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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yang US 20250035144 (hereinafter referred to as Yang).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a furniture clip system (fig9), comprising:
a first frame member (B) forming a part of a first furniture section (fig9);
a second frame member (A) forming a part of a second furniture section (fig9);
a latch tab member (13a) connected to the second frame member; and
a furniture clip assembly (fig7a-8d) configured to removably couple the first frame member to the second frame member, the furniture clip assembly including:
a latch member (802) rotatably coupled to the first frame member, the latch member configured to removably engage with the latch tab member so as to attach the first frame member to the second frame member; and
a handle member (804,814) operatively coupled to the latch member, the handle member configured to be rotatable between an engaged position (bottom last figure of fig9) where the latch member is locked into engagement with the latch tab member and a disengaged position (top first figure of fig9) where the latch member is not locked into engagement with the latch tab member;
wherein the furniture clip assembly is removably attached (via attachment holes at 806) to the first frame member so that the furniture clip assembly is able to be dissembled by a user from a remainder of the first furniture section.
Regarding claim 2, Yang further discloses the furniture clip system according to claim 1, wherein the furniture clip assembly further comprises a main body portion (806,808,810), the handle member being rotatable relative to the main body portion. (fig7a-9)
Regarding claim 9, Yang further discloses the furniture clip system according to claim 1, wherein the first furniture section and the second furniture section form at least part of a furniture item selected from a group consisting of a sofa, a chair, a table, a bench, and an ottoman. (paragraph 2 and fig1-9, furniture item can be any of: table, sofa, chair.)
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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang US 20250035144 (hereinafter referred to as Yang), as applied to claim 1 above, alone.
Regarding claim 8, Yang further discloses the furniture clip system according to claim 1, does teach a frame member comprising at least one alignment stud (202, fig9) and the other frame member comprising at least one stud aperture (204), that corresponds to the at least one alignment stud of the frame member, the at least one alignment stud configured to be received within the at least one stud aperture when the frame member is removably coupled to the other frame member.
Yang does not teach wherein the at least one alignment stud is on the first frame member (rather it is on the second frame member), and that the at least one stud aperture is on the second frame member (rather it is on the first frame member). However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the at least one alignment stud and the at least one stud aperture in order for the first to be on the first frame member and the latter to be on the second frame member since it has been held that the rearrangement of parts, wherein the device remains functionally equivalent, is a design consideration that is of routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eriksson US 7156429 (hereinafter referred to as Eriksson) as and further in view of Yang US 20250035144 (hereinafter referred to as Yang).
Regarding claim 1, Eriksson teaches a clip system (fig7-8), comprising:
a first frame member (12) forming a part of a first section (fig1);
a second frame member (11) forming a part of a second section (fig1);
a latch tab member (13a) connected to the second frame member; and
a clip assembly (15,16,17,18,19) configured to removably couple the first frame member to the second frame member, the clip assembly including:
a latch member (17,17b) rotatably coupled to the first frame member, the latch member configured to removably engage with the latch tab member so as to attach the first frame member to the second frame member; and
a handle member (16,16a,16b) operatively coupled to the latch member, the handle member configured to be rotatable between an engaged position where the latch member is locked into engagement with the latch tab member and a disengaged position (not explicitly shown, when 17b is not attached to 13a) where the latch member is not locked into engagement with the latch tab member;
wherein the clip assembly is removably attached (all components are capable of being removable based on equivalent embodiments as shown in fig5) to the first frame member so that the clip assembly is able to be dissembled by a user from a remainder of the first section.
Eriksson does not teach the clip assembly is a furniture clip assembly, and that the two sections are furniture sections.
Yang teaches a furniture clip assembly (fig7a-8c) that is used for a furniture, wherein the first frame member (B) forming a part of a first furniture section (fig9), and the second frame member (A) forming part of a second furniture section (fig9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of Eriksson on the furniture as taught by Yang since this is considered intended use and the clip assembly device of Eriksson would function equivalently in either placement.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 1, wherein the furniture clip assembly further comprises a main body portion (Eriksson,18,18a,18b,15, 15a,15b) the handle member (Eriksson) being rotatable relative to the main body portion. (Eriksson fig1-3, 7-8)
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 2, wherein the latch member (Eriksson) is adjustably connected to the main body portion (Eriksson) of the furniture clip assembly so that a user is able to adjust a shaft length (Eriksson, via 17a+19) of the latch member to accommodate varying gaps between adjacent furniture sections. (Eriksson, fig7-8, abstract)
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 2, wherein the main body portion (Eriksson) of the furniture clip assembly comprises a first annular section (Eriksson, top half of 15a) that is spaced apart from a second annular section (Eriksson, top half of 15b) by a gap (Eriksson, not explicitly labeled, see space between 15a and 15b in fig7), the first annular section of the main body portion being connected to the second annular section by a U-shaped connector section (Eriksson, created by lower halves of 15a, 15b and the bottom plate of 15 between 15a and 15b, as shown in fig7) .
