FIRST NON-FINAL REJECTION
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 based on an application filed in People’s Republic of China on 8/31/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202311109775.8 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0345395 in view of Fan U.S. Patent 6,314,825.
With respect to claim 1, Wang teaches a device for testing pressure of keys of a full keyboard (testing system 50, figure 2), characterized by comprising: a variable-pitch test module mechanism (locating component 66, figures 2 and 3), wherein the variable-pitch test module mechanism comprises a variable-pitch test module mounted on a base plate (platform 58 having the locating component 66 mounted on sliding component 72) and probe module (fourth driving mechanism 74) provided corresponding to the variable-pitch test module (figures 2 and 3); the variable-pitch test module comprises a first driving device and a second driving device (second driving mechanism 62 and third driving mechanism 68, paragraph 39, figures 2 and 3), the probe module is mounted on the second driving device (paragraph 42, figures 2 and 3), the second driving device is provided on the first driving device (paragraph 42, figures 2 and 3), the first driving device is configured to adjust a position of the probe module in an X direction (second driving mechanism 62 adjust the position of the fourth driving mechanism 74 in one direction, paragraphs 41-42, figures 2 and 3), and the second driving device is configured to adjust a position of the probe module in a Y direction (third driving mechanism 68 adjust the position of the fourth driving mechanism 74 in another direction, paragraphs 41-42, figures 2 and 3); and the probe module comprises a lifting device and a probe for testing (first driving mechanism 60 and fourth driving mechanism 74 having a testing rod 76, paragraph 42, figures 2 and 3), wherein the lifting device is connected to the probe and is configured to adjust a position of the probe in a Z direction (first driving mechanism 60 to drive the platform 58 to move in the first direction, paragraph 42, figures 2 and 3).
Wang fails to teach plurality of variable-pitch test modules mounted on the base plate and probe modules provided corresponding to the variable-pitch test modules one by one.
Fan teaches a keyboard testing apparatus 100 having a key testing device 50 that comprises a number of key actuators 51, and the key actuators 51 comprise pneumatic cylinders each having a shaft 511 movable by the corresponding pneumatic cylinder to expand/withdraw, where the shaft 511 has a contact element 513 mounted on a free end thereof to be moved thereby for contacting and thus actuating a key B2 of the keyboard B, and where the shaft 511 is pre-loaded by a spring 512 which controls the force applied to the key B2 by the key actuator 51 (col. 3 lines 18-30, figure 4).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify testing rod of Wang and provide a plurality of testing rods as taught by Fan where the key testing device comprises a number of key actuators in order to provide a keyboard testing apparatus that efficiently and effectively tests a keyboard (col. 1 lines 20-22).
With respect to claim 2, Wang teaches wherein the base plate is mounted with a guide-shaft fixing plate (sliding component 72 and the connection area to the platform 58, figure 3), the variable-pitch test module further comprises a lead screw module base (structure of the locating component 66, figure 3), the lead screw module base is connected to the base plate (figure 3), and the first driving device comprises a guide structure and an adjustment structure (second driving rod 623 and platform 58 having guiding tracks 581) which are provided between the lead screw module base and the guide-shaft fixing plate (figure 3).
With respect to claim 3, Wang teaches wherein the guide structure comprises a bushing and a guide shaft (moving component 621 and second driving rod 623, paragraph 40, figure 3), the bushing being provided in a through hole of the lead screw module base and the guide shaft penetrating through the bushing (figure 3).
With respect to claim 4, Wang teaches wherein the adjustment structure comprises an adjustment bolt (interpreted as the connecting bolts between the sliding component 72, platform 58, and guiding tracks 581, figure 3), the adjustment bolts being connected between the lead screw module base and the guide-shaft fixing plate (figure 3).
With respect to claim 5, Wang teaches wherein the guide-shaft fixing plate is provided with a limiting groove for limiting the adjustment bolt in the X direction (the grooves of the connection area of the sliding component 72 that engage the guiding tracks 581, figure 3).
With respect to claim 6, Wang teaches wherein the second driving device comprises a motor and a lead screw module (third driving component 683 that is a motor and the third driving mechanism 68, paragraph 40, figure 3), wherein the lead screw module is mounted on the lead screw module base (figure 3), the lead screw module is connected to the probe module (figure 3), the motor is in transmission connection with the lead screw module, and the motor drives the lead screw module to move in the Y direction (paragraphs 40-42).
With respect to claim 7, Wang teaches wherein the lead screw module is connected to a slider base (third driving mechanism 68 and the guiding component 64, paragraph 40, figure 3), the slider base is mounted with a probe module fixing block, and the lifting device is provided on the probe module fixing block (guiding component 64 that locating component 66 is guiding on and the first driving mechanism 60 to drive the platform 58 that is connected to the locating component 66, paragraphs 39-40, figure 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chu et al. U.S. Patent 9336104 teaches a keyboard testing machine on a rack over a conveyor.
Lee U.S. Patent 6304830 teaches an automatic keyboard testing apparatus having depressing elements to depress keys.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FREDDIE KIRKLAND III whose telephone number is (571)272-2232. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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FREDDIE KIRKLAND III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/Freddie Kirkland III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 9/3/2026
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