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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because they are not clear and the details of the invention are difficult to see in the drawing. They contain shading and pictures which are not clear (e.g. see Figs. 7, 8A-8L, 10A, 10B, etc). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 35 & 39-41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brunner et al. (US patent 11,485,542) (hereinafter Brunner).
Regarding claim 35, Brunner discloses a system, comprising: a container (192) having an upper surface, and first and second latches (172) being formed on opposite sides of the upper surface; and a work platform (190) having a peripheral rim (the vertical sides of the platform, shown in Fig. 14A), and first and second steps (196, 200) being formed on opposite sides of the peripheral rim, the work platform being configured to be removably positioned on the upper surface of the container with the first latch disposable over the first step and the second latch disposable over the second step to secure the work platform on the container (Figs. 14A-16 & see Col. 10: 21-56).
Regarding claim 39, Brunner discloses a system, comprising: a plurality of containers (16A, 16B, 16C), each container having at least one latch (172); and a work surface (190) having a plurality of steps (196, 200), each step extending from a peripheral rim of the work surface (Figs. 14A), and the work surface being configured to be disposed simultaneously on the plurality of containers such that, for each container of the plurality of containers, the at least one latch is disposed over at least one step of the plurality of steps (Figs. 14A-16 & see Col. 10: 21-56).
Regarding claim 40, Brunner discloses a system wherein the plurality of steps includes a first plurality of steps extending downwardly from the peripheral rim at a first side thereof and a second plurality of steps extending downwardly from the peripheral rim at a second side thereof (the steps are on both sides, see Col. 10: 21-56).
Regarding claim 41, Brunner discloses a system wherein the first and second sides of the peripheral rim are opposite sides (Figs. 14A-16).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 27-34 are allowed.
Claims 36-38 & 42-46 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: The prior art discloses a system comprising a work surface having a peripheral rim with a step; and a container which can receive the work surface by securing it with a latch connected to the step. The prior art does not disclose a system comprising a work surface with a peripheral rim having a step and a through hole; and a container which receives the work surface, the container having a locking opening and a latch wherein the locking opening is aligned with the through hole.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it gives a general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J ROHRHOFF whose telephone number is (571)270-7624. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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, Dan Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL J ROHRHOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637