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.
Claim 18 is 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 18, the limitation “a second mounting hole” in line 2 is unclear. It is unclear whether a first mounting hole is required, if there is a single mounting hole or at least two mounting holes.
For the purpose of examination, the Examiner will interpret this as a single mounting hole.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7, 12-13, 22 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cheng US 20240094785.
Regarding claim 1, Cheng US 20240094785 discloses an electronic device (electronic device not shown see [0046]), comprising:
a main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]); and
a rotating shaft mechanism (of Fig. 2 and 6-7), comprising:
a base (100 in Fig. 2 and 10);
a first swing arm (410 in Fig. 6);
a second swing arm (430 in Fig. 6),
wherein both a first end of the first swing arm (410) and a first end of the second swing arm (430) are rotatably connected to a same side of the base (100), and
rotation axes of the first swing arm (410) and the second swing arm (430) are parallel;
a limiting member (210 in Fig. 6) disposed separately from the base (100),
wherein the limiting member (210) is connected to the main body (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]) portion integrally, fixedly, or in a limiting manner; and
a lever body (610 in Fig. 7) that extends parallel to a direction of the rotation axes, and is supported on and connected to all of the first swing arm (410), the second swing arm (430), and the limiting member (210 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 2, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first swing arm (410) is fixedly connected to the main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]), and the second swing arm (430) is configured to slide relative to the main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]) during rotation.
Regarding claim 6, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the limiting member (210) comprises a block (block of 210 in Fig. 6), that is connected to the main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]) by a mounting structure fixedly or in a limiting manner (see [0013]).
Regarding claim 7, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 6, wherein the limiting member (210) further comprises at least one of a positioning rod and a positioning slot (shown not numbered in Fig. 6), disposed on a surface on which the limiting member (210) is mounted on the main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]), and for positioning and mounting the limiting member (210) on the main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0013] and [0046]).
Regarding claim 12, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first mounting hole (hole of 651 in Fig. 7) is disposed on an end surface of the limiting member (210) that faces a side of the lever body (610),
wherein an axial direction of the first mounting hole (hole of 651) is parallel to a length direction of the lever body (610), and
wherein the lever body (610) is at least partially inserted and supported in the first mounting hole (651 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 13, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 6, wherein a first mounting hole (hole of 651 in Fig. 7) is disposed on an end surface of the limiting member (210) that faces a side of the lever body (610),
wherein an axial direction of the first mounting hole (hole of 651) is parallel to a length direction of the lever body (610), and
wherein the lever body (610) is at least partially inserted and supported in the first mounting hole (651 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 22, Cheng discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first swing arm (410), the second swing arm (430), the lever body (610), and the limiting member (210) form a swing arm unit (swing arm unit of Fig. 6),
wherein the rotating shaft mechanism comprises at least two swing arm units (410/430/610/210 and 420/440/620/220 in Fig. 6 and 7), and
wherein two of the swing arm units (410/430/610/210 and 420/440/620/220) are symmetrically disposed with respect to a central axis of the base (100 as depicted in Fig. 6 and 2).
Regarding claim 28, Cheng US 20240094785 discloses a rotating shaft mechanism, comprising:
a base (100 in Fig. 2 and 10);
a first swing arm (410 in Fig. 6);
a second swing arm (430 in Fig. 6),
wherein both a first end of the first swing arm (410) and a first end of the second swing arm (430) are rotatably connected to a same side of the base (100), and
rotation axes of the first swing arm (410) and the second swing arm (430) are parallel;
a limiting member (210 in Fig. 6) disposed separately from the base (100),
wherein the limiting member (210) is connected to the main body portion of an electronic device (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0013] and [0046]) integrally, fixedly, or in a limiting manner; and
a lever body (610 in Fig. 7) that extends parallel to a direction of the rotation axes, and is supported on and connected to all of the first swing arm (410), the second swing arm (430), and the limiting member (210 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Claim(s) 1 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by a different interpretation of Cheng US 20240094785 (hereinafter referred to as Cheng2).
Regarding claim 1, Cheng2 discloses an electronic device (electronic device not shown see [0046]), comprising:
a main body portion (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]); and
a rotating shaft mechanism, comprising:
a base (100 in Fig. 2 and 10);
a first swing arm (430 in Fig. 6);
a second swing arm (410 in Fig. 6),
wherein both a first end of the first swing arm (430) and a first end of the second swing arm (410) are rotatably connected to a same side of the base (100), and
rotation axes of the first swing arm (430) and the second swing arm (410) are parallel;
a limiting member (210 in Fig. 6) disposed separately from the base (100),
wherein the limiting member (210) is connected to the main body (main body portion of electronic device not shown see [0046]) portion integrally, fixedly, or in a limiting manner; and
a lever body (610 in Fig. 7) that extends parallel to a direction of the rotation axes, and is supported on and connected to all of the first swing arm (430), the second swing arm (410), and the limiting member (210 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18, Cheng2 discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein a second mounting hole (hole of 430 in Fig. 7) is disposed on an end surface of the first swing arm (430) that faces a side of the lever body (610), and wherein the lever body (610) is fastened and mounted in the second mounting hole (hole of 430 as depicted in Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8-11, 14-16 and 23 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 3, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1-2, a combination of limitations that “wherein the lever body is connected to the first swing arm and the limiting member in a limiting manner to rotate synchronously with the first swing arm and the limiting member, and wherein the second swing arm comprises an elongated sliding groove to facilitate sliding of the lever body”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claim 4 depending from claim 3 would therefore also be allowable.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1-2, a combination of limitations that “wherein the lever body is connected to the second swing arm in a limiting manner to rotate synchronously with the second swing arm, and wherein the first swing arm and the limiting member each are provided with an elongated sliding groove to facilitate sliding of the lever body”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 8, 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 limiting member further comprises a first limiting portion, configured to be in a sliding fit with a second limiting portion disposed on the main body portion in a rotation process, to drive the main body portion to rotate”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 9 and 15 depending from claim 8 would therefore also be allowable.
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 6, a combination of limitations that “wherein the limiting member further comprises a first limiting portion, configured to be in a sliding fit with a second limiting portion disposed on the main body portion in a rotation process, to drive the main body portion to rotate”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 11 and 16 depending from claim 10 would therefore also be allowable.
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 6-7, a combination of limitations that “wherein a first mounting hole is disposed on an end surface of the limiting member that faces a side of the lever body, wherein an axial direction of the first mounting hole is parallel to a length direction of the lever body, and wherein the lever body is at least partially inserted and supported in the first mounting hole”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 23, 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 first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the limiting member are sequentially arranged in the direction of the rotation axes, wherein there is a first notch on a side of the second swing arm that is away from the first swing arm, and wherein the limiting member is at least partially located in the first notch, and wherein there is a second notch on a side of the second swing arm that is proximate to the first swing arm, wherein the first swing arm has an extension portion that extends into the second notch, and wherein the lever body is fastened to the extension portion”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin US 20230244274 Fig. 15-25; Wu US 20240384751 Fig. 13a-23 Kang US 20200348732 Fig. 4, 8-10 and 15 disclose a hinge mechanism with swing arms.
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.
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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
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