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 communication is in response to the claims dated 10/14/2024.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 8, line 3: it is unclear if “a support plate” is included in the previously recited “support plates”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-6, 8, 10-15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang et al. U.S. Patent 2021/0165466.
Regarding claim 1, Kang et al. teaches a hinge mechanism (300; figures 2-3), wherein the hinge mechanism comprises a base (300c; figure 3), a first rotating part (341), a linkage member (321; figure 4), and a floating support part (350; figure 4), wherein
the first rotating part (341) and the linkage member (321 + 321a; figures 4-5) are both provided in plurality (see figure 5), and
the plurality of first rotating parts (see figure 3; left and right parts) are all disposed on (see figure 5) the base (300c);
the linkage member (321 + 321a; figures 4-5) is an integral structural member, each linkage member comprises a connecting part (321; figure 5) and a second rotating part (321a; figure 5), a plurality (left and right 321a; see figures 3-5) of second rotating parts are rotatably connected to the plurality of first rotating parts (341) in one-to-one correspondence,
each connecting part (321; figure 5) is configured to be fixedly connected to a screen support part (311; figure 4) of an electronic device (101; figure 2a), and the plurality of linkage members (321 + 321a; left and right of figures 4-5) comprise a first linkage member (left 321 + 321a; figure 5) and a second linkage member (right 321 + 321a; figure 5); and
the floating support part (350; figure 4) is disposed on a side (under side) of the base facing a screen (220; figure 2a) support side (upper side; figure 2a), and the floating support part (350) and the base (300c) are movably connected (see figures 3-5) to each other along distribution directions of the two (par[0182]; “The hinge structure 300a may move the support portion 350 in an upper direction (e.g. the +y direction of figure 1A) or a lower direction “); and
the hinge mechanism has a first state and a second state (par[0096]), wherein in a case that the hinge mechanism is in the first state (figure 6C), the connecting part of the first linkage member is located on one side (upper side; figure 6c) of the base (300c), and the connecting part of the second linkage member (right 321 + 321a; figure 5) is located on another side (see figure 11A) of the base, at least one of the plurality of second rotating parts supports the floating support part (350), and a distance between an outer side wall of the base (300c) facing away from a rotating axis (see figure 11a) of the first rotating part and the floating support part is a first distance (see par[0183]); and
in a case that the hinge mechanism is in the second state (see figure 11B), connecting parts of the first linkage member and second linkage member are both located on the side of the base (300c) facing the screen support side (figure 11B),
the second rotating part (321a) avoids the floating support part (350; see par[0188]), a distance between the outer side wall of the base (300c) and the floating support part (350) is a second distance, and the second distance is less than (see figures 11a and 11b) the first distance (see par[0188]).
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Regarding claim 2, Kang et al. teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a synchronization component (see above annotated figure 5), the synchronization component comprises a first synchronization swing arm (see above annotated figure 5) and a second synchronization swing arm (see above annotated figure 5), the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are each rotatably connected (see figures 4-5) to the base through a connecting rod (331 or 332; figure 5), and the first synchronization swing arm is in transmission connection (taught in figure 5) with the second synchronization swing arm;
the first synchronization swing arm (see above annotated figure 5) is connected to the first linkage member (left 321 + 321a; figure 5), and the first linkage member is configured to drive (see figures 4-11B the first synchronization swing arm to rotate relative to the base; and
the second synchronization swing arm (see above annotated figure 5) is connected to the second linkage member (right 321 + 321a; figure 5), and the second linkage member is configured to drive the second synchronization swing arm to rotate (see figures 4-11B) relative to the base.
Regarding claim 3, Kang et al. teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are each provided with engaging teeth (teeth of 331a and 332a; figure 5); the hinge mechanism further comprises a first gear (333; figure 5) and a second gear (334; figure 5) engaged with each other; and the first synchronization swing arm is in transmission connection (see figures 4-5) with the first gear, and the second synchronization swing arm is in transmission connection (see figures 4-5) with the second gear.
Regarding claim 4, Kang et al. teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a first elastic member (342; figure 5), and in a direction (see figure 5) of the rotating axis of the first rotating part, the first elastic member is connected between (see figures 4-5) the base and the first synchronization swing arm, and the first elastic member is in a stretched or compressed state (implicitly taught) to squeeze the first synchronization swing arm and a surface (upper surface of 300c) of the base (300c) attached to the first synchronization swing arm.
