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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 20232291141.3, filed on 10/27/2023 in China.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 10/25/2024 is acceptable.
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 1-2, 4 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hall et al. [US 5,751,548].
Regarding claim 1, Hall et al. disclose a display device holder (figures 1-11), comprising:
a fixing member (85, figure 8) configured to be fastened to a mounting surface (18’, figure 8);
a mounting member (42’, figure 8) configured to mount a display module of a display screen (12’, figure 8);
a supporting member (81, figure 8) rotatably connected to the fixing member at one end of the supporting member (a bottom portion of the support member 81 connected to an end of the fixing member 85, figure 8) and rotatably connected to the mounting member at another end of the supporting member (a top portion of the support member 81 connected to the mounting member 42’, figure 8);
a locking device (83, figure 8) movably arranged on the fixing member; and
a locking member (99, figures 8-9) attached to the supporting member, wherein
the supporting member is changeable between a locked state (a locking member 99 inserted into a locking device hole 95 of the locking device, figure 9) and an unlocked state (the locking member withdraw from the locking device 95 of the locking device 83, figure 9), the locking member is engaged with the locking device so as to hold the supporting member at a predefined position (figure 8); and
wherein the locking member is configured to engage with the locking device (figure 9) or disengage with the locking device, when the locking member engages with the locking device, the supporting member is located in the locked state (figure 9), when the locking member disengages with the locking device, the supporting member is located in the unlocked state (the mounting device may be rotatable, figure 8), when the supporting member is located in the unlocked state, the supporting member is rotatable to be apart from the fixing member (figure 8).
Regarding claim 2, Hall et al. further disclose wherein the locking device comprises a main body (83, figure 8) and a triggering member (87 & 89, figure 8) connected to the main body, the main body is attached to the fixing member and engages with the locking member (99, figures 8-9), the triggering member is configured to extend out of the fixing member and operatable by a user (87, figures 8-9).
Regarding claim 4, Hall et al., further disclose wherein the main body comprises a holding portion (93, figures 8-9) disposed at a location away from the triggering member, the holding portion engages with the locking member (99, figures 8-9), the holding portion is concaved towards the supporting member.
Regarding claim 19, Hall et al., disclose a display device (50’, figure 8) comprising: a display module (12’, figure 8), and the display device holder according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, Hall et al., disclose wherein the display module comprises a joint portion (105, figures 8-9) which is connected with the mounting member.
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.
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hall et al., in view of Ohta et al. [US 2014/0275954].
Regarding claim 13, Hall et al. disclose a display device holder (figures 1-11), comprising:
a fixing member (85, figure 8) disposed at a bottom side of the display device holder, the fixing member being configured to be fastened to a mounting surface (18’, figure 8);
the fixing member including a first end (a top end connected to a supporting member 81, figure 8), a second end (a bottom end connected to the mounting surface, figure 8) opposite to the first end, and a sliding groove (a hollow groove disposed within the fixing member 85, figure 8) extending from the first end towards the second end;
a supporting member (81, figure 8) configured to connect to the first end and rotatable towards a direction away from the first end, the supporting member comprising a locking member (99, figures 8-9); and
a locking device ((83, figure 8) arranged within the sliding groove, the locking device comprising an opening substantially parallel to the mounting surface,
wherein the supporting member is changeable between a locked state (figure 9) and an unlocked state (the mounting device may be rotatable, figure 8), the locking member is received in the opening of the locking device and engages with the locking device, so as to hold the supporting member in a locked state, when the locking member is located apart from the opening of the locking device, the supporting member is switchable to an unlocked state (figure 8).
Hall et al., disclose the claimed invention except for the fixing member disposed at a topside of the display holder.
Ohta et al., disclose a display device holder (figure 1) comprising a fixing member (324, figure 1) being mounted on a topside of an electronic device holder (22, figure 1).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to set a fixing member on a topside of a display holder of Hall et al., as suggested by Ohta et al., in order to provide clear line of sight for a display.
Regarding claim 14, Hall et al., in view of Ohta et al., disclose wherein the locking device comprises a triggering member (87/95, figures 8-9), extending outside the fixing member at the first end.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-12, 15 and 16-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The claim 3 discloses the combination features of “wherein the locking device further comprises a rod and an elastic member, two ends of the rod are fixedly connected to the fixing member, one end of the elastic member is connected to the rod, and another end of the elastic member is connected to the main body, when the triggering member is operated, the main body moves with respect to the rod to release the locking member, and the elastic member is compressed, and when the triggering member is released, the elastic member elastically extends thereby moving the main body to an original position.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 2 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 5 discloses the combination features of “Wherein the holding portion defines a receiving groove, a guiding surface is obliquely formed at a bottom surface of the receiving groove, and when the supporting member rotates relative to the fixing member, the locking member contacts the guiding surface and slides along the guiding surface into the receiving groove.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 4, 2 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 6 discloses the combination features of “wherein the main body includes two opposite side walls, each of the two opposite side walls defines a hole, and the rod penetrates through the holes of the main body, a width of the hole is substantially same as a diameter of the rod, the main body is limited in the hole to move relative to the rod by the holes along a length direction of the hole.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 2 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claims 7-12 depend on the allowed claim 6.
The claim 15 discloses the combination features of “wherein the fixing member comprises a fixing plate configured to be paralleled to the mounting surface, the fixing plate is I-shaped flat plate.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 13, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 16 discloses the combination features of “a mounting member configured to mount a display module, and a connecting member connected to one end, of the supporting member, which is away from the locking device; wherein the connecting member comprises a screw, an adjusting member connected to the mounting member for adjusting an angle defined by the display module and the mounting surface, and a fastener connected to the supporting member, wherein a side of the adjusting member away from the mounting member is connected to the fastener, and a locking bolt is arranged at the fastener, and the connecting member rotates relative to the supporting member by adjusting the locking bolt.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 13, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claims 17-18 depend on the allowed claim 16.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Valeska [US 3,436,046] discloses positioning mechanism for a movable arm;
Oh et al. [US 2007/0262210] disclose supporting device for display unit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Examiner, 2841/2800
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