mounting seat (see Figures 1-3, see col 4, lines 6-24).
[AltContent: textbox (2b – Fourth Connecting Rod)]
PNG
media_image2.png
824
584
media_image2.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (2a – Second Connecting Rod)]
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (3b – Third Connecting Rod)]
[AltContent: connector]
[AltContent: textbox (3a – First Connecting Rod)]
Huang does not disclose the supporting arm, wherein the force applying member comprises at least two elastic members nested sequentially from inside to outside, and the at least two elastic members jointly provide a supporting force.
Ying teaches a device (10, fig 1) comprising: a supporting member (31, fig 2); and a force applying member (33, fig 2), wherein the force applying member comprises at least two elastic members (331a, 331b, fig 4) nested sequentially from inside to outside (see Figures 2-9), and the at least two elastic members jointly provide a spring force (see Figures 2-9, see col 9, lines 4-22).
Huang and Ying are analogous art because Huang is at least from the same field of endeavor, i.e., supports, and Ying is at least from a similar problem solving area, i.e., providing forces with springs. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the force applying member (Huang: 63, fig 2) with at least two elastic members (Ying: 331a, 331b, fig 4) nested sequentially from inside to outside (Ying: see Figures 2-9), and the at least two elastic members jointly provide a supporting force (Ying: see Figures 2-9, see col 9, lines 4-22; Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 4, lines 6-24), such that the second mounting seat (Huang: 5, fig 2) is kept at any position of the first mounting seat (Huang: 4, fig 2, see Figures 1-3, see col 4, lines 6-24), as taught by Ying, with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation would have been to allow heavier electronic devices to be used with the supporting arm by providing a greater spring force against the gravitational torque caused by the heavier electronic devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Huang and Ying to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, wherein: at least one side of the force applying member is provided with the at least one supporting member (Huang: see Figures 1-3), the at least one supporting member comprises a first connecting rod (Huang: 3a, fig 2, see annotation, the right connecting rod of the lower link 3) and a second connecting rod (Huang: 2a, fig 2, see annotation, the right connecting rod of the upper link 2), a first end of the first connecting rod and a first end of the second connecting rod are both pivotally connected to the first mounting seat (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-5), a second end of the first connecting rod and a second end of the second connecting rod are both pivotally connected to the second mounting seat (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-5), and the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod, the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat form a quadrilateral structure (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-5); and the quadrilateral structure is kept at any deformation position by the force applying member (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 4, lines 6-24).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, the supporting arm further comprising: a connecting member (Huang: 611, fig 2) connected to the second connecting rod (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-24); and a stopping member (Huang: 64, fig 2) connected to the first connecting rod or the first mounting seat (Huang: see Figures 1-3, see col 3, lines 52-67, col 4, lines 1-24 and 63-67, col 5, lines 1-67, col 6, lines 1-3), wherein the at least two elastic members are located between the connecting member and the stopping member (Huang: see Figures 1-3), and two opposite ends of each of the at least two elastic members are connected to the connecting member and the stopping member, respectively (Huang: see Figures 1-3).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Huang, as modified by Ying with respect to claim 1, teaches the supporting arm, wherein: the at least two elastic members are two compression springs (Ying: 331a, 331b, fig 4).
Huang, as modified by Ying with respect to claim 1, does not teach the supporting arm, wherein: the stopping member comprises a first stopping section and a second stopping section that are connected to each other, a cross-sectional area of the first stopping section is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second stopping section, a first compression spring of the two compression springs located at an outer side of the two compression springs sleeves the second stopping section and abuts against the first stopping section, and a second compression spring of the two compression springs located at an inner side of the two compression springs abuts against the second stopping section.
Ying teaches a device (10, fig 1) comprising: a supporting member (31, fig 2); and a force applying member (33, fig 2), wherein the force applying member comprises at least two elastic members (331a, 331b, fig 4) nested sequentially from inside to outside (see Figures 2-9), and the at least two elastic members jointly provide a spring force (see Figures 2-9, see col 9, lines 4-22), wherein: the at least two elastic members are two compression springs (331a, 331b, fig 4), a stopping member (3112, fig 7) comprises a first stopping section (713, fig 8), and a second stopping section (712, fig 8) that are connected to each other (see Figure 8), a cross-sectional area of the first stopping section is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second stopping section (see Figure 8), a first compression spring (331b, fig 8) of the two compression springs located at an outer side of the two compression springs sleeves the second stopping section and abuts against the first stopping section (see Figures 7 and 8), and a second compression spring (331a, fig 8) of the two compression springs located at an inner side of the two compression springs abuts against the second stopping section (see Figures 7 and 8).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the stopping member (Huang: 64, fig 2) with a first stopping section (Ying: 713, fig 8) and a second stopping section (Ying: 712, fig 8) that are connected to each other (Ying: see Figure 8), a cross-sectional area of the first stopping section is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second stopping section (Ying: see Figure 8), a first compression spring (Ying: 331b, fig 8) of the two compression springs located at an outer side of the two compression springs sleeves the second stopping section and abuts against the first stopping section (Ying see Figures 7 and 8), and a second compression spring (Ying: 331a, fig 8) of the two compression springs located at an inner side of the two compression springs abuts against the second stopping section (Ying: see Figures 7 and 8), as taught by Ying, with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation would have been to allow proper positioning of the first elastic member and the second elastic member within the supporting arm. Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Huang and Ying to obtain the inventions as specified in claims 4 and 13.
