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 .
This is a non-final Office Action for serial number 18/886,975, Plate Dolly, filed on September 16, 2024.
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) 1-4, and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0224952 to Mosley.
Regarding claim 1, Mosley ‘952 discloses a plate dolly (10), comprising: a body (20) having a central void area; a plurality of casters (40) in communication with a lower surface of the body (see Fig. 2A) and a surface treatment (50) on an upper surface of the body.
Regarding claim 2, Mosley ‘952 discloses wherein the plurality of casters are configured to rotate 360 degrees.
Regarding claims 3, and 9, Mosley ‘952 discloses wherein the surface treatment (50) is a non-skid surface (grip coating).
Regarding claim 4, Mosley ‘952 discloses wherein the surface treatment extends around the void area.
Regarding claim 7, Mosley ‘952 discloses wherein the surface treatment includes elevated surface (see Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 8, Mosley ‘952 discloses wherein the surface treatment (grip coating) is made of a dissimilar material to that of the body.
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(s) 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mosley ‘952 in view of U.S. Patent No. 12,104,744 to Duan.
Regarding claims 5, and 10, Mosley ‘952 fails to disclose wherein the body includes a tab extending into the central void area. Nevertheless, Duan ‘744 discloses a body (10 – Fig. 2) includes several tabs (31) extending into a central void area. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the body of Mosley ‘952 with the tabs because one would have a motivation to provide a means for fastening to an object as taught by Duan ‘744.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mosley ‘952 in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0233584 to Mooney
Regarding claim 6, Mosley ‘952 fails to disclose wherein the surface treatment is heat resistant. Nevertheless, Mooney ‘584 discloses a ring (18 – Fig. 3) includes a heat resistant resin. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the surface treatment of Mosley ‘952 with the heat resistant because one would have a motivation to provide a purpose for heat safety as taught by Mooney ‘584.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 12,196,358 – Ring Rotating Assembly
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/TODD M EPPS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 November 14, 2025