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 .
Priority date of 02/28/2024 based on CN202420375357.7 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-10 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.
“easy-to-assemble”, in which “easy” is a relative term rendering the claim indefinite.
Regarding claim 5, “the flip cover and the front cover frame body are connected by a zipper arranged in the same plane” is confusing. Fig. 1 shows the flip cover 3, the front cover frame 2, and the zipper are all arranged in different planes. Please explain and show in what plane these structures are in the same.
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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.
(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.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Meersschaert (EP4559353, note filing date 11/27/2023).
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Additionally, while description is given to attaching the pocket assembly 200 to the shell 102, it is appreciated that in some examples the pocket assembly 200 may similarly be removed from the shell 102.
With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and additional reference to FIGS. 3-5, the pocket assembly 200 may include a top portion 202 selectively coupled to a bottom portion 208 by a closure assembly 218. The pocket assembly 200 may include a frame 240. The frame 240 may define the frame coupling structures 250. The pocket assembly 200 may be a variety of shapes or sizes, such as a rectangular or circular polygon. The pocket assembly 200 may be a soft-sided or fabric sided pocket, a hard sided, or a partially hard-sided pocket. For example, the pocket assembly 200 may include moulded and/or fabric components.
Meersschaert teaches a front-opening trolley case with an easy-to-assemble front cover (102+200), comprising a main body (100), one side of the main body is provided with
a front cover structure (102+200), the front cover structure comprises a middle plate (200)
and an outer frame (102), and the middle plate 200 is detachably connected with the outer frame via 306/240.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the outer frame 102 is arranged at the periphery of the middle plate in fig. 2, the middle plate 200 comprises a flip cover 204 and a front cover frame body 240, the front cover frame body 240 is detachably connected with the outer frame 102, and the outer frame 102 is connected with the main body 100) through a zipper structure 122.
Regarding claim 3, note a fastening structure (306) is arranged between the outer frame 102 and the front cover frame body 240.
Regarding claim 4, note the fastening structure 306 comprises a clamping groove and a clamping strip (401), the clamping groove (276/259) is arranged on the front cover frame body , the clamping strip (321/324) is arranged on the inner side of the outer frame 102, and the clamping strip is matched with the clamping groove in shape in fig. 6D.
Regarding claim 6, in view of the 112 issue above, the flip cover 204 and the front cover frame body 240 are connected by a zipper 218 arranged in the same plane in similar relation to that of applicant’s.
Regarding claim 7, note the flip cover 204 and the front cover frame body 218 both have a plate-like structure with a certain thickness and are combined to form a middle plate structure with an accommodating space between 204 and the back wall 210.
Regarding claim 8, note the outer edge of the outer frame 102 is fitted with the outer edge of the main body 100, and an operating space is arranged between the inner edge of the outer frame 240 and the outer edge of the flip cover 204 similar to that of applicant’s.
Regarding claim 10, note the front cover structure (102+200) is communicated with the accommodating space in the main body 100 in fig. 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Meersschaert in view of Korey (10624431). Meersschaert meets all claimed limitations except for the wherein the bottom of the outer frame is provided with grooves in which casters are arranged. Korey teaches that it is known in the art to provide grooves at 51a-d in fig. 6D. it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide grooves in Meersschaert as taught by Korey to enable the attachment of wheels easily.
SET II:
Claims 1-3, 5-8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE202019105370 (hereinafter referred as DE370).
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A closing device, the two case shells 4 and 5 hold together in the closed position, the locking device 7 may be formed for example by said zipper between the two shell edges of the case shell, but may also include a known per se snap lock or a lock in the form of a lock.
As 2 shows, the bag, the freely projecting edge region of the bag attachment leg 13 embrace on the outside and on said pocket fastening leg 13 be positively secured and / or non-positively fastened, for example, be sewn.
The cup attachment leg 14 can on his the trunk 5 facing side a strip-shaped fastening projection 15 having, in a bead-shaped depression 16 in the case 5 engage and can be recorded accurately. The fastening projection 15 can around the entire profile frame 12 be formed circumferentially. In this case, also the bead-shaped depression 16 a continuous, substantially rectangular groove in the case shell 5 form.
Regarding claim 1, DE370 teaches a front-opening trolley case with an easy-to-assemble front cover (5), comprising a main body (4), one side of the main body is provided with
a front cover structure (5+8+9), the front cover structure comprises a middle plate (8)
and an outer frame (5), and the middle plate 8 is detachably connected with the outer frame via 21. Note that the term “detachably connected” as claimed comprises bolt fastener (claim 6) and the fasteners 21 comprises the same equivalent structure for detachably connection.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the outer frame 5 is arranged at the periphery of the middle plate 8 in fig. 2, the middle plate 8 comprises a flip cover 8 (via zipper 10) and a front cover frame body 12, the front cover frame body 12 is detachably connected with the outer frame via fastener 21, and the outer frame 5 is connected with the main body 4 through a zipper structure 7 (cited above).
Regarding claim 3, note a fastening structure at or about 15/16 and 21/22 is arranged between the outer frame 5 and the front cover frame body 12.
Regarding claim 5, a connecting edge 12 is arranged at the periphery of the front cover frame body, and the connecting edge 12 and the outer frame are provided with screw holes in corresponding positions and fixed by bolts at 21.
Regarding claim 6, in view of the 112 issue above, the flip cover 8 and the front cover frame body 12 are connected by a zipper 10 arranged in the same plane in similar relation to that of applicant’s.
Regarding claim 7, note the flip cover 8 and the front cover frame body 12 both have a plate-like structure with a certain thickness and are combined to form a middle plate structure with an accommodating space between 8 and the back wall 25.
Regarding claim 8, note the outer edge of the outer frame 5 is fitted with the outer edge of the main body 4, and an operating space is arranged between the inner edge of the outer frame 12 and the outer edge of the flip cover 8 similar to that of applicant’s.
Regarding claim 10, note the front cover structure 5 is communicated with the accommodating space in the main body 100 in fig. 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRI M MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-4541. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm (Mon-Friday).
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TRI M. MAI
Examiner
Art Unit 3733
/TRI M MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733