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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on September 3rd, 2024 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance, as it is
presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about
the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. The
non-patent literature document citation copy ("KR OA mailed Nov. 13, 2023") does not include a concise explanation of the relevance in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "310" and "320" have both been used to designate “the center rod” (paragraph 0081).
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character not mentioned in the description: 111b (Fig. 3).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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, 5, and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Song et al. KR 102616518 B1.
Regarding claim 1, Song et al. disclose a console device (Song et al. 1) comprising:
a rod member (Song et al. 30/40/50; Song et al. Fig. 3) configured to be moved in a longitudinal direction (Song et al. paragraph 0066) according to an operation of an operation button unit (Song et al. 20/20’) that performs opening of a console cover (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3; Song et al. paragraphs 0067-0068), the rod member being provided with a guide hole (Song et al. 33) having a predetermined length in a diagonal direction relative to the longitudinal direction (Song et al. Fig. 4; Song et al. paragraph 0053);
a locking control unit (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3) provided with a locking adjustment protrusion (Song et al. 37) inserted into and coupled to the guide hole (Song et al. paragraph 0048), the locking control unit being configured to be moved in a horizontal direction according to a guide of the guide hole (Song et al. 32; Song et al. Fig. 5) upon the rod member’s longitudinal movement such that a portion of a distal end (Song et al. 31) of a locking rod (Song et al. 30/30a/30b) of the locking control unit is inserted into or pulled out from a locking hole (Song et al. 39-1a; Song et al. Fig. 7) of a console body (Song et al. 2; Song et al. paragraph 0043) (Song et al. Fig. 9), thereby controlling locking and releasing of the console cover (Song et al. paragraphs 0067-0068); and
a base plate (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3) on which the rod member and the locking control unit are seated and supported (Song et al. paragraph 0034).
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Regarding claim 2, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 1, wherein the rod member comprises:
a center rod (Song et al. 40) elongated in the longitudinal direction (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3 above; Song et al. paragraph 0069); and
a wing (Song et al. 30a/30b) which extends outward from side surfaces of the center rod (Song et al. Fig. 9) and which is provided with the guide hole Song et al. Fig. 5), and
wherein the locking control unit comprises:
a locking adjustment member (Song et al. 35) having a first side provided with the locking adjustment protrusion (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 5) and being configured to be moved in the horizontal direction according to the guide of the guide hole (Song et al. Fig. 9; Song et al. paragraph 0051); and
the locking rod fastened to a second side of the locking adjustment member (Song et al. 30b; Song et al. paragraph 0044) and configured to be moved by the locking adjustment member such that the portion of the distal end of the locking rod (Song et al. 36) is inserted into or pulled out from the locking hole of the console body (Song et al. Fig. 5; Song et al. paragraphs 0043 and 0051-0052).
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Regarding claim 3, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 2, wherein the wing comprises a left wing (Song et al. 30a) and a right wing (Song et al. 30b) on both left and right sides of the center rod (Song et al. Fig. 4), and the locking control unit comprises a left locking control unit corresponding to the left wing and a right locking control unit corresponding to the right wing (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 4).
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Regarding claim 5, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 2, wherein the rod member further comprises a center rod return mechanism (Song et al. 50; Song et al. Fig. 3) having a first side fastened to the center rod and having a second side fastened to the base plate (Song et al. Fig. 3; Song et al. paragraph 0072) such that an elastic force (Song et al. paragraph 0069) is applied to the center rod return mechanism as the center rod return mechanism is pressed according to the movement of the center rod (Song et al. paragraphs 0038-0039), the center rod return mechanism being configured to return a position of the center rod by a restoration force according to the elastic force (Song et al. paragraphs 0023 and 0072).
Regarding claim 8, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 2,
wherein the operation button unit comprises a front operation button unit (Song et al. 20) and a rear operation button unit (Song et al. 20’),
wherein the rod member and the locking control unit comprise:
a front rod member and a front locking control unit that are disposed on a front region of the base plate (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3) such that a front side of the console cover is capable of being opened according to an operation of the front operation button unit (Song et al. paragraph 0077); and
a rear rod member and a rear locking control unit that are disposed on a rear region of the base plate such plate (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 3) that a rear side of the console cover is capable of being opened according to an operation of the rear operation button unit (Song et al. paragraph 0077).
