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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 18 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/08/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 1-17 in the reply filed on 01/08/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3-8 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 3 recites the limitation “a first platform” and “a second platform” in line 2 and it is unclear if the first and second platform are referring back to the “platform” in line 6 of Claim 1. For the purpose of examination, “a first platform” and “a second platform” are referring back to “a platform” of Claim 1. Clarification is respectfully requested.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-3, 9-10, and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jacques (US 6,041,931).
1: Jacques teaches a first storage bin (bin 10), comprising: a main body (body generally indicated as 12) with a base wall (bottom wall of 12), a first side wall (side wall 20), a second side wall opposite the first side wall (second sidewall 22, opposite 20), a rear wall (rear wall 18), a front wall (front wall 16) and a rim (top most planar portion of 20, 22, 18, and 16, Figure 5 below), the main body having an open top (12 has an open op, see top of Figure 5) and a partly open front (front open with openings 106, see Figure 2), the rim being on the side walls and the rear wall (rim in Figure 5 below), the rim having built-in handles (handles 36 and 34, Figure 5), each of the first and second side walls having an inner surface and an outer surface (inner surface within the main body and outer surfaces shown in Figure 2), a platform formed on the inner surface of each of the side walls (platform formed between the holes 104, see Figure 1), and a channel (see channel in Figure 5 below, in Figures 1-2) formed on the outer surface of each of the first and second side walls opposite the platform;
a first movable handle (first handle 14a) attached to the main body adjacent the first side wall (adjacent 20, Figure 4); a second movable handle (second handle 14b) attached to the main body adjacent the second side wall (adjacent 22, Figure 4); wherein each of the first and second movable handles is connected to the main body (see Figures 4-5) and is movable between an opened position (open/extended over the cavity position shown in Figure 4) and a closed position (closed/folded position shown in Figure 5), the movable handles in the opened position permitting a stacked arrangement of the first storage bin with an unclaimed second storage bin identical to the first storage bin (see Figure 4 where stacking is permitted), the movable handles in the closed position permitting a nested arrangement of the first storage bin with the second storage bin (closed position shows a nesting arrangement, see Figure 5), with both the stacked arrangement and the nested arrangement permitted without a lateral offset between the first storage bin and the second storage bin (see Figures 4 and 5 where the two positions are without lateral offset).
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2: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Jacques further teaches that each of the first movable handle and the second movable handle is rotatably connected to the main body about an axis of rotation between the opened position and the closed position (the first and second handles are connected via axis along 56 and 54 respectively).
3: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Jacques further teaches that the inner surface of the first side wall includes a first platform, the inner surface of the second wall includes a second platform, the outer surface of the first side wall includes a first channel opposite the first platform and the outer surface of the second side wall includes a second channel opposite the second platform (see Figure 1 above, where the first platform and first channel are shown, and the second platform and second channel are on the opposing side)
9: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Jacques further teaches that each of the first and second movable handles further has a plurality of ribs extending between a first side and a second side on an inner surface of each first and second movable handle (see Ribs in Figure 1 above, where the ribs extend from 20 and 22, and vice versa for ribs extending on the second handle).
10: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Jacques further teaches that the first movable handle further has a first flange at a second side of the first movable handle, the second movable handle further has a second flange at a second side of the second movable handle (see the first and second flanges in Figure 1 above), each of the first and second flange configured to support the second storage bin where the first and second movable handles are in the opened position and the first storage bin and the second storage bin are in the stacked arrangement (capable of supporting a second unclaimed storage bin in a stacked arrangement, see Figure 5).
12: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Jacques further teaches that the main body further comprises a first handle base extending outwardly from the rim of the first side wall, and a second handle base extending outwardly from the rim of the second side wall (see Figure 5 above).
13: Jacques teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 12 and Jacques further teaches that the first handle base and the second handle base have a plurality of drainable holes (holes 90, Figure 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-17 are allowed.
Claims 4-8 and 11 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KING M CHU whose telephone number is (571)270-7428. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Stashick can be reached at (571) 272 - 4561. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/King M Chu/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735