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
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) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Beyer (US Pub. No. 2010/0032909).
Regarding claim 1, the Beyer reference discloses a sealing ring assembly structure (20), comprising:
an assembly body (230) comprising a main body (body of 230) and a limiting convex ring (240) protruding from the main body, wherein the limiting convex ring and the main body jointly enclose to form a limiting groove (e.g. groove formed by 240 around 250), and the main body is provided with a first through hole (60) communicating with the limiting groove (Figs. 1-4) ; and
a sealing ring (220) accommodated in the limiting groove and comprising a ring body (body of 220) and an adhesive layer (Para. [0029]) fixed to a bottom surface of the ring body, wherein the ring body is adhered and fixed to a groove bottom surface of the limiting groove through the adhesive layer (Fig. 4, Para. [0029]), and a side surface of the ring body abuts against a groove wall of the limiting groove (Fig. 4), the sealing ring further comprises a second through hole (e.g. 60) penetrating through the ring body and the adhesive layer, and the second through hole and the first through hole are coaxially arranged (Figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 2, the Beyer reference discloses along a direction from a groove opening to a groove bottom of the limiting groove, the limiting groove sequentially comprises a first groove section (e.g. top of convex) and a second groove section (e.g. bottom of convex), a groove wall of the first groove section is a frustum cone surface (Fig. 4) , wherein along the direction from the groove opening to the groove bottom of the limiting groove, a diameter of the first groove section gradually decreases (Fig. 4), and a groove wall of the second groove section is a cylindrical surface (Fig. 4); and wherein the side surface of the ring body is a cylindrical surface (Fig. 4), and the side surface of the ring body abuts against the groove wall of the second groove section (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, the Beyer reference discloses a wall of the second through hole is a cylindrical surface (Fig. 4); and
wherein along a direction away from the limiting groove, the first through hole sequentially comprises a first hole section and a second hole section (Figs. 1-3), a hole wall of the first hole section is a cylindrical surface (Fig. 4), and a diameter of the first hole section is equal to a diameter of the second through hole (Fig. 4), a hole wall of the second hole section is a frustum cone surface (Fig. 4), and along the direction away from the limiting groove, the diameter of the second hole section gradually increases (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, the Beyer reference discloses a top surface of the ring body is exposed from the limiting groove (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, the Beyer reference discloses the ring body comprises a first fillet surface extending between the side surface of the ring body and the bottom surface of the ring body (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, the Beyer reference discloses the assembly body is provided with a second fillet surface extending between the groove wall of the limiting groove and the groove bottom surface of the limiting groove, and the second fillet surface abuts against the first fillet surface (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, the Beyer reference discloses the adhesive layer is double-sided adhesive (e.g. when the glue is applied, it will have two sides).
Regarding claim 9, the Beyer reference discloses the assembly body comprises a plurality of limiting convex rings (Figs. 1-3), each of the limiting convex rings and the main body jointly enclose to form one limiting groove (Figs. 1-3), the main body is provided with a plurality of first through holes (60), and the first through holes and the limiting grooves are arranged in one-to-one correspondence (Figs. 1-4); and
wherein the sealing ring assembly structure comprises a plurality of sealing rings (220), and the sealing rings and the limiting grooves are arranged in one-to-one correspondence (Figs. 1-4).
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(s) 5 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beyer.
Regarding claim 5, the Beyer reference discloses the invention substantially as claimed in claim 1.
However, the Beyer reference fails to explicitly disclose the ring body is made of silicone material.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use silicone, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious mechanical expedience and in order to ensure a complete seal. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding claim 10, the Beyer reference discloses the invention substantially as claimed in claim 1 and would be capable of being used in an electronic device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GILBERT Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5894. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-430pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine 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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/GILBERT Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675