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Regarding claim 9, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 8, wherein, when the front side of the console cover is opened, a rear locking rod of the rear locking control unit (Song et al. 30’) is rotated while being in a state in which a portion of a distal end of the rear locking rod (Song et al. 30a/30b; Song et al. paragraph 0050) is inserted into a rear locking hole of the console body (Song et al. 39-1a; Song et al. Fig. 7), so that the rear locking rod functions as a hinge (Song et al. paragraphs 0044 and 0078), and
when the rear side of the console cover is opened, a front locking rod of the front locking control unit (Song et al. 30) is rotated while being in a state in which a portion of a distal end of the front locking rod (Song et al. 30a/30b; Song et al. paragraph 0050) is inserted into a front locking hole of the console body (Song et al. 39-1a; Song et al. Fig. 7), so that the front locking rod functions as a hinge (Song et al. paragraphs 0044 and 0078).
Regarding claim 10, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 8, wherein a front center rod of the front rod member (Song et al. 22; Song et al. Fig. 5; Song et al. paragraph 0069) and a rear center rod of the rear rod member (Song et al. 22; Song et al. Fig. 5; Song et al. paragraph 0069) are disposed such that a distal end of the front center rod and a distal end of the rear center rod correspond to each other along the longitudinal direction (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 9; Song et al. paragraph 0066), and the console device further comprises a console opening direction adjustment unit (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 4 below) disposed between the front center rod and the rear center rod and configured to restrict, when the console cover is opened in either one of a front direction and a rear direction, the console cover from being opened in an opposite direction (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 9; Song et al. paragraphs 0067-0068).
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Regarding claim 11, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 10, wherein the console opening direction adjustment unit comprises:
a guide partition wall (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 4 above) configured to guide the movement in the longitudinal direction of the front center rod and the rear center rod (Song et al. paragraph 0074); and
an open space (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 9 above) in which the distal end of any one selected from the front center rod and the rear center rod is capable of being moved therein (Song et al. paragraph 0074),
wherein the open space has a length where the distal end of any one among the front center rod and the rear center rod is moved and is in contact with the distal end of the other one (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 9 above) so as to open the console cover in any one direction selected from the front direction and the rear direction (Song et al. paragraph 0066).
Regarding claim 12, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 2, further comprising a lifting mechanism (Song et al. 39) which is disposed in the console body (Song et al. Fig. 3; Song et al. paragraph 0056) and in which an elastic force is applied as the lifting mechanism is pressed by the console cover when the console cover is closed (Song et al. paragraph 0061-0062), the lifting mechanism being configured to lift up the console cover by a restoration force when the console cover is opened (Song et al. paragraphs 0059 and 0063).
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.
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. KR 102616518 B1, in view of Kim et al. US 20230302977 A1.
Regarding claim 4, Song et al. disclose the console device of claim 2, wherein the locking control unit further comprises a support plate (Song et al. 50/52/53) which is fixed and fastened to the base plate (Song et al. Fig. 3; Song et al. paragraph 0072) and which provides a movement space of the center rod in the longitudinal direction (Song et al. paragraph 0074), the support plate being configured to support the locking adjustment member (Song et al. Fig. 4) and to support the movement in the horizontal direction of the locking adjustment member (Song et al. paragraph 0074), and
the operation button unit comprises an operation button body (see annotated Song et al. Fig. 5), and an operation button return spring (Song et al. 25) having a first side fastened to the operation button body (Song et al. Fig. 4; Song et al. paragraph 0039).
Song et al. do not disclose an operation button cover fixed and mounted on the support plate and configured to support the operation button body and to support a movement in the longitudinal direction of the operation button body, and having a second side fastened to the operation button cover such that a position of the operation button body is returned.
