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 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.The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Regarding claim 2, the limitation “the first flat plate is fastenable a fixing portion located on a side in a first positive direction along the first axis as viewed from the first protrusion, and
an end of the first flat plate in a first negative direction opposite to the first positive direction is located on a side in the first negative direction as viewed from an end of the bumper on the side in the first negative direction” is unclear and indefinite. It is unclear what is being claimed and it is also unclear what is missing from the claim language for it to make sense and be supported by the specification.
Claims 3, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 depending from claim 2 are therefore also rejected.
Claims 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 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 2, the limitation “the first flat plate is fastenable a fixing portion located on a side in a first positive direction along the first axis as viewed from the first protrusion, and
an end of the first flat plate in a first negative direction opposite to the first positive direction is located on a side in the first negative direction as viewed from an end of the bumper on the side in the first negative direction” is unclear and indefinite. It is unclear what is being claimed and it is also unclear what is missing from the claim language for it to make sense and be supported by the specification.
For the purpose of examination, the Examiner will interpret this as “the first flat plate is fastenable at a fixing portion located at an end on a side in a first positive direction along the first axis as viewed from the first protrusion, and
an end of the first flat plate in a first negative direction opposite to the first positive direction is located on a side in the first negative direction as viewed from an end of the bumper on the side in the first negative direction”.
Claims 3, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 depending from claim 2 are therefore also rejected.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 11 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai US 20150208530.
Regarding claim 1, Tsai US 20150208530 discloses a lock mechanism attachable to a rack-mountable exterior body for housing an electronic device (100), comprising:
a latch (4 in Fig. 2) having a first flat plate (5) and a first protrusion (51 in Fig. 2), the first flat plate (5) having a main surface (main surface of 5 in Fig. 2), and the first protrusion (51) protrudes from the first flat plate (5) to a side that the main surface faces (as depicted in Fig. 2); and
a bumper (1) having a second flat plate (plate of 1 in Fig. 2) and a second protrusion (14),
the second flat plate (plate of 1) being in contact with the latch (4), and the second protrusion (14) protrudes from the second flat plate (plate of 1) to a side in a same direction as the first protrusion (51as depicted in Fig. 2),
wherein under conditions that a specific axis parallel to the main surface (main surface of 5) is a first axis (x axis in annotated Fig. 2), and an axis orthogonal to the first axis (x axis) and parallel to the main surface (surface of 5) is a second axis (y axis of annotated Fig. 2),
the first protrusion (51) has a latch surface (51s in annotated Fig. 2) perpendicular to the first axis (x axis), and
the second protrusion (14) has a bumper surface (14s in annotated Fig. 2) perpendicular to the second axis (y as depicted in annotated Fig. 2).
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Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses the lock mechanism according to Claim 1, wherein the first flat plate (5) has a side surface (side surface of 5 in annotated Fig. 2) perpendicular to the second axis (y axis), and the first protrusion (51) protrudes from the side surface (side surface of 5) of the first flat plate (5 as depicted in annotated Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Tsai discloses the lock mechanism according to Claim 1, wherein the bumper (1) is in contact with a side of the main surface (main surface of 5) of the first flat plate (5).
Regarding claim 16, Tsai discloses the lock mechanism according to Claim 1, wherein the bumper (1) is in contact with a surface of the first flat plate (5) on a side opposite to the main surface (main surface of 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 17, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim, a combination of limitations that “latch having a first flat plate and a first protrusion, the first flat plate having a main surface, and the first protrusion protrudes from the first flat plate to a side that the main surface faces
a bumper having a second flat plate and a second protrusion,
the second protrusion protrudes from the second flat plate to a side in a same direction as the first protrusion
a rack to which an exterior body for housing an electronic device is attached via the lock mechanism,
wherein the rack includes a flat plate portion that is at least partially in contact with the lock mechanism in a state where the lock mechanism is fixed, and
the flat plate portion has
a first surface perpendicular to the first axis, and in contact with the latch surface of the lock mechanism in the state where the lock mechanism is fixed, and
a second surface perpendicular to the second axis, and in contact with the bumper surface of the lock mechanism in the state where the lock mechanism is fixed”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 18-20 depending from claim 17 are therefore allowable.
Claims 7, 10 and 14-15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that “wherein the latch has two first protrusions, the two first protrusions are separated from each other in a direction along the second axis, and the second protrusion of the bumper is located between the two first protrusions in the direction along the second axis”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1 and 4, a combination of limitations that “wherein the latch has two first protrusions, the two first protrusions are separated from each other in a direction along the second axis, and the second protrusion of the bumper is located between the two first protrusions in the direction along the second axis”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1 and 11 , a combination of limitations that “wherein a bending rigidity of the bumper is smaller than a bending rigidity of the latch”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claim 15 depending from claim 14 would therefore also be allowable.
Claims 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin US 20210176881 Fig. 1-6; Su US 6801435 Fig. 4-7; Chang US 20220394867 Fig. 2-5; Antaran US 20220174837 Fig. 1-3c; Wong US 20210132667 Fig. 6 disclose a module with a lock mechanism having a latch and at least one protrusion mounted to an interior body.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 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, 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.
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/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841