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
1. 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.
2. Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2006/0278426 A1 (Barth).
With respect to claim 1, Barth shows an enclosure for a network device comprising: a housing (102, FIg.2) defining an interior for receiving a network device (104); a slide bracket (120, FIg.2) positioned in the housing; a tray (106, 122) configured to receive the network device is slideably connected to the slide bracket (120) and moveable between an open position (Fig.1) and an operation position (Fig.2); and a cover (108) connected to the tray, wherein at least a portion of the tray is pivoted inside of the housing (102, Fig.2) as the tray is moved to the operation position (Fig.2).
With respect to claim 2, wherein the slide bracket (120) includes a slot (124, Fig.1, Fig.2).
With respect to claim 3, wherein the slot (124) has a curved portion that causes rotation of the tray to the operation position (Fig.1, FIg.2).
With respect to claim 4, wherein the operation position (Fig.2) orients the network device (100) at an oblique angle relative to a horizontal plane of the housing (Fig.2).
With respect to claim 5, wherein the angle is between approximately 0 and 90 degrees (Fig.2).
With respect to claim 6, wherein the angle is approximately 30 degrees (Fig.2).
3. Claims 7-11, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2017/0020025 A1 (HUANG).
With respect to claim 7, HUANG shows an enclosure (1, Fig.1) for a network device comprising: a housing (2, Fig.1) defining an interior for receiving a network device (4); a slide bracket (33, Fig.2) positioned in the housing; a tray (31 and 32, Fig.3) having a front body portion (32) and a base (31) pivotally connected to the front body portion (Fig.2), the base (31) configured to receive the network device (4, Fig.2, Fig.3), the tray (31 and 32) slideably connected to the slide bracket (33, Fig.2) and moveable between an open position (Fig.1) and an operation position (Fig.2).
With respect to claim 8, wherein the base (31) is pivotally connected to the front body portion (32) by a pin (34, Fig.3).
With respect to claim 9, wherein the housing (2) includes an upper body portion (23, FIg.1) and a lower body portion (21, 22, 24, Fig.2).
With respect to claim 10, wherein a bracket (brackets with holes on top of housing 2, Fig.2) is connected to the housing (2) for securing the housing to a support.
With respect to claim 11, wherein the housing (2) includes a front opening (27, FIg.3) and a removable cover (9) is configured to be positioned over the front opening (27, Fig.3).
With respect to claim 15, HUANG shows an enclosure (1, Fig.1) for a network device (4) comprising: a housing (2, Fig.1) defining an interior for receiving a network device (4); a faceplate (9, FIg.1) connected to the housing; a slide bracket (32, 33, Fig.2) positioned in the housing; a tray (311) having a base, the base configured to receive the network device, the tray (311) slideably connected to the slide bracket (32, 33, Fig.2) and moveable between an open position (Fig.1) and an operation position (Fig.2); and a cover (312, 313, 314, Fig.3) connected to the tray (311, Fig.3), wherein the base (311) is pivoted inside of the housing as the tray is moved to the operation position to orient the base at an oblique angle (Fig.2, oblique angle relative to a vertical plane).
With respect to claim 16, wherein the housing includes an upper body portion (23, Fig.2) and a lower body portion (21, 22, 24, Fig.2).
With respect to claim 17, wherein housing (2) includes a forward flange (see forward flange at the opening of the housing 2 in FIg.2) for receiving the faceplate (9).
With respect to claim 18, wherein the housing (2) includes a projection (28, Fig.3) extending from a bottom wall (24) into the interior.
With respect to claim 19, wherein the slide bracket (32, 33) includes a fastener plate (32) and the cover (312, 313) includes an opening for receiving a fastener (315, Fig.3) to secure the cover to the fastener plate (section 0041).
With respect to claim 20, wherein the slide bracket (32) includes a curved slot (slot on top of 32, Fig.3).
4. Claims 7, 8, 10, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent 9,443,559 B2 (Jau).
With respect to claim 7, Jau discloses an enclosure comprising: a housing (“the tray assembly 100 is installed in a storage device tray” Col.4 lines 12-16) defining an interior for receiving a network device (capable of receiving a network device similar to how storage device 200 is received in Fig.1); a slide bracket (123 having the elongated slot 124, FIg.1) positioned in the housing; a tray (110, 140, Fig.1) having a front body portion (140) and a base (110) pivotally connected to the front body portion, the base (110) configured to receive the network device (similar to how the storage device 200 is received in the base 110), the tray (110, 140) slideably connected to the slide bracket (123 via slot 124, Fig.1, Fig.2, Fig.3) and moveable between an open position (Fig.3) and an operation position (Fig.2).
With respect to claim 8, wherein the base (110) is pivotally connected to the front body portion (140) by a pin (pivot pin at the end of 140, Fig.1).
With respect to claim 10, wherein a bracket (125) is connected to the housing for securing the housing to a support (130).
With respect to claim 13, wherein the slide bracket (123) includes a curved slot (124a, 124b, Fig.3).
With respect to claim 14, wherein the base (110) includes a pin (111, Fig.1) configured to slidably engage the curved slot (124, FIg.1-Fig.3, Col.4 lines 41-45).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2017/0020025 A1 (HUANG) in further in view of US 2015/0282377 A1 (Hilburn).
With respect to claim 12, HUANG shows the base (31) includes a set of apertures (312b, 313b, Fig.3) for receiving fastener to secure the network device (4) to the base (31). Huang doesn’t show they are shaped like a keyhole. Hilburn shows the base includes a set of keyhole apertures (206, Fig.2, Fig.10). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to make the apertures of HUANG keyhole shaped, such as taught by Hilburn, in order to easily and quickly secure and disengage the device from the base.
7. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 9,443,559 B2 (Jau) in further view of US 2006/0171110 A1 (Li).
With respect to claim 12, Jau shows the base (110) includes a fastener (114, Fig.1) to secure the device (200) to the base (110). Jau doesn’t show keyhole apertures for receiving a fastener. Li shows wherein the base (1, FIg.2) includes a set of keyhole apertures (42’, FIg.2) for receiving fastener (41’) to secure the device to the base. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to include a set of keyhole apertures to the base of Jau, such as taught Li, in order to easily and quickly secure the device on the base and to easily disengage the device from the base.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIWOT E TEFERA whose telephone number is (571)270-3320. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 5712703742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HIWOT E TEFERA/Examiner, Art Unit 3637
Prosecution Insights