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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to the reply filed on 2/26/2026, wherein claims 1-7 were amended, claims 8-9 are new. Claims 1-9 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the claim 8 ( must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 8 states ". In fact the drawings appear to show no contact. Keep in mind, claim 1 positively states the existence of a pressing portion. The drawings fail to depict a configuration in which there is a pressing portion, a first water stop (on the outer wall), second water stop (on the inner wall) and the side wall abutting both water stops.
Claim 9 states "the side wall of the main body portion that contacts both of the press portion and the water stop portion". However, this is not clearly outright stated by the as filed disclosure. For example, the specification states " the side wall 22 is smoothly guided into the groove 34 without being caught by the press portion 341.". Neither the specification or drawings support the claim limitations. In fact the drawings appear to show no contact between the press portion and side wall.
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 1-9 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 1 recites the limitation "the main body" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Elsewhere, it is referred to as the main body portion. Claims 2-9 directly or indirectly depend from claim 1 and are also rejected.
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Bordner (US 4718571 A).
With respect to claim 1, Bordner discloses an accommodation box comprising: a main body portion (16) includes a side wall and an interior space, the interior space is able to accommodate an electronic component there inside, and has an opening portion that opens the interior space; a cover portion (20) attached to the main body portion and covering the opening portion, the cover portion includes; a groove(groove between 100 and 64); an inner wall (64) that bounds the groove, an outer wall that bounds the groove, and is spaced away from and surrounds the inner wall; and a packing member (58) in the groove of the cover portion and arranged between the main body portion and the cover portion, wherein the side wall extends into the groove in an attachment direction and includes a side surface that extends along the attachment direction, wherein the packing member is in contact with the side surface (surface of 96) of the main body (16), and wherein the cover portion includes a press portion (98) that is formed at a position facing the packing member and presses the main body portion (16) between itself (98) and the packing member (58), toward the packing member and the wherein the packing member (58) is provided on the outer wall.
Examiner Note: Column 9 lines 4-13 discuss a close sealing arrangement. Column 8 line 66 – Column 9 line 2 reads “Additionally, the skirt assembly 34, particularly the upper portion thereof 64 is dimensioned having an internal diameter which is slightly less than the corresponding outside dimension of the side surface portion 88 of the rim structure 82.” This teaches of another form of press portion.
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With respect to claim 2, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion includes a reinforcement rib (30) that is bonded to a surface of the cover portion, and suppresses deformation of the outer wall on which the packing member (98) is provided.
With respect to claim 3, Bordner discloses an accommodation box comprising: a main body portion (16) includes an interior space that is able to accommodate an electronic component there inside, and has an opening portion that opens the interior space; a cover portion (20) attached to the main body portion and covering the opening portion, the cover portion includes; a groove, an inner wall (64) that bounds the groove, and an outer wall (100) that bounds the groove, and is spaced away from and surrounds the inner wall: and a packing member (58) that is provided in the groove of the cover portion and arranged between the main body portion and the cover portion, wherein the packing member is in contact with a surface of the main body portion (16) formed along an attachment direction of the cover portion (20), wherein the cover portion includes a reinforcement rib (30) that is bonded to a surface of the cover portion, and suppresses deformation of the wall portion (portions contacting 98 of 20) of the cover portion on which the packing member is provided and wherein the packing member (58) is provided on the outer wall.
Examiner Note: Column 9 lines 4-13 discuss a close sealing arrangement.
With respect to claim 4, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to wherein the cover portion includes a hanging portion hanging downward from an outer rim (26) of a top surface portion, a lower portion of the hanging portion branches to form the inner wall (100) and the outer wall (64) main body portion into a groove between the inner wall and the outer wall, and the packing member (58) includes a water stop portion provided on a side surface of the outer wall, and the water stop portion contacts the side surface (96) of the main body portion that extends into the groove.
With respect to claim 5, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion includes a hanging portion (perimeter portion outside of 26) hanging downward from an outer rim of a top surface portion (top surface/rim of 26), a lower portion of the hanging portion branches to form the inner wall (64) and the outer wall (100), and the packing member (58) includes a water stop portion (58) provided on a side surface of the outer wall, and the water stop portion (58) contacts the side surface of the main body portion (16) that is extends into the groove.
With respect to claim 6, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 4, wherein the water stop portion (58) is formed only on the side surface of the outer wall (64).
With respect to claim 7, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 5, wherein the water stop portion (58) is formed only on the side surface of the outer wall (64).
With respect to claim 8, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 1, packing member includes a first water stop (58) that is provided on the outer wall and a second water stop portion (portion of 98) that is provided on the inner wall, and the side wall of the main body portion abuts both of the first water stop portion and the second water stop portion.
Examiner Note: Can consider a portion of 98 as the first water stop and another portion as the pressing portion to meet the claimed limitations of both members. For example a bottom quadrant could be considered either feature and the rest of 98 could be considered the other feature to meet the claim language.
With respect to claim 9, Bordner discloses the accommodation box according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall (100) includes a side surface that opposes the outer wall, the press portion (98) is on the side surface of the inner wall, and the press portion (98) protrudes from the side surface of the inner wall and toward the outer wall, and the side wall (96 and 16) of the main body portion that contacts both of the press portion (98) and the water stop portion (58).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20240225391-A1 OR US-20180270977-A1 OR US-20210119424-A1 OR US-20250282531-A1 OR US-20240391653-A1 OR US-20170070040-A1 OR US-20160366996-A1 OR US-7854344-B2 OR US-4718571-A OR US-5655677-A OR US-4494674-A OR US-8448814-B2 OR US-5574254-A
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Examiner has altered the reading of Bordner to read on the claimed art.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 SYMREN K SANGHERA whose telephone number is (571)272-5305. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Stashick can be reached on (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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/S.K.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3735
/ERNESTO A GRANO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735
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