Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it begins with a phrase that can be implied, and purports the benefits of the invention (see last sentence). A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cheng, US 5,761,754. At Fig. 5, Cheng discloses a playpen connecting piece (3), comprising an upper corner joint (34) and a lower corner joint (31), with the upper corner joint and the lower corner joint rotatably connected to adjacent playpen components (21, 21) respectively, wherein
an insertion slot (342) is disposed at an upper part of the upper corner joint, and an
unlocking button (36) is inserted into the insertion slot; a locking piece (33) is sleeved between inner sides of the upper corner joint and the lower corner joint; a reset spring (32) is sleeved on a lower end of an outer side of the locking piece; an angle adjustment
structure is arranged between a top of the locking piece and the unlocking button; and
the angle adjustment structure serves for adjusting an angle between the upper corner joint
and the lower corner joint (col. 3, lines 45-55); and
a first locking structure (333, 334, 343, 344) is arranged between an upper part of the locking piece and the upper corner joint, and a second locking structure (312, 331) is arranged between a lower part of the locking piece and the lower corner joint,
wherein the angle adjustment structure comprises a partition plate (see “disc portion” at col. 3, line 39), an insertion plate (36, 361), a through hole (342), a tooth
groove (361), and a shallow tooth groove (31); the partition plate is mounted on an inner side of the insertion slot; the through hole is disposed on the partition plate; the tooth
groove is disposed at a bottom of the insertion plate; the insertion plate passes through
the through hole and extends below the partition plate; and the tooth groove and the
shallow tooth groove cooperate with each other (col. 3, lines 45-47),
wherein the first locking structure comprises a deep tooth groove (333, 334) and locking teeth (343, 344); the locking teeth are arranged in a circular array on the inner side of the upper corner joint; the deep tooth groove is mounted at an upper end of an outer side of the locking piece; and the deep tooth groove and the locking teeth (19) cooperate with each other (col. 3, lines 34-37),
wherein when the locking piece descends, the deep tooth groove disengages from the locking teeth (col. 3, lines 45-49),
wherein the second locking structure comprises an outer tooth ring (331) and an inner tooth ring (312); the inner tooth ring is arranged inside the lower corner joint, and the outer tooth ring is mounted at a lower part of the outer side of the locking piece; and when the upper corner joint and the lower corner joint are locked, the outer tooth ring is clamped on an inner side of the inner tooth ring, and the inner tooth ring cooperates with the outer tooth ring (col.3, lines 25-30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chen, Mosby and Shen disclose playpen connecting pieces.
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/Greg Binda/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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