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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 (and claims 3-12 by dependency) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 2 recites the broad recitation in four instances as follows “at least one locking hole”, “at least one latch of the rotary driving structure”, “at least one track device” “at least one tongue” and the claim also recites “at least one locking hole of each of the two lateral boards comprises two locking holes”, “the driving structure comprises two latches”, “comprises two track devices”, “each of the two latches comprises two tongues” which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
In view of the rejections above under 35 USC § 112, the claims referred to in any and all rejections below are rejected as best understood.
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 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Langenbach (US 3,977,749) in view of Lovatt (US 1,997,528).
Regarding claim 1, Langenbach discloses a self-locking module device, comprising: a box body(12) comprising a bottom board (opposite 12), a top board (12), and two lateral boards (16), wherein the bottom board, the top board, and the two lateral boards surround to form a module space (inside 10) and an opening communicating with the module space;
a module base comprising a cover body and a bottom frame, wherein the cover body is connected to the bottom frame; when the module base is combined with the box body, the cover body is stuck at the opening and the bottom frame abuts against the bottom board; the cover body has a cover board, wherein the cover board closes the opening; a side of the cover board facing the module space is defined as an inner side, and the other side of the cover board away from the module space is defined as an outer side; the cover board has a penetrated portion.
Langenbach does not disclose: ; at least one of the two lateral boards has at least
one locking hole;
a rotary driving structure disposed on the cover body and comprising a rotary plate, a rotary handle, at least one latch, and at least one spring, wherein the rotary plate has a rotation center portion; at least one pin is combined with a periphery of the rotation center portion of the rotary plate; the rotary plate is disposed on the inner side of the cover board and the rotation center portion of the rotary plate is rotatably disposed on the penetrated portion; a part of the rotary handle penetrates through the penetrated portion and is combined with the rotary plate; at least one track device is formed between the at least one latch and the cover board and the at least one latch is movable in a straight line; an outer end portion of the at least one latch has at least one tongue, wherein the at least one tongue protrudes out of a periphery of the cover board and is inserted into the at least one locking hole; an inner end portion of the at least one latch comprises a displacement hole; the at least one pin penetrates through the displacement hole of the at least one latch; the displacement hole has a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one pin is located at the first end; a distance between the first end and a center of the rotation center portion is a first length; a distance between the second end and the center of the rotation center portion is a second length; the second length is greater than the first length; the at least one spring is adapted to drive the at least one pin to move towards the first end of the displacement hole of the at least one latch.
Lovatt; at least one of the two lateral boards has at least
one locking hole (bore of 53; Lovatt); a rotary driving structure (Fig. 5 Fig.6; Lovatt) disposed on the cover body and comprising a rotary plate (20; Lovatt), a rotary handle (45; Lovatt), at least one latch (10; Lovatt), and at least one spring (14; Lovatt), wherein the rotary plate has a rotation center portion (about 46; Lovatt); at least one pin (28; Lovatt) is combined with a periphery of the rotation center portion of the rotary plate (20; Lovatt); the rotary plate is disposed on the inner side (Fig.11; Lovatt) of the cover board and the rotation center portion of the rotary plate is rotatably disposed on the penetrated portion (Fig.2; Lovatt); a part of the rotary handle penetrates through the penetrated portion and is combined with the rotary plate (Fig.4; Lovatt); at least one track device (53; Lovatt) is formed between the at least one latch and the cover board and the at least one latch is movable in a straight line (Fig.11; Lovatt); an outer end portion of the at least one latch has at least one tongue (4; Lovatt), wherein the at least one tongue protrudes out of a periphery of the cover board and is inserted into the at least one locking hole (Fig.1; Lovatt); an inner end portion of the at least one latch comprises a displacement hole (Fig.7, in which 28 is inserted); the at least one pin penetrates through the displacement hole of the at least one latch; the displacement hole has a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one pin is located at the first end; a distance between the first end and a center of the rotation center portion is a first length(Fig.11; Lovatt); a distance between the second end and the center of the rotation center portion is a second length; the second length is greater than the first length; the at least one spring is adapted to drive the at least one pin to move towards the first end of the displacement hole of the at least one latch for the purpose of a primary locking means on the inside of a door to engage suitable keepers at the edges of the door opening and adapted to be actuated by manually operable means projecting from the other side of the door.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Langenbach with at least one of the two lateral boards has at least one locking hole ;
a rotary driving structure disposed on the cover body and comprising a rotary plate, a rotary handle, at least one latch, and at least one spring, wherein the rotary plate has a rotation center portion; at least one pin is combined with a periphery of the rotation center portion of the rotary plate; the rotary plate is disposed on the inner side of the cover board and the rotation center portion of the rotary plate is rotatably disposed on the penetrated portion; a part of the rotary handle penetrates through the penetrated portion and is combined with the rotary plate; at least one track device is formed between the at least one latch and the cover board and the at least one latch is movable in a straight line; an outer end portion of the at least one latch has at least one tongue, wherein the at least one tongue protrudes out of a periphery of the cover board and is inserted into the at least one locking hole; an inner end portion of the at least one latch comprises a displacement hole; the at least one pin penetrates through the displacement hole of the at least one latch; the displacement hole has a first end and a second end, wherein the at least one pin is located at the first end; a distance between the first end and a center of the rotation center portion is a first length; a distance between the second end and the center of the rotation center portion is a second length; the second length is greater than the first length; the at least one spring is adapted to drive the at least one pin to move towards the first end of the displacement hole of the at least one latch as taught by Lovatt for the expected benefit of a primary locking means on the inside of a door to engage suitable keepers at the edges of the door opening and adapted to be actuated by manually operable means projecting from the other side of the door.
Regarding claim 2, Langenbach as modified by Lovatt discloses the self-locking module device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two lateral boards (16; Langenbach) has the at least one locking hole (bore of 53; Lovatt), and the at least one locking hole of each of the two lateral boards comprises two locking holes; the at least one latch (10; Lovatt) of the rotary driving structure comprises two laches; the at least one pin (28; Lovatt) combined with the periphery of the rotation center portion of the rotary plate comprises two pins; the two latches are disposed on the inner side of the cover board and are respectively located on two sides of the rotary plate; the at least one track device (53; Lovatt) comprises two track devices; each of the two latches (58; Lovatt) is movable between a first position and a second position along each of the two track devices; the at least one tongue of the outer end portion of each of the two latches comprises two tongues; when each of the two latches is located at the first position, the two tongues protrude out of the periphery of the cover board and are inserted into the two locking holes. (Fig.11; Lovatt)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Langenbach as modified by Lovatt shows the self-locking module device except for: each of the two track devices has a track hole and a plurality of fixing members; the track hole of each of the two track devices is disposed on each of the two latches; the plurality of fixing members of each of the two track devices penetrate through the track hole of each of the two track devices and is fixed to the cover board.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as it may affect the patentability of applicant’s claimed invention is listed on the attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas L. Neubauer whose telephone number is 571.272.4864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM through 5:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina R. Fulton can be reached on 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T. L. N./
Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675