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 Objections
Claims 9 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 9, on lines 1 and 2, after “hook”, “-like” should be deleted for a positive limitation.
In claim 17, on line 2, after “hook”, “-like” should be deleted for a positive limitation.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 19-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the electronic component" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears that claim 19 should be dependent on claim 18.
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 1 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (CN110881153, Publication date: 03/13/2020 in the IDS filed 07/16/2025).
Zhang teaches a core module (figures 1, 2, 3) comprising a core housing (1, 8), and a speaker (3) and a bracket (2, 9) provided in the core housing (figures 1, 2, 3), wherein the bracket (2, 9) and the speaker (3) enclose to form an acoustic cavity (note the front and rear sound cavities formed between the speaker 3 and the brackets 2, 9, figures 1, 2, 3, 4), the core housing (1, 8) is provided with an acoustic hole (the acoustic holes of the core housing connecting the sound venting holes 11, 12, figures 1, 2, 3, 4), the bracket (2, 9) is provided with an acoustic channel (11, 12) connecting the acoustic hole and the acoustic cavity (figures 1, 2, 3), the bracket cooperates with the core housing to form a first adhesive-containing groove surrounding at least a portion of the acoustic hole (note the adhesive surrounding the acoustic hole of the core housing and fixing the first waterproof means 10 in the groove, figures 1, 2, 3, wherein “the speaker front bracket 1 is provided with a first waterproof device for preventing water from entering the front vent hole 11, and the first waterproof device is fixedly bonded to the upper case 1” or “adhered to the upper case 1”; and “In order to further increase the connection stability between the upper shell 1 and the front speaker support 2, an adhesion device may be disposed between the upper shell 1 and the front speaker support 2 for adhesion on the two, such as a double-sided tape or a glue layer”; and/or “In a specific embodiment, the second waterproof device further comprises a waterproof mesh cloth disposed on the rear sound venting hole 12, the waterproof mesh cloth can be adhered to the outer port of the rear sound venting hole 12 to prevent external water from entering the rear sound venting hole”; and “In addition, the sealing device is arranged at the joint, and specifically can be a double-sided adhesive tape, the first glue layer 4, or a sealing ring gasket and the like”), and the first adhesive-containing groove (the grooves accommodate the first and second waterproof devices 10, figures 1, 2, 3, 4) contains a first adhesive for sealing an assembly gap between the bracket (2, 9) and the core housing (1, 8, figures 1, 2, 3, 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 9 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN110881153, Publication date: 03/13/2020 in the IDS filed 07/16/2025) in view of Zheng et al. (US 2022/0095029).
Regarding claim 9, Zang teaches an earphone comprising a core module (figures 1, 2, 3) comprising a core housing (1, 8), and a speaker (3) and a bracket (2, 9) provided in the core housing (figures 1, 2, 3), wherein the bracket (2, 9) and the speaker (3) enclose to form an acoustic cavity (note the front and rear sound cavities formed between the speaker 3 and the brackets 2, 9, figures 1, 2, 3, 4), the core housing (1, 8) is provided with an acoustic hole (the acoustic holes of the core housing connecting the sound venting holes 11, 12, figures 1, 2, 3, 4), the bracket (2, 9) is provided with an acoustic channel (11, 12) connecting the acoustic hole and the acoustic cavity (figures 1, 2, 3), the bracket cooperates with the core housing to form a first adhesive-containing groove surrounding at least a portion of the acoustic hole (note the adhesive surrounding the acoustic hole of the core housing and fixing the first waterproof means 10 in the groove, figures 1, 2, 3, wherein “the speaker front bracket 1 is provided with a first waterproof device for preventing water from entering the front vent hole 11, and the first waterproof device is fixedly bonded to the upper case 1” or “adhered to the upper case 1”; and “In order to further increase the connection stability between the upper shell 1 and the front speaker support 2, an adhesion device may be disposed between the upper shell 1 and the front speaker support 2 for adhesion on the two, such as a double-sided tape or a glue layer”; and/or “In a specific embodiment, the second waterproof device further comprises a waterproof mesh cloth disposed on the rear sound venting hole 12, the waterproof mesh cloth can be adhered to the outer port of the rear sound venting hole 12 to prevent external water from entering the rear sound venting hole”; and “In addition, the sealing device is arranged at the joint, and specifically can be a double-sided adhesive tape, the first glue layer 4, or a sealing ring gasket and the like”), and the first adhesive-containing groove (the grooves accommodate the first and second waterproof devices 10, figures 1, 2, 3, 4) contains a first adhesive for sealing an assembly gap between the bracket (2, 9) and the core housing (1, 8, figures 1, 2, 3, 4).
Zhang does not specifically disclose a hook structure being connected to the core housing to support the core module to be worn to a wearing position as claimed. However, providing a hook structure to support the core module to be worn to a wearing position is known in the art.
Zheng et al. teaches an earphone comprising a hook structure or hook-shaped structure (11) being connected to a core module (13, 131, 14) to support the core module to be worn to a wearing position (figures 2, 4, 9.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any support for the earphone or the core module in the system of Zhang such as providing a hook structure being connected to the core housing of the core module to support the core module to be worn to a wearing position, as taught by Zheng et al., for better supporting the earphone to the wearer.
Regarding claim 17, Zheng et al. teaches the hook structure that includes an adapter housing (12, 122), an elastic metal wire (115), a battery housing (1161), and a conductor (117), two ends of the elastic metal wire and the conductor are respectively connected to the adapter housing and the battery housing, such that the conductor extends along the elastic metal wire and is threaded within the adapter housing and the battery housing (figures 33, 34, 35, 42, paragraph [0189]), the adapter housing is pre-formed with an accommodation cavity and plugged into the core housing (13, 131, 14, figures 33, 34, 35, 42).
Regarding claim 18, as broadly claimed, Zheng et al. teaches the earphone comprising an electronic component that is subsequently mounted in the accommodating cavity (figures 30, 41), and a battery (16) that is disposed in the battery housing, the battery being connected to the conductor (figures 33, 42).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, 10-16 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.
Claims 19-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. (US 12,052,543) teaches an earphone including a sound generation component including a transducer and a housing accommodating the transducer, wherein the housing is provided with a sound outlet hole and a pressure relief hole, wherein the sound outlet hole is provided on an inner side of the housing facing an auricle, and a pressure relief hole is provided on another side of the housing.
Bjorkvald et al. (US 2024/0357275) teaches a hearing device comprising a housing, at least a first electrical component arranged inside the housing, a speaker arranged in the housing, a first opening configured to provide passage from surroundings into the housing, and a partition arranged inside the housing and configured to divide the housing into at least a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the partition is configured to prevent water, liquids, sweat and/or moisture from passing from the first compartment into the second compartment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7502. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am-6:00 pm.
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, Fan Tsang can be reached at (571) 272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694 HL
August 20, 2026
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