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 .
This is a non-final Office Action for serial number 18/826,820, Angle-Adjustable Music Stand, filed on September 6, 2024.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, Figs 1-3 in the reply filed on January 28, 2026 is acknowledged. However, claim 4 is drawn to a non-elected species (Fig. 4). Hence, claim 4 is withdrawn.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Design Patent No. 704,486 to Cho.
Cho ‘486 discloses a music stand comprising: a sheet music board (Fig. 8) and a support frame (Fig. 2 – top portion) wherein the support frame comprises an adjusting component with at least one degree of freedom (rotate); the sheet music board is connected to the adjusting component; and the adjusting component is configured to adjust an angle of the sheet music board with respect to the support frame.
Regarding claim 2, Cho ‘486 discloses wherein the adjusting component comprises a first accessory (socket – cavity) and a second accessory (ball); and a first end of the first accessory is rotatably connected to a first end of the second accessory (ball and socket).
Regarding claim 3, Cho ‘486 discloses wherein the first accessory is defined with a cavity (socket); and the first end of the second accessory is rotatably mounted in the cavity (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Cho ‘486 discloses wherein the second accessory comprises a ball joint, the ball joint comprises a connecting rod and a ball (Fig. 2 – top portion) disposed on a first end of the connecting rod and the ball is capable of being mounted in the cavity (see Figs 9-10).
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.
Claim(s) 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho ‘486 in view of U.S. Design Patent No. 255,459 to Corder.
Cho ‘486 fails to disclose wherein the support frame also comprising a fixing assembly, a first end of the fixing assembly is connected to the adjusting component, and a second end of the fixing assembly is connected to a carrier for carrying the music stand. Nevertheless, Corder ‘459 discloses a fixing assembly (fixing plate with a fastening belt). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tripod of Cho ‘486 with a fixing plate as taught by Corder ‘459 because one would have a motivation to provide a wrist mounted to carry the music stand.
Regarding claim 7, Cho ‘486 in view of Corder ‘459 discloses wherein the fixing assembly comprises a fixing plate (plate) and a fastening belt (straps), a first end of the fixing plate is provided with a bending portion (Corder ‘459 -Fig. 1) and a second end of the fixing plate is defined with at least one strip shaped hole (slot); the fastening belt is limited between the strip shaped hole and the bending portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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 8, the prior art fails to disclose wherein the end of the bending portion is a hook shaped structure bent upward.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0061197 – ball and socket bracket (for music stand)
U.S. Patent No. 9,622,572 – Instrument Music Holder
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/TODD M EPPS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 March 7, 2026