Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This is a first office action on the merits of application SN 18/960037 and 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
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) 1-5 and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent 9,258,913 to Terwilliger.
Terwilliger teaches
1. A cabinet comprising a cabinet body (Col 1, lines 39-53), a chassis (100), a drawer module (104), and a locking mechanism (606,604), wherein: the chassis is disposed in the cabinet body, and the chassis is withdrawable from the cabinet body along a first direction; the drawer module is disposed in the chassis, and the drawer module is withdrawable from the chassis along the first direction (as best seen in figure 1 and 6C); and the locking mechanism comprises a rotating member (606) and a locking member (604), the rotating member is rotationally disposed in the drawer module and abuts against the chassis, a rotation plane of the rotating member is parallel to the first direction (as best seen in figure 6C); the locking member is movably disposed in the chassis along a second direction to be located at or away from a rotation path of the rotating member, and the second direction is orthogonal to the rotation plane of the rotating member; in a locked state, the rotating member abuts against the chassis, and the drawer module is restricted from being withdrawn from the chassis; the rotating member is separated from the chassis during rotation (moves with drawer as a handle); in an unlocked state, the rotating member is separated from the chassis, and the drawer module can be withdrawn from the chassis; and when the chassis is withdrawn from the cabinet body, the rotating member abuts against the chassis, the locking member is located at the rotation path of the rotating member, and the chassis cooperates with the locking member to limit a rotation of the rotating member (Col 8, lines 58-Col 9, line 44).
2. wherein the cabinet further comprises an elastic member (Col 9, lines 40-44) connected between the drawer module and the rotating member, the elastic member is configured to hold the rotating member against the chassis before the rotating member rotates.
3. wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a movable member (604), the movable member is disposed on the drawer module, the movable member defines a channel (608 or 610) that extends along a second direction (vertical), and the locking member is movably disposed in the channel; the movable member comprises a first section and a second section (as best seen in figures 5-6C) connected to the first section along the first direction, the channel is connected to the first section and the second section, the first section is configured to contact the locking member and to move the locking member away from the rotation path of the rotating member, and the second section is configured to contact the locking member and to move the locking member in the rotation path of the rotating member; along the second direction, the second section is closer to the rotation plane of the rotating member compared to the first section.
4. wherein the first section comprises a guiding surface (portion of the drawer front around the channel that holds the locking member as best seen in figure 6C), the guiding surface is connected the channel, and the guiding surface is configured to guide the locking member to move from the first section to the second section.
5. wherein the second section comprises a positioning surface (portion of the drawer front around the channel that holds the locking member as best seen in figure 6C), the positioning surface connects the channel, and the positioning surface is configured to keep the locking member in the second section.
11. A cabinet comprising a cabinet body (Col 1, lines 39-53), a chassis (100), a drawer module (104), and a locking mechanism (604, 606, 502), wherein: the chassis is disposed in the cabinet body, and the chassis is withdrawable from the cabinet body along a first direction; the drawer module is disposed in the chassis, and the drawer module is withdrawable from the chassis along the first direction (figure 1); and the locking mechanism comprises a rotating member (606) and a locking member (604), the rotating member is rotationally disposed in the drawer module and abuts against the chassis, a rotation plane of the rotating member is parallel to the first direction (as best seen in figure 6C); the locking member is movably disposed in the chassis along a second direction (vertical as best seen in figures 5-6C) to be located at or away from a rotation path of the rotating member, and the second direction is orthogonal to the rotation plane of the rotating member; in a locked state, the rotating member abuts against the chassis, and the drawer module is restricted from being withdrawn from the chassis; the rotating member is separated from the chassis during rotation; in an unlocked state, the rotating member is separated from the chassis, and the drawer module can be withdrawn from the chassis; and when the chassis is withdrawn from the cabinet body, the rotating member abuts against the chassis, the locking member is located at the rotation path of the rotating member, and the chassis cooperates with the locking member to limit a rotation of the rotating member; wherein the cabinet further comprises an elastic member, and the elastic member is connected between the drawer module and the rotating member, and the elastic member is configured to hold the rotating member against the chassis before the rotating member rotates; and wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a movable member (portion of the drawer front around the channel that holds the locking member as best seen in figure 6C), the movable member is disposed on the drawer module, the movable member defines a channel (608,610) that extends along a second direction, and the locking member is movably disposed in the channel (as best seen in figures 6A-6C; Col 8, lines 58-Col 9, line 44)
12. wherein the movable member comprises a first section and a second section (portions of the drawer front that hold the locking member to the drawer module) connected to the first section along the first direction, the channel is connected to the first section and the second section, the first section is configured to contact the locking member and to move the locking member away from the rotation path of the rotating member, and the second section is configured to contact the locking member and to move the locking member in the rotation path of the rotating member; along the second direction, the second section is closer to the rotation plane of the rotating member compared to the first section (as best seen in figures 5-6C).
13. wherein the first section comprises a guiding surface (surface of the drawer front adjacent to the locking member and channel), the guiding surface is connected the channel, and the guiding surface is configured to guide the locking member to move from the first section to the second section.
14. wherein the second section comprises a positioning surface (another portion/edge of the drawer front the holds the locking member to the drawer front), the positioning surface connects the channel, and the positioning surface is configured to keep the locking member in the second section.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 and 15-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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 TIMOTHY MICHAEL AYRES whose telephone number is (571)272-8299. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 11:30-8.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dan Troy can be reached at (571) 270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TIMOTHY M AYRES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3637
Prosecution Insights