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 § 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) 12-15, 17, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fryer (GB 2348563).
Regarding claim 12, Fryer discloses a suspension assembly for an audio transducer (suspension assembly 1, Fig. 1, page 6, line 1 – page 7, line 2), the suspension assembly comprising: an annular frame (annular frame 3, Fig. 1); a collar configured to be disposed around a voice coil (collar 4 disposed around voice coil, Fig. 1, page 6, line 24 – page 7, line 2); a plurality of first suspension members each having a first radially outer end portion coupled to the frame, a radially inner end portion coupled to the collar, and an intermediate portion between the outer end portion and the inner end portion, the intermediate portion being displaced in a first axial direction from the inner end portion and the outer end portion (plurality of first suspension members 2 with marking “x”, Figs. 1, 3); and a plurality of second suspension members each having a radially outer end portion coupled to the frame, a radially inner end portion coupled to the collar, and an intermediate portion between the outer end portion and the inner end portion, the intermediate portion being displaced in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction from the inner end portion and the outer end portion (plurality of second suspension members 2 with marking “o”, Figs. 1, 2), wherein the assembly is configured such that each of the first and second suspension members are in compression when the annular frame lies in the same plane as the collar (see page 6, lines 12-14, 16-18).
Regarding claim 13, Fryer discloses wherein the first and second suspension members comprise resilient members (first and second suspension members 2 comprises resilient members, page 6 lines 12-13).
Regarding claim 14, Fryer discloses wherein the first and second suspension members comprise springs (first and second suspension members 2 comprises resilient members and can be considered springs, page 6 lines 12-18).
Regarding claim 15, Fryer discloses wherein the intermediate portions of the first suspension members and the second suspension members are each corrugated (first and second suspension members 2 are corrugated, Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 17, Fryer discloses wherein the first suspension members and second suspension members are spaced apart from one another circumferentially around the voice coil in an alternating fashion such that each first suspension member is separated from an adjacent first suspension member by one of the second suspension members (first and second suspension members are spaced apart from one another circumferentially around the voice coil in an alternating fashion as seen in Fig. 1, see suspension members marked with “x” and “o”).
Regarding claim 20, Fryer discloses wherein each suspension member comprises an attachment feature that couples the outer end portion of the suspension member to the frame (suspension members 2 have an attachment feature 5 that couples the outer end portion to the frame 3, Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 21, Fryer discloses a method of assembling a suspension assembly for an audio transducer (suspension assembly 1, Fig. 1, page 6, line 1 – page 7, line 2), the method comprising: providing a suspension assembly comprising a collar (collar 4, Fig. 1, page 6, line 24 – page 7, line 2) and a plurality of springs each having a radially inner end portion coupled to the collar and a radially outer end portion opposite the radially inner end portion (plurality of springs 2, Figs. 1, 2, 3), the outer end portion comprising an attachment feature (springs 2 attached to the frame 3, said contact point would be an attachment feature, Fig. 1); for each spring: coupling the attachment feature of the outer end portion to an annular frame (each spring 2 is coupled to the annular frame 3 via attachment feature, Fig. 1); moving the attachment feature and the outer end portion along a radially inward direction with respect to the frame, thereby increasing compression of the spring (spring is tensioned, see page 6, lines 12-14, 16-18); and securing the outer end portion with respect to the frame, thereby preventing movement along the radial direction with respect to the frame (spring 2 is secured to the frame 3 preventing movement along the radial direction with respect to the frame, Fig. 1).
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 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fryer (GB 2348563).
Regarding claim 16, while Fryer does not specifically teach wherein the first suspension members and the second suspension members each comprise a carbon fiber reinforced plastic material, Fryer does teach the suspension members being made of a resilient plastic material (Fryer: page 6 lines 10-19) and it is well known in the art to reinforce plastic with carbon fiber.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the plastic material of the suspension members of Fryer to be reinforced with a carbon fiber in order to improve the resilience and durability of the suspension members. The Examiner takes Official Notice.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-27 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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-9 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance. The prior art of record teaches various suspension assemblies in audio transducers, for example: Fryer (GB 2348563), Dijkstra et al. (EP 0123359), and Otto et al. (CN 112243185).
Nevertheless, the prior art of record fails to teach “wherein each spring comprises an attachment feature configured to 1) couple the outer end portion of the spring to the frame and ii) engage an actuator that compresses the spring (emphasis added)” when combined with all the limitations of claim 1. Thus claim 1 is considered allowable over the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5728. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6 PM.
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/SEAN H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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