Regarding claim 5, Kang et al. teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a first elastic member (342; figure 5), a limiting member (341a; figure 5), and a positioning member (363; figure 5), wherein the positioning member (363) and the base (300c) are apart from each other and fixedly disposed in a direction (see figure 5) of the rotating axis, the limiting member (341) and the first synchronization swing arm are both disposed between (see figures 4-5) the base and the positioning member, and the limiting member (341a) is located between the first synchronization swing arm and the positioning member (363); an end of the limiting member (341a) facing the first synchronization swing arm is provided with a plurality of first limiting protrusions (see figure 5; protrusions on 341a) spaced apart along a circumferential direction (see figure 5) of the rotating axis, an end (right end of 321a; figure 5) of the first synchronization swing arm facing the limiting member (3630 is provided with a plurality of second limiting protrusions (see figure 5; protrusions on 321a) spaced apart along the circumferential direction (see figure 5) of the rotating axis, and through the first limiting protrusions and the second limiting protrusions, the limiting member and the first synchronization swing arm rotatably fit (see figures 4-11B) with each other in the circumferential direction of the rotating axis and movably fit (see figures 4-11B) with each other in the direction of the rotating axis; and in the direction of the rotating axis of the first rotating part, the first elastic member (342) is connected to the limiting member (363) to squeeze (implicitly taught in figures 4-11B) the limiting member and the first synchronization swing arm.
Regarding claim 6, Kang teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises a second elastic member (343; figure 5), the second elastic member is connected between the floating support part (350) and the base (300c), and in the case that the hinge mechanism is in the first state (figure 6C), the second elastic member is in a stretched or compressed state to squeeze the floating support part and the second rotating part.
Regarding claim 8, Kang et al. teaches the hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hinge mechanism further comprises support plates (311 and 312; figures 4-5), the first linkage member and the second linkage member are each connected (see figures 4-5) to a support plate (one of 311 and 312), and the first linkage member and the second linkage member are each configured to drive (see figures 4-11B) the corresponding support plate to rotate (see figures 4-11B) relative to the base.
Regarding claim 10, Kang et al. teaches an electronic device, comprising a display screen (220; figure 2A), screen support parts (311 and 312; figure 4), and a hinge mechanism (300a; figures 3-5) and the rest of the limitations for the same reasons explained in the above rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 11for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 12 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 13, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 13 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 4.
Regarding claim 14, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 14 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 5.
Regarding claim 15, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 15 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 6.
Regarding claim 17, Kang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 17 for the same reasons stated in the above rejection of claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 16 and 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.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the hinge mechanism according to claim 1, and in combination with all the positively recited elements of claim 1, wherein the first rotating part is provided with a recess, the second rotating part is slidably disposed in the recess, an inner wall of the recess is provided with a guide rail, the second rotating part is provided with a guide slot, the guide rail slidably fit with the guide slot, and the guide rail and the guide slot fit with each other in a limiting manner in the direction of the rotating axis of the first rotating part.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the hinge mechanism according to claim 8, and in combination with all the positively recited element of claim 8, wherein the base is provided with a first hinging part, the first linkage member is provided with a second hinging part, and the support plate is provided with a third hinging part and a fourth hinging part, wherein the first hinging part is rotatably connected to the third hinging part, and the second hinging part is rotatably connected to the fourth hinging part; and in the case that the hinge mechanism is in the first state, first surfaces of the support plates facing away from the linkage member are coplanar, two opposite support plates both support the base; and in the case that the hinge mechanism is in the second state, the linkage members support the support plates, and the first surfaces of the two support plates form a flared structure, with a flared opening facing the base.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the first rotating part is provided with a recess, the second rotating part is slidably disposed in the recess, an inner wall of the recess is provided with a guide rail, the second rotating part is provided with a guide slot, the guide rail slidably fit with the guide slot, and the guide rail and the guide slot fit with each other in a limiting manner in the direction of the rotating axis of the first rotating part.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art of record fails to teach, disclose or fairly suggest the electronic device according to claim 17, in combination with all the positively recited elements of claim 17, wherein the base is provided with a first hinging part, the first linkage member is provided with a second hinging part, and the support plate is provided with a third hinging part and a fourth hinging part, wherein the first hinging part is rotatably connected to the third hinging part, and the second hinging part is rotatably connected to the fourth hinging part; and in the case that the hinge mechanism is in the first state, first surfaces of the support plates facing away from the linkage member are coplanar, two opposite support plates both support the base; and in the case that the hinge mechanism is in the second state, the linkage members support the support plates, and the first surfaces of the two support plates form a flared structure, with a flared opening facing the base.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUNG Q DANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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