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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1, Figures 1-10, in the reply filed on December 29, 2025, is acknowledged. Claims 9-11 and 20 are withdrawn and Claims 1-8 and 12-19 are pending.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 8,231,188 to Chen et al. (Chen).
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Regarding Claim 1: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit comprising: a frame (See Annotated Fig. A) comprising a mounting feature (See Annotated Fig. A); and a handle (See Annotated Fig. A) movably mounted on the frame and comprising a positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. A); wherein when the handle is in a locking state, both of the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. A) of the handle and the mounting feature (See Annotated Fig. A) of the frame face toward a mounting direction (note that the mounting feature is an aperture that extends downward and the positioning feature also extends downward when handle is in a locked state); wherein when the handle moves from the locking state to an unlocking state, the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. A) of the handle faces toward an operating direction (a direction of the positioning feature in any of the other positions when it is pivoted away from the locked state) different from the mounting direction for allowing the handle to be held by a user.
Regarding Claim 2: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises: a first end (See Annotated Fig. A) pivotally mounted on the frame; a second end (See Annotated Fig. A); and a holding portion (See Annotated Fig. A) located between the first end and the second end.
Regarding Claim 3: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 2, further comprising a resilient member (See Annotated Fig. A) arranged on the frame, the resilient member comprising a first retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A), the second end of the handle comprising a second retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A), and the first retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A) and the second retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A) engaging with each other, such that the handle is retained in the locking state relative to the frame.
Regarding Claim 4: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 3, wherein the resilient member (See Annotated Fig. A) further comprises an operating portion (See Annotated Fig. A) located adjacent to the first retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A), and the operating portion is configured to be operated to drive the first retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A) and the second retaining portion (See Annotated Fig. A) to disengage from each other, such that the handle is released from the locking state.
Regarding Claim 5: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 4, wherein the resilient member (See Annotated Fig. A) further comprises a resilient arm portion (See Annotated Fig. A) configured to generate a resilient force for driving the handle to disengage from the locking state when the handle is released from the locking state.
Regarding Claim 6: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 5, wherein the frame comprises a through hole structure (See Annotated Fig. A) defined by a plurality of walls (See Annotated Fig. A), and the through hole structure and the handle are configured to be held by two hands of the user.
Regarding Claim 8: Chen discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 2, wherein the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. A) of the handle is located adjacent to the first end (See Annotated Fig. A) of the handle.
Claim(s) 12, 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent App. No. 2023/0029230 to Chen et al. (Chen 230).
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Regarding Claim 12: Chen 230 discloses a rack mounting kit adapted for a rack, the rack mounting kit comprising: a frame (See Annotated Fig. B) comprising a mounting feature (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to be mounted at a first mounting position relative to the rack; a handle (See Annotated Fig. B) movably mounted on the frame and comprising a positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. B) configured to be mounted at a second mounting position (See Annotated Fig. B) relative to the rack; wherein when the handle is in a locking state relative to the frame, the mounting feature (See Annotated Fig. B) located at the first mounting position and the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. B) located at the second mounting position (See Annotated Fig. B) cooperatively restrain the frame from being detached from the rack; wherein when the handle (See Annotated Fig. B) is released from the locking state relative to the frame, the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. B) is configured to depart from the second mounting position for allowing the frame to be detached from the rack.
Regarding Claim 13: Chen 230 discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 12, wherein the handle comprises: a first end (See Annotated Fig. B) pivotally mounted on the frame; a second end (See Annotated Fig. B); and a holding portion (See Annotated Fig. B) located between the first end and the second end.
Regarding Claim 19: Chen 230 discloses a rack mounting kit of claim 13, wherein the positioning feature (See Annotated Fig. B) of the handle is located adjacent to the first end of the handle (See Annotated Fig. B). (Note that the positioning feature is next to, adjacent, the first end. The claim does not provide any specificity as to how close the two elements are.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 14-18 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.
Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
None of the cited prior art, considered alone or in combination, discloses or teaches:
a rack mounting kit of claim 3, wherein one of the resilient member and the second end of the handle comprises a guiding feature, and when the handle moves from the unlocking state to the locking state, the second end of the handle and the resilient member abut against each other by the guiding feature, so as to guide the second retaining portion of the handle to engage with the first retaining portion of the resilient member for retaining the handle in the locking state; or
a rack mounting kit of claim 13, further comprising a resilient member arranged on the frame, the resilient member comprising a first retaining portion, the second end of the handle comprising a second retaining portion, and the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion engaging with each other, such that the handle is retained in the locking state relative to the frame.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the references used in this rejection and those cited in the PTO-892, the following references are very relevant to the claimed invention: US 10383248, 6773080.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERET C MCNICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7363. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 5:00 (Eastern).
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ERET C. MCNICHOLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ERET C MCNICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632