However, Kim et al. disclose a bidirectional type of armrest with an operation button cover (see annotated Kim et al. Fig. 2(a)) fixed and mounted on a support plate (Kim et al. 15) and configured to support an operation button body (Kim et al. 14a) and to support a movement in a longitudinal direction of the operation button body (Kim et al. paragraph 0007), and an operation button return spring (Kim et al. 17) having a second side (Kim et al. 15) fastened to the operation button cover such that a position of the operation button body is returned (Kim et al. paragraphs 0028-0030).
Therefore, it 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 to combine the console device of Song et al. with the operation button cover as taught by Kim et al. with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage of protecting and encasing the mechanism necessary for the function of opening a console lid to prevent undesired damage to the operation button body, as would be known by one of ordinary skill in the art.
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Claims 6-7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. KR 102616518 B1, in view of Yoshida et al. US 20200156552 A1.
Regarding claim 6, Song et al. does not disclose wherein the guide hole is configured such that an angle of the guide hole inclined in the diagonal direction relative to the longitudinal direction is adjusted, so that an amount of operation work required for the operation button unit for opening the console cover is adjusted.
However, Yoshida et al. disclose a console device that opens in two directions wherein a guide hole (Yoshida et al. 57L/57R) is configured such that an angle of the guide hole inclined in a diagonal direction relative to a longitudinal direction is adjusted (Yoshida et al. Fig. 11; Yoshida et al. paragraphs 0082-0083), so that an amount of operation work (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0140) required for an operation button unit (Yoshida et al. 45L/45R) for opening a console cover (Yoshida et al. 20) is adjusted (Yoshida et al. paragraphs 0080-0081).
Therefore, it 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 to combine the console device of Song et al. with the guide hole as taught by Yoshida et al. with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage of preventing opening a console cover in two directions simultaneously (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0082).
Regarding claim 7, Song et al. does not disclose wherein the guide hole is configured such that the guide hole is formed in an arc shape that protrudes forward in the diagonal direction or in an arc shape that protrudes rearward in the diagonal direction, so that an amount of operation work required for the operation button unit for opening the console cover is adjusted.
However, Yoshida et al. disclose a console device that opens in two directions wherein a guide hole (Yoshida et al. 57L/57R) is configured such that the guide hole is formed in an arc shape that protrudes forward in a diagonal direction or in an arc shape that protrudes rearward in the diagonal direction (Yoshida et al. Fig. 11; Yoshida et al. paragraphs 0082-0083), so that an amount of operation work (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0140) required for an operation button unit (Yoshida et al. 45L/45R) for opening a console cover (Yoshida et al. 20) is adjusted (Yoshida et al. paragraphs 0080-0081).
Therefore, it 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 to combine the console device of Song et al. with the guide hole shape as taught by Yoshida et al. with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage of preventing opening a console cover in two directions simultaneously (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0082).
Regarding claim 13, Song et al. does not disclose wherein the guide hole is in a long hole shape and is diagonally oriented such that a front end of the guide hole is positioned relatively inner side than a rear end of the guide hole.
However, Yoshida et al. disclose wherein a guide hole (Yoshida et al. 57L/57R) is in a long hole shape (Yoshida et al. Fig. 11; Yoshida et al. paragraph 0082) and is diagonally oriented such that a front end of the guide hole (Yoshida et al. 57Lb/57Rb) is positioned relatively inner side than a rear end of the guide hole (Yoshida et al. 57La/57Ra) (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0153).
Therefore, it 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 to combine the console device of Song et al. with the guide hole features as taught by Yoshida et al. with a reasonable expectation of success for the advantage of preventing opening a console cover in two directions simultaneously (Yoshida et al. paragraph 0082).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Woo et al. US 20250001945 A1 disclose a console device that opens in both a front and rear direction using push-button mechanisms.
Woo et al. US 20240344378 A1 disclose a console device that opens in both a front and rear direction using push-button mechanisms including springs within an operation button unit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anayansi Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-3138. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy Weisberg can be reached at (571) 270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anayansi Santiago/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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