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
Applicant's election with traverse of Specie I ( in the reply filed on 22 June 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species I and II are patently indistinct variants. The Examiner acknowledges that claims 1-8 are generic to Species I and II. However, these arguments are not found persuasive because the limitations of species claims 9 and 10 recite structural features that could be found to be patentably distinct. Should a generic, independent claim be found allowable, the restriction requirement between at least Species I and II may be withdrawn and claim 10 may be rejoined. However, if patentability is determined to lie in the structure or arrangement of the lock body, the species would therefore not be obvious variants, and claim 10 would become ineligible for rejoinder.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (JP-3239190-U).
With regards to claim 1, Wang discloses a limiting apparatus (embodiment shown Figures 9-13 [Figures 1-8 are referenced below to show features common to both embodiments]), configured to be used with an electronic device (Para. 0001), comprising:
a support member (first, upper arm of 10, Figure 10), provided with a support surface (11 Figure 10), wherein the support surface comprises a convex portion (as shown Figure 10); and
an engagement member (second, lower arm of 10, Figure 10), movably engaging with the support member (as shown Figures 4-6), wherein when the limiting apparatus is in a locked state (Figure 4), a relative position of the support member and the engagement member is fixed, to limit the electronic device in the limiting apparatus (Para. 0021).
With regards to claim 2, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a housing (60 Figure 9), an end of the housing being provided with a front end opening (left end opening of 60, Figure 12), wherein the support member (first, upper arm of 10, Figure 10) is fixed outside the front end opening (by support member pivot pin, as shown Figure 12); and
the engagement member (second, lower arm of 10, Figure 10) is arranged in the housing, rotates relative to the housing (about support member pivot pin, as shown Figures 4-6), and comprises a front end portion (left end portion, Figure 12) and a rear end portion (right end portion, Figure 12), wherein the front end portion at least partially protrudes out of the front end opening, and the rear end portion extends along a direction opposite to the front end portion (as shown Figure 12);
a driving apparatus (20, 31, 40 Figure 10), comprising:
a force application member (20 Figure 10), comprising a force receiving portion (left portion of 20, Figure 10) and a force application portion (right portion of 20, Figure 10), wherein the force application portion is arranged in the housing, the force receiving portion is connected to the force application portion (as shown Figure 12), and the force application member is rotatable in conjunction relative to the housing (Para. 0020); and
a driving member (31 Figure 10), arranged in the housing, and rotating in conjunction with the force application portion to selectively move on a side of the rear end portion, to enable a distance between the front end portion relative to the support member to change (Para. 0020); and
a lock body (40 Figure 10), arranged on a side of the driving apparatus (top side, Figure 12), wherein when the lock body is locked, the lock body restricts movement of the driving apparatus (Para. 0023).
With regards to claim 3, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support surface (of first, upper arm of 10, Figure 10) extends along an X-axis (parallel to the up/down direction of Figure 12), and the X-axis, a Y-axis (parallel to the left/right direction of Figure 12), and a Z-axis (parallel to the into/out of the page direction of Figure 12) are orthogonal.
With regards to claim 4, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the engagement member (second, lower arm of 10, Figure 10) is rotatable relative to the housing (60 Figure 9) along a plane parallel to a Y-Z plane (as shown Figures 4-6), the force application member (20 Figure 10) is rotatable along a plane parallel to an X-Z plane (Para. 0020), and the driving member selectively moves along a Y-axis direction (as shown Figures 12-13).
With regards to claim 5, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the force application portion (right portion of 20, Figure 10) comprises a limiting portion (Para. 0020); and
an end of the driving member (31 Figure 10) engages with the limiting portion in a manner of moving along a Y-axis direction (Para. 0020).
With regards to claim 6, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driving apparatus (20, 31, 40 Figure 10) further comprises a displacement limiting member (50 Figure 10) fixed in the housing (60 Figure 9), the displacement limiting member is internally provided with an accommodation space extending along the Y-axis direction (parallel to the left/right direction of Figure 12), and a sidewall thread is arranged on a sidewall of the accommodation space (as shown Figure 10); and
the driving member (31 Figure 10) is arranged in the accommodation space, and the driving member is a cylinder whose side surface is arranged with a driving member thread that matches the sidewall thread (as shown Figures 12-13), wherein when the force application member rotates, the driving member rotates in conjunction, and the driving member moves along the Y-axis direction through an action between the sidewall thread and the driving member thread (as shown Figures 12-13, Para. 0020).
With regards to claim 7, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing (60 Figure 9) is internally provided with an accommodation space (50 Figure 19) extending along the Y-axis direction (parallel to the left/right direction of Figure 12), and a sidewall thread is arranged on a sidewall of the accommodation space (as shown Figure 10); and
the driving member (31 Figure 10) is arranged in the accommodation space, and the driving member is a cylinder whose side surface is arranged with a driving member thread that matches the sidewall thread (as shown Figures 12-13), wherein when the force application member rotates, the driving member rotates in conjunction, and the driving member moves along the Y-axis direction through an action between the sidewall thread and the driving member thread (as shown Figures 12-13, Para. 0020).
With regards to claim 8, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the lock body (40 Figure 10) comprises the engagement member (second, lower arm of 10, Figure 10) movable along a Z-axis direction (parallel to the into/out of the page direction of Figure 12), and when the lock body is locked, an end of the engagement member engages with the force application member (20 Figure 10), to limit rotation of the force application member (Para. 0023).
With regards to claim 9, Wang discloses the limiting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the lock body (40 Figure 10) is a key lock (Para. 0028), and the engagement member (second, lower arm of 10, Figure 10) comprises a convex post (as shown Figure 10).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-6672117-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-10718138-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-8707744-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-9574378-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-7299668-B1: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-10982468-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-6523373-B1: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
US-8833117-B2: A related limiting apparatus lock structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Noah Horowitz, whose telephone number is (571)272-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00AM - 7:00 PM.
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/NOAH HOROWITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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