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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on the merits.
Claims 1-20 are rejected herein.
Information Disclosure Statement
As of the date of this action, an information disclosure statement (IDS) has been filed on 12/12/2024 and on 04/20/2025 and reviewed by the Examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 6 and 18 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
The recitation of claims 6 and 18 wherein “…lever arms of the first torque and the second torque are zero when the display mounted on the mounting bracket is rotated to a horizontal orientation” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the Applicant intended to claim the torques being zero or some angle or dimension of the linear arm being zero.
Appropriate correction/explanation is required.
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 7 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 20150250064 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches a display mounting stand, comprising:
a support base (212);
at least one rotation mechanism (316) disposed on at least one side of the support base; and
at least one mounting bracket (104) connected to the at least one rotation mechanism on the at least one side of the support base;
wherein the at least one rotation mechanism comprises:
a shaft (602) rotatably disposed on the support base and connected to the at least one mounting bracket on the at least one side of the support base;
a rotation connector (402) fixed on the shaft and configured to rotate with the shaft [0037], the rotation connector comprising at least one connecting structure (L1: see annotated figure below) spaced apart from the shaft;
at least one spring device (410) having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end being connected to the at least one connecting structure of the rotation connector; and
a spring fixture (L2: see annotated figure below) connecting and fixing the second end of the at least one spring device;
wherein the at least one mounting bracket is configured to mount a display and the shaft rotates with the at least one mounting bracket [0037] the at least one mounting bracket is configured to apply a second torque caused by weight of the display to the shaft.
Lee is silent to disclose the at least one spring device is configured to apply a first torque to the shaft. However, it is noted that torsional springs are old and well know to provide torque when in use (twisted or deflected). Thus, 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 torsion spring that is configured to apply a first torque to the shaft such that the first torque and the second torque are in opposite directions. The motivation would have been to facilitate the use of the product.
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Regarding claim 2, Lee teaches the first end of the at least one spring device is pivotably connected to the at least one connecting structure (L1) of the rotation connector (402).
Regarding claim 7, Lee teaches the at least one mounting bracket (104) comprises a bracket body (206, 202, 204) and a connection portion (lower portion of 104), the connection portion connects the bracket body to an end of the shaft on the at least one side of the support base.
Regarding claim 12, The display mounting stand of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotation mechanism further comprises a rotation resistance device (305) connected to the shaft and configured to provide a frictional torque to impede rotation of the shaft.
Regarding claim 13, The display mounting stand of claim 1, wherein the spring fixture (L2) comprises a movable component, the at least one spring device (410) is connected to the movable component, and a length of the at least one spring device changes as a position of the movable component is adjusted [capable].
Regarding claim 14, Lee teaches a display device, comprising:
a display (100); and
a display mounting stand, comprising:
a support base (106);
a rotation mechanism (316) disposed on the support base; and
a mounting bracket (104) connected to the rotation mechanism on the support base, wherein the display is mounted on the mounting bracket;
wherein the rotation mechanism comprises:
a shaft (602) rotatably disposed on the support base and connected to the mounting bracket, wherein the shaft rotates with the mounting bracket;
a rotation connector (402) fixed on the shaft and configured to rotate with the shaft [0037], the rotation connector comprising a connecting structure (L1; see annotated figure above) spaced apart from the shaft;
at least one spring device (410) having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end being connected to the connecting structure of the rotation connector; and
a spring fixture (L2; see annotated figure above) connecting and fixing the second end of the at least one spring device;
the mounting bracket is configured to apply a second torque caused by weight of the display to the shaft.
Lee is silent to disclose the at least one spring device is configured to apply a first torque to the shaft. However, it is noted that torsional springs are old and well know to provide torque when in use (twisted or deflected). Thus, 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 torsion spring that is configured to apply a first torque to the shaft such that the first torque and the second torque are in opposite directions. The motivation would have been to facilitate the use of the product.
Regarding claim 15, Lee teaches Lee teaches the first end of the at least one spring device is pivotably connected to the at least one connecting structure (L1) of the rotation connector (402).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8-11, 16-17 and 19-20 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.
Claims 6 and 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD IJAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6280. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:00 am-10:00 pm.
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, Jonathan Liu can be reached at 5712728227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MUHAMMAD IJAZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3631
/Muhammad Ijaz/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
Prosecution Insights