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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 and 15-17 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.
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, 11-14 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (PGPUB 20200310488).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses a strap adjustment apparatus of a head-mounted electronic device (Fig. 1c), comprising:
a strap assembly (130-160) including a strap (130) and a driving gear (151), wherein the strap includes a rack portion (G1/2) and the driving gear is in mesh with the rack portion to actuate the strap to move through rotation of the driving gear (Fig. 2A);
a knob (152) assembly including a knob and a self-locking mechanism (1541/1542), wherein the self- locking mechanism cooperates with the knob to limit a rotational direction of the knob ([0038]);
the knob is switchable between a fitting position and a release position with respect to the strap assembly ([0050]);
the knob, at the fitting position, is in transmission fit with the driving gear to actuate the driving gear to rotate through rotation of the knob, thereby driving the strap to move (Figs. 2A-C); and
the knob, at the release position, is unmated from the driving gear and could not actuate the driving gear to rotate, and the driving gear is enabled to rotate through mesh between the rack portion and the driving gear when the strap is pulled ([0005] - decoupled); and
an elastic reset element being mutually linked to the knob to switch between a compressed state and a reset state (E1-E3, 156, 163, 164 and [0044]);
wherein when moving to the release position, the knob links to the elastic reset element to compress and deform the elastic reset element to the compressed state ([0044]);
when the elastic reset element is restored from deformation to the reset state, the knob is linked to move to the fitting position ([0044]).
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses wherein the knob includes a knob body and a knob shaft (Fig. 1D shows 152 with an internal shaft, not labeled);
one of the knob shaft and the driving gear includes a gear shaft section (153), and the other includes a ring gear bore (Figs. 2A and B where 151 includes an inner bore for engaging 153);
a first mesh tooth is arranged on an outer circumferential surface of the gear shaft section (Fig. 2C), and a second mesh tooth is arranged on an inner bore surface of the ring gear bore (As can be seen in Figs. 1E, 3B and 5C 151 in each case, is configured with inner and outer meshes to engage 153, inner bore, and 140/130, outer bore); and the elastic reset element drives insertion of the gear shaft section into the ring gear bore by restoring from the deformation, such that the first mesh tooth is in mesh transmission with the second mesh tooth (Figs. 2A-B where 164 compresses and decompresses to engage the knob).
Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses wherein the ring gear bore is disposed on the driving gear (Fig. 2A) and the driving gear also includes a mounting hole located on a side of the ring gear bore away from the knob body (151 includes a through hole facing both towards and away the knob); a sidewall of the mounting hole close to the ring gear bore is a stop wall (Fig. 2A shows 151 pressing 160); and a via is provided on the stop wall for connecting the ring gear bore with the mounting hole (through hole of 151); the gear shaft section is disposed on the knob shaft and the knob shaft also includes a mounting section being connected on a side of the gear shaft section away from the knob body (Fig. 2A); the mounting section penetrates through the via and a stopper is provided on a part of the mounting section within the mounting hole (Fig. 2A); and the elastic reset element is sandwiched between the stopper and the stop wall (164).
Regarding claim 11, Lin discloses comprising: a mounting case on which a perforation is arranged (155), where the knob includes a knob body located on an outer side of the mounting case and a knob shaft penetrating through the perforation (Figs. 1D and 2A), and one end of the knob shaft is connected to the knob body and the other end of the knob shaft is disposed at an inner side of the mounting case (Fig. 2A);
the self-locking mechanism and the strap assembly are both positioned at the inner side of the mounting case and the knob cooperates with the self-locking mechanism and the driving gear through the knob shaft (Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 12, Lin discloses wherein a sinking groove is arranged on an outer surface of the mounting case and the perforation is formed on a bottom wall of the sinking groove (Fig. 1E indicates a sinking grove, 154); at one of the fitting position and the release position, the knob body is received in the sinking groove; and at the other of the fitting position and the release position, the knob body projects from the sinking groove (Figs. 2A and B where the knob is both received and projects from the sinking groove, an amendment to distinguish the projection and reception as exclusive (i.e. one or the other, not both) would overcome this rejection).
Regarding claim 13, Lin discloses wherein a sidewall of the sinking groove has at least one notch (Fig. 1E, a “sinking groove” can be understood to be a notch).
Regarding claim 14, Lin discloses wherein the self-locking mechanism includes: a ratchet ring and a pawl disc fitted in the ratchet ring; and the ratchet ring is disposed on the mounting case and the knob shaft cooperates with the pawl disc to rotate synchronously ([0038]).
Regarding claim 18, Lin discloses wherein the strap assembly includes two straps (130 and 140), each of which is provided with a slide groove (Fig. 1C); and ends of the two straps are stacked, such that two slide grooves have an overlapping area in which the driving gear is disposed (Fig. 2A); the rack portion is arranged at a width side of the slide groove and the rack portions of the two straps are respectively located at both sides of the driving gear, to actuate the two straps to move reversely through rotation of the driving gear (Fig. 2A and [0033]).
Regarding claim 19, Lin discloses a head-mounted electronic device (120), comprising the strap adjustment apparatus of a head-mounted electronic device comprising:
a strap assembly (130-160) including a strap (130/140) and a driving gear (151),
wherein the strap includes a rack portion and the driving gear is in mesh with the rack portion (G1/2) to actuate the strap to move through rotation of the driving gear (Fig. 2A);
a knob assembly including a knob (152) and a self-locking mechanism (1541/1542), wherein the self- locking mechanism cooperates with the knob to limit a rotational direction of the knob ([0038]);
the knob is switchable between a fitting position and a release position with respect to the strap assembly ([0050]);
the knob, at the fitting position, is in transmission fit with the driving gear to actuate the driving gear to rotate through rotation of the knob, thereby driving the strap to move (Figs. 2A-C); and
the knob, at the release position, is unmated from the driving gear and could not actuate the driving gear to rotate, and the driving gear is enabled to rotate through mesh between the rack portion and the driving gear when the strap is pulled ([0005] - decoupled); and
an elastic reset element being mutually linked to the knob to switch between a compressed state and a reset state (E1-E3, 156, 163, 164 and [0044]);
wherein when moving to the release position, the knob links to the elastic reset element to compress and deform the elastic reset element to the compressed state ([0044]);
when the elastic reset element is restored from deformation to the reset state, the knob is linked to move to the fitting position ([0044]).
Regarding claim 20, Lin discloses wherein the knob includes a knob body and a knob shaft (Fig. 1D shows 152 with an internal shaft, not labeled);
one of the knob shaft and the driving gear includes a gear shaft section (153), and the other includes a ring gear bore (Figs. 2A and B where 151 includes an inner bore for engaging 153);
a first mesh tooth is arranged on an outer circumferential surface of the gear shaft section (Fig. 2C), and a second mesh tooth is arranged on an inner bore surface of the ring gear bore (As can be seen in Figs. 1E, 3B and 5C 151 in each case, is configured with inner and outer meshes to engage 153, inner bore, and 140/130, outer bore); and
the elastic reset element drives insertion of the gear shaft section into the ring gear bore by restoring from the deformation, such that the first mesh tooth is in mesh transmission with the second mesh tooth (Figs. 2A-B where 164 compresses and decompresses to engage the knob).
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
PGPUB 20130014359 – head mounted display having a similar knob fitting mechanism as claimed
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS S FISSEL whose telephone number is (313)446-6573. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached on (571) 272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRAVIS S FISSEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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