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
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) 1-2 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 10-2011-0025457 A (Kim).
With respect to claim 1: Kim discloses a device for attaching a leg (support member, height adjustment member 300) to a panel of a cabinet (bottom panel in Fig. 5a), the device comprising: a support portion (Fig. 2: support flange 130 and two opposing fitting protrusions 120); a first engagement portion (one of the two remaining fitting protrusions 120) defining a first main extension (vertical main extension); and a second engagement portion (the other of the two remaining fitting protrusions 120) defining a second main extension (vertical main extension), wherein the first main extension and the second main extension are parallel to each other (both are vertical), wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are connected to the support portion spaced from each other (Figs. 2, 4, and 5b); wherein each one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion includes a projection or recess (each protrusion 120 is a projection), that is adapted to be connected to a corresponding recess or projection in the panel (mounting groove G); wherein the device is adapted for allowing relative displacement of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion (protrusions 120 move away from each other in Figs. 5b-5c); at least one opening or weak portion (the interior volume formed by the protrusions 120 and accommodating the fixing protrusion 220, guide groove 125, and the four cut lines 121) located between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion (guide groove 125 is located between the two opposing protrusions 120 relied upon as the first and second engagement portions) for allowing the relative displacement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion (guide groove 125 accommodates the fixing protrusion 220 that causes relative displacement of protrusions 120 when rotated); wherein the support portion is formed by a support plate (support flange 130 and two opposing fitting protrusions 120) defining a main extension plane (horizontal plane of support flange 130, the main component of the “support plate”); wherein the support plate is adapted for being connected to the panel in a way that the main extension plane of the support plate is parallel to an extension plane of the panel (Fig. 5a: support flange 130 is horizontal and parallel to the horizontal extension plane of the bottom panel of sink S); wherein the support plate includes a base section (support flange 130 and two opposing fitting protrusions 120), a first plate section provided with the first engagement portion (section of flange 130 forming the one of the two remaining fitting protrusions 120), and a second plate section provided with the second engagement portion (section of flange 130 forming the other of the two remaining fitting protrusions 120); wherein at least one of the first plate section and the second plate section is spaced from the base section by the at least one opening or weak portion (Fig. 5b: the two opposing protrusions 120 relied upon as provided with the first and second plate sections are spaced from the other two protrusions 120 by guide groove 125 and/or cut lines 121); wherein the device includes a displacement structure (the interior volume formed by the protrusions 120 and accommodating the fixing protrusion 220, guide groove 125, fixing protrusion 220, and guide protrusions 225) adapted for effecting the displacement of the first engagement portion relative to the second engagement portion (Figs. 5b-5c); wherein the displacement structure includes a receptacle (the interior volume formed by the protrusions 120 and accommodating the fixing protrusion 220, guide groove 125) adapted to be at least partly widened when receiving a correspondingly shaped end portion of the leg (fixing protrusion 220 – see Figs. 5a-5c); and wherein the at least one opening or weak portion forms a part of the receptacle so that the displacement of the first engagement portion relative to the second engagement portion is effected when the leg is received in the receptacle (Figs. 5a-5c).
With respect to claim 2: Kim discloses wherein the device is adapted for allowing relative displacement of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion away from each other (Figs. 5b-5c).
With respect to claim 7: Kim discloses wherein the device is adapted for allowing displacement of the first engagement portion relative to the second engagement portion while maintaining an outer peripheral shape of the device non-effected (the outer peripheral shape defined by flange 130 is not affected by installing fixing protrusion 220).
With respect to claim 8: Kim discloses an arrangement for distancing a cabinet (sink S) from a floor (as in Fig. 5d), the arrangement comprising: a device according to claim 1; and a leg (support member, height adjustment member 300) adapted to be attached to a panel of the cabinet (bottom panel) via the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 9-10 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW ROERSMA whose telephone number is (571)270-3185. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW ROERSMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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