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 2, wherein the handle member (Eriksson) of the furniture clip assembly comprises a handle portion (Eriksson, U-shaped section that connects 16a and 16b, labeled 14 in fig8) connected to a central handle body portion (Eriksson, 16a+16b), the handle portion extending outwardly from the central handle body portion, and the central handle body portion configured to be at least partially received within (Eriksson fig7-8) the main body portion of the furniture clip assembly.
Claim(s) 1-2,6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eriksson US 7156429 (hereinafter referred to as Eriksson) as and further in view of Yang US 20250035144 (hereinafter referred to as Yang). [NOTE: This is a different interpretation of Eriksson applied.]
Regarding claim 1, Eriksson teaches a clip system (fig7-8), comprising:
a first frame member (12, 15) forming a part of a first section (fig1);
a second frame member (11) forming a part of a second section (fig1);
a latch tab member (13a) connected to the second frame member; and
a clip assembly (16,17,19) configured to removably couple the first frame member to the second frame member, the clip assembly including:
a latch member (17,17b) rotatably coupled to the first frame member, the latch member configured to removably engage with the latch tab member so as to attach the first frame member to the second frame member; and
a handle member (16,16a,16b) operatively coupled to the latch member, the handle member configured to be rotatable between an engaged position where the latch member is locked into engagement with the latch tab member and a disengaged position (not explicitly shown, when 17b is not attached to 13a) where the latch member is not locked into engagement with the latch tab member;
wherein the clip assembly is removably attached (all components are capable of being removable based on equivalent embodiments as shown in fig5) to the first frame member so that the clip assembly is able to be dissembled by a user from a remainder of the first section.
Eriksson does not teach the clip assembly is a furniture clip assembly, and that the two sections are furniture sections.
Yang teaches a furniture clip assembly (fig7a-8c) that is used for a furniture, wherein the first frame member (B) forming a part of a first furniture section (fig9), and the second frame member (A) forming part of a second furniture section (fig9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device of Eriksson on the furniture as taught by Yang since this is considered intended use and the clip assembly device of Eriksson would function equivalently in either placement.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 1, wherein the furniture clip assembly further comprises a main body portion (Eriksson,15a,15b; NOTE: The component is described as a “portion” therefore it can be considered as any part of another component) the handle member (Eriksson) being rotatable relative to the main body portion. (Eriksson fig1-3, 7-8)
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 2, wherein the first frame member comprises at least one clip support member (Eriksson, flat planar part of 15) extending outwardly from an interior side (NOTE: The interior side is relative to any given frame of reference; in this interpretation of Eriksson, the interior side is considered the side adjacent to 11, see fig 4 of the equivalent embodiment. Eriksson’s planar part of 15 extends to the right of the page, thus ‘extending outwardly’ from the reference interior side.) of the first frame member, the furniture clip assembly being removably attached (Eriksson, as shown in equivalent embodiments fig5, wherein screws are used to removably attach the flat planar part of 15 to the first frame member and therefore removably attach the furniture clip assembly.) to the first frame member by means of the at least one clip support member.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Eriksson and Yang further teaches the furniture clip system according to claim 6, wherein the furniture clip assembly (Eriksson) further comprises a fastener member (Eriksson 18a,18b, fig7-8) for removably attaching the furniture clip assembly to the at least one clip support member (via removably attaching it to 15a and 15b which is integrally attached to the at least one clip support member) of the first frame member.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Art is related to clip systems.
Related but not relied upon prior art: US 5445422, US 20200196751, US 5165148.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARIA F. AHMAD whose telephone number is (571)270-1334. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine M. Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/F.F.A./
Examiner
Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
Prosecution Insights