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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Double Patenting
Claims 1-2 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-2 of copending Application No. 19/021,624 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the instant application is broader than the copending application, and all aspects of the instant claims are wholly encompassed and thus anticipated by the copending application, as seen by the chart below.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Instant Application
Patent Application 19/021,624
1. A full-area touch panel device comprising: a surrounding frame including two first frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and that are elongated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and two second frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that are elongated in the first direction, each of said second frame parts having opposite ends in the first direction that are connected respectively to said first frame parts;
two elastic members that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction and that are disposed between said first frame parts, each of said elastic members having opposite ends in the second direction that are connected respectively to said second frame parts; and
a fixing member including a main body part that is disposed on bottom surfaces of said elastic members, two first extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part in the second direction, each of said first extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop one of said second frame parts, and two second extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part opposite to said first extension parts in the second direction, each of said second extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop another one of said second frame parts; wherein a thickness of said main body part perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is greater than a thickness of each of said first extension parts and said second extension parts perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.
2. The full-area touch panel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first frame parts has an elongated portion that extends in the second direction, and two limiting portions that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that extend from said elongated portion in the first direction, each of said limiting portions having a distal end portion that is disposed under an adjacent one of said elastic members.
1. A full-area touch panel device comprising: a surrounding frame including two first frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and that are elongated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and two second frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that are elongated in the first direction, each of said second frame parts having opposite ends in the first direction that are connected respectively to said first frame parts;
two elastic members spaced apart from each other in the first direction and disposed between said first frame parts, each of said elastic members having opposite ends in the second direction that are connected respectively to said second frame parts,
a plurality of threaded holes, and a plurality of positioning rings that protrude downwardly from a bottom surface of said elastic member and that respectively surround said plurality of threaded holes; and
a fixing member including a main body part that is disposed on bottom surfaces of said elastic members, two first extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part in the second direction, each of said first extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop one of said second frame parts, and two second extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part opposite to said first extension parts in the second direction, each of said second extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop another one of said second frame parts; wherein a thickness of said main body part perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is greater than a thickness of each of said first extension parts and said second extension parts perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; and
wherein said main body part has a plurality of through holes that are respectively aligned with said plurality of threaded holes of said elastic members and that are respectively engaged with said plurality of positioning rings of said elastic members.
2. The full-area touch panel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said frame parts has an elongated portion that is elongated in the second direction, and two limiting portions that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that extend from said framed portion in the first direction, each of said limiting segments having a distal end portion that is disposed under an adjacent one of said elastic members.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1- are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schreurs et al (US 2019/0187796)
As per claim 1 Schreurs et al discloses: A full-area touch panel device comprising:
a surrounding frame 11 including two first frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction, and that are elongated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
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two second frame parts that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that are elongated in the first direction {figures 1 & 2A}, each of said second frame parts having opposite ends in the first direction that are connected respectively to said first frame parts {figure 1};
two elastic members 14 that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction and that are disposed between said first frame parts, each of said elastic members 14 having opposite ends in the second direction that are connected respectively to said second frame parts {figures 1 & 2A}; and
a fixing member 19 including a main body part that is disposed on bottom surfaces of said elastic members 14, two first extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part in the second direction, each of said first extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop one of said second frame parts, and
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two second extension parts that are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and that extend from said main body part opposite to said first extension parts in the second direction, each of said second extension parts having a distal end portion disposed atop another one of said second frame parts {figures 1 & 2A};
wherein a thickness of said main body part perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is greater than a thickness of each of said first extension parts and said second extension parts perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction {figures 1 & 2A & Note: “a thickness” of the main body part is seen to be greater than “a thickness” of the extensions parts since “a” as set forth in the claims lacks specificity to distinguish over the applied prior art.}
As per claim 2 Schreurs et al discloses: The full-area touch panel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first frame parts has an elongated portion that extends in the second direction, and two limiting portions that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and that extend from said elongated portion in the first direction, each of said limiting portions having a distal end portion that is disposed under an adjacent one of said elastic members 14 {figures 1 & 2A & Note: “portion” “portions” is not set forth in the claims with any specificity to distinguish over the applied prior art.}.
As per claim 3 Schreurs et al discloses: The full-area touch panel device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each of said elastic members 14 has a plurality of threaded holes; and said main body part of said fixing member 19 has a plurality of through holes that are respectively aligned with said threaded holes of said elastic members 14 {[0037] The second portion 142 is connected to the moving element 19. In the present embodiment, the second portion 142 may be connected to the counter mass 12 of the moving element 19 by a fixing element 16.}.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID D DAVIS whose telephone number is (571)272-7572. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ke Xiao can be reached at 571-272-7776. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID D DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
DDD
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