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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ono JP 2020-172379 A (hereinafter “Ono”).
Regarding claim 1, Ono discloses a molded article (refer to example shown in FIGS. 3-4), comprising:
a boss (211) having lightening portions (cut outs forming the cross-shaped boss);
an opposing wall (212) that intersects a surface on which the boss is formed and opposes a side surface of the boss; and
a mold release portion (refer annotated FIG. 4) of a hole shape or a groove shape disposed in the opposing wall to release a mold for forming a part of the boss,
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wherein the lightening portions are disposed on a mold release portion side of the boss facing the mold release portion and on both sides with respect to a center of the boss in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to both an opening direction of the mold released from the mold release portion, and an extending direction of the boss (refer to FIGS. 8-11), and
an edge in the orthogonal direction of each of the lightening portions on the mold release portion side is located at an outermost position of the boss in the orthogonal direction (refer to shape of 211 in FIGS. 8-11).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the boss is inserted into a cylindrical counterpart (202a) to position the cylindrical counterpart, and the boss has an arc-shaped side surface (refer to rounded top surface of 211 in FIG. 11) to position the cylindrical counterpart in the opening direction of the mold and the orthogonal direction.
Regarding claim 3, a pressing device, comprising: the molded article according to claim 1 being a spring holder having the boss, and a coil spring (202a) engaged with the boss to press a pressed member (a sheet or roller 29) with a biasing force.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 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 LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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