Regarding claim 5 and 14, Huang, as modified by Ying (see above discussions with respect to claims 4 and 13), teaches the supporting arm, wherein the stopping member comprises at least two stopping sections (Ying: 712, 713, fig 8) which are connected and whose cross-sectional areas decrease sequentially (Ying: see Figures 7 and 8), and the at least two elastic members correspondingly abut against the at least two stopping sections (Ying: see Figures 7 and 8).
PNG
media_image3.png
398
426
media_image3.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: textbox (2c – Guide Groove)][AltContent: connector]Regarding claims 6 and 15, wherein the stopping member is movably arranged along an axis of the at least two elastic members (Ying: see Figures 2-9; Huang: see Figures 1-3), a side of the second connecting rod facing the force applying member is provided with a guide groove (Huang: 2c, fig 4, see annotation, the guide groove defined by the top plate 221 and the two vertical side plates 222), and the stopping member is in sliding fit with the guide groove (Huang: see Figures 1-4, see col 5, lines 31-67, col 6, lines 1-3).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, the supporting arm further comprising a limiting member (Huang: 221, fig 4) connected to the second connecting rod (Huang: see Figure 4), wherein at least a part of the limiting member is arranged at an included angle with the second connecting rod (Huang: see Figure 4), and the limiting member is at least located at a circumferential side of the force applying member (Huang: see Figures 1-4), such that the force applying member is prevented from falling off (Huang: see Figures 1-4).
Regarding claim 8, the supporting arm further comprising: a guide sleeve (Huang: 610, fig 2); and a guide rod (Huang: 663, fig 2) in sliding fit with the guide sleeve (Huang: see Figures 1-9, col 6, lines 21-58), wherein the force applying member is located on an outer circumference of both the guide sleeve and the guide rod (Huang: see Figures 1-9; Ying: see Figures 2-9), such that the force applying member is to be guided (Huang: see Figures 1-9; Ying: see Figures 2-9).
Claims 9 and 10, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (US 9,004,431 B2) in view of Ying et al. (US 12,485,520 B2), hereinafter Ying, and Bowman et al. (US 8,931,748 B2), hereinafter Bowman.
Regarding claim 9, Huang, as modified by Ying with respect to claim 1, teaches the supporting arm, wherein a number of the at least one supporting member is two (Huang: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, fig 2, see annotation, with the first supporting member 2a, 3a and the second supporting member 3a, 3b).
Huang, as modified by Ying with respect to claim 1, does not teach the supporting arm, further comprising a housing connected to the two supporting members, wherein the housing covers an outer circumference of two supporting members and the force applying member.
Bowman teaches a supporting arm (2110, fig 9) comprising: a first mounting seat (2230, fig 12); a second mounting seat (2210, fig 12); at least one supporting member (2156, 2160, fig 12), wherein two opposite ends of the at least one supporting member are configured to be rotatably connected to the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, respectively (see Figures 9-18), wherein a number of the at least one supporting member is two (2156, 2160, fig 12); a force applying member (2320, fig 10A); and a housing (2202, fig 12) connected to two supporting members (2156, 2160, fig 12, see Figures 9-18, see col 24, lines 24-59), wherein the housing covers an outer circumference of the two supporting members and the force applying member (see Figures 9-18).
Bowman is analogous art because it is at least from the same field of endeavor, i.e., supports. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the supporting arm (Huang: 200, fig 1) with a housing (Bowman: 2202, fig 12) connected to the two supporting members (Huang: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, fig 2, see annotation; Bowman: see Figures 9-18, see col 24, lines 24-59), wherein the housing covers an outer circumference of the two supporting members (Huang: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, fig 2, see annotation) and the force applying member (Huang: 63, fig 2, as modified by, Ying: 33, fig 2; Bowman: see Figures 9-18), as taught by Bowman, with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation would have been to protect the upper link and the lower link of the supporting arm. Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Huang, Ying, and Bowman to obtain the invention as specified in claim 9.
Regarding claim 10, wherein: the housing comprises an upper cover plate, a left cover plate and a right cover plate, wherein the upper cover plate and the left cover plate are connected and arranged at an included angle, the upper cover plate and the right cover plate are connected and arranged at an included angle, so as to form a U-shaped structure provided with a mounting cavity; or the supporting arm further comprises a lower cover plate connected to the at least one supporting member, and the lower cover plate is located on a bottom of the at least one supporting member; or the two supporting members are located at a left side of the force applying member and a right side of the force applying member, respectively (Huang: see Figures 1-3).
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 04/07/2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Guang H Guan whose telephone number is (571) 272-7828. The examiner can normally be reached weekdays (10:00 AM - 6:00 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, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. 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.
/G. H. G./Examiner, Art Unit 3631
/JONATHAN LIU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3631
1 Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement (IDS), citing Kwon, under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 04/07/2026 prompts the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. A machine translation of Kwon, generated by Espacenet, is attached to the current Office action.
Prosecution Insights