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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-6, and 8-10 are pending.
Claim 1 is currently amended.
Claim 7 is canceled.
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) 1-5, and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brocket (US 10603783 ) in view of Downey (US 20180007881) and Ragias (US 10974874).
Regarding claim 1, Brocket discloses, A storage box, comprising: a box body (See annotated fig. below) provided with a storage cavity (See annotated fig. below) to place articles, wherein a top of the box body is provided with an opening (See annotated fig. below) ; a cover plate (24) and configured to cover the box body (Fig. 5A); and a side buckle (See annotated fig. below) rotatably assembled on an upper end of an outer side wall of the box body, wherein the side buckle includes: a side buckle body (See annotated fig. below) fixedly arranged on a surface of the side buckle body facing the box body and a first buckle portion (See annotated fig. below) used to clamp (Col. 6; lines 14-18) the cover plate (24) and a second buckle portion (See annotated fig. below) fixedly arranged on the same surface as the first buckle portion ; and when a plurality of the storage boxes are stacked up and down, the second buckle portion of a lower layer is clamped to the upper-layer box body, and meanwhile, the first buckle portion of the lower layer is clamped to the current-layer cover plate (Fig. 5A).
However, Brocket does not explicitly disclose, a cover plate detachably assembled on the box body.
Downey discloses, a cove (104) that is removably coupled to the container (102) via hinge 108 (para 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brocket to have a lid that is detachably connected to the box body as taught by Downey as this provides the user the option of using the box without lid if needed.
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However, Brocket does not disclose, wherein a gripping portion recessed away from the box body is provided on a surface of a free end of the side buckle body facing the box body , the gripping portion is arc-shaped.
Ragias discloses, a gripping portion (See annotated fig. below) recessed away from the box body is provided on a surface of a free end of the side buckle body facing the box body, the gripping portion is arc-shaped (See annotated fig. below).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brocket to incorporate a gripping portion recessed away from the box body is provided on a surface of a free end of the side buckle body facing the box body, the gripping portion is arc-shaped as taught by Ragias for the purpose of allowing the user to hold the area to open the latch.
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The limitation “so as to facilitate a user to open the side buckle” is considered to be intended use. Examiner asserts that the recitation of intended use or purpose of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use or fulfilling said purpose, then it meets the claim. Herein, the Brocket as modified is capable of “facilitate a user to open the side buckle” as claimed.
Regarding claim 2, Brocket discloses the first buckle portion includes: a first extending portion (See annotated fig. below) fixedly arranged on a surface of the side buckle body facing the box body and extending toward the box body , and a first bending portion (See annotated fig. below) arranged perpendicular to the first extending portion and extending downward; and the first bending portion is clamped to the cover plate (the bending portion grabs on the cover).
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Regarding claim 3, Brocket discloses, a surface of the first bending portion clamped to the cover plate (200) is provided with a first abutting surface (See annotated fig. below), and the first abutting surface is configured as a first guiding arc surface.
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Regarding claim 4, Brocket discloses, a surface of the first extending portion facing downward is provided with a first guiding inclined surface (See annotated fig. below) inclined toward the first bending portion (See annotated fig. below).
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Regarding claim 5 Brocket discloses, the first buckle portion (See annotated fig. of claim 1)and the second buckle portion (See annotated fig. of claim 1) are arranged on the same vertical line (Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 8 Brocket discloses, a first buckle plate (See annotated fig. below) cooperating with the first buckle portion (See annotated fig. below) and extending away from the cover plate (See annotated fig. below) is fixedly provided on an outer side wall of the cover plate.
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Regarding claim 9 Brocket discloses, a second buckle plate (See annotated fig. below) extending away from the box body is fixedly provided on a bottom side (See annotated fig. below) of the outer side wall of the box body ; and when a plurality of the storage boxes are stacked up and down, the second buckle portion (See annotated fig. below) of the lower layer is clamped to the second buckle plate of the upper layer, so as to connect the upper-layer storage box with the lower-layer storage box.
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Regarding claim 10, Brocket discloses, the second buckle plate is provided with a second groove (47’; Fig. 5B) used to place the second buckle portion.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brocket-Downey-Ragias as applied to claim 1 in view of OKAMURA (CN 118458098).
Regarding claim 6 Brocket appears to discloses two first buckle portions and two second buckle portions (Fig. 5A; 5B) ,in the event, Brocket does not disclose two first buckle portions and two second buckle portions are provided.
OKAMURA discloses a side buckle (400) comprising two buckle portion (440; Fig. 3A; i.e., a split in between 440).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brocket to have a split in between the buckle portions as taught by OKAMURA for the purpose of saving materials.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 04/10/2026 , with respect to drawing, specification and 35 U.S.C 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim 1 related to 35 U.S.C 112 has been withdrawn.
Applicants argument with regards to newly incorporated amendment to claim 1 is considered but moot since newly incorporated prior art of Ragias discloses the limitation as claimed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANJIDUL ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-7670. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 -5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Orlando E. Aviles can be reached at 571-270-5531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SANJIDUL ISLAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3736
/ORLANDO E AVILES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3736
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