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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “61N”, mentioned on page 11, line 16. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-16 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, line 2, it is not clear exactly how “a base” is related/linked to other part of an appliance, to perform hinging with the arm adapted to be connected to the lid of the appliance, i.e., it is not clear whether the base is adapted to be mounted to the lid as well.
In claim 1, lines 8-9, it is not clear whether “an extended position” and “a retracted position” are referring to that of the spring rod or that of the spring.
In claim 6, lines 1-2, “said inner end of said spring rod” lacks antecedent basis.
Note that other claims, depending from the rejected claims, are also considered vague and indefinite.
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 1-5, 7-9 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being clearly anticipated by Lee et al. ‘663 (US 2024/0117663 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. shows an appliance lid hinge assembly (100) including a base (20); an arm (10) pivotally connected to the base and adapted to be connected to an associated appliance lid; an arm control system comprising a spring rod (51) engaged with the base and adapted to move relative to the base in a sliding reciprocal manner; a spring (53) that exerts a biasing force on the spring rod that urges the spring rod toward an extended position (e.g., figs. 4A-4B, arm rotating clockwise, spring extending and spring rod moving rightward), wherein said spring rod (51) is movable against the biasing force from the extended position toward a retracted position (e.g., figs. 4A-4B, arm rotating counterclockwise, spring retracting and spring rod moving leftward); said arm (10) operatively engaged with the spring rod (51) such that: (i) pivoting movement of the arm in an opening direction (clockwise) corresponds with movement of the spring rod toward the extended position; and, (ii) pivoting movement of the arm in a closing direction (counterclockwise) corresponds with movement of the spring rod toward the retracted position.
As to claim 2, the base (20) comprises opposite spaced apart first and second side walls (fig. 1B) that comprises respective first and second elongated slots (22) that are registered with each other, and wherein a rod fastener (31) is slidably engaged with both said first and second elongated slots and an inner end of the spring rod (51) is operably engaged with said rod fastener (31) such that said spring rod moves linearly relative to the base along a spring rod axis.
As to claim 3, a damper (60) is connected to said base (20) and adapted to be engaged by and exert a damping force on said arm control system when said arm moves in said closing direction (counterclockwise).
As to claim 4, the damper (60) is engaged by the spring rod of said arm control system (through link 40 and pin 31) when said spring rod moves toward its retracted position (i.e., rod moved to left, fig. 4A).
As to claim 5, the damper (60) comprises a piston ([0053]) that moves between an extended position and a retracted position along an axis that is offset from and parallel to the spring rod axis (figs. 2B and 4B).
As to claim 7, the arm (10) is operatively engaged with the spring rod (51) through an arm control linkage (40) comprising a first end connected to the arm (by shaft 13) and a second end that is operably engaged with the spring rod (by a pin in opening 45).
As to claim 8, the arm (10) pivots relative to the base (20) about a main pivot axis (11), and wherein the first end of the arm control linkage (40) is pivotally connected to the arm and pivots relative to the arm about a link pivot axis (13) that is parallel to but offset from the main pivot axis.
As to claim 9, the arm control linkage (40) comprises a single link or multiple interconnected links (two links 40, fig. 1B).
As to claim 15, Lee et al. shows an appliance lid hinge assembly including a base (20), an arm (10) pivotally connected to the base, an arm control system including a siding spring rod (51) and a biasing system (53) that acts resiliently between the spring rod and the base, and an arm control linkage (40) pivotally connected to the arm and engaged with the spring rod to operatively connect the arm to the biasing spring system.
As to claim 16, Lee et al. further shows a damper system (60) that acts on the biasing spring system to slow movement of the arm relative to the base.
Claims 1-9 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Collene et al. ‘582 (US 2020/0332582 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Collene et al. shows an appliance lid hinge assembly (embodiment H3, figures 5-5C) including a base (10’); an arm (34’) pivotally connected to the base and adapted to be connected to an associated appliance lid; an arm control system comprising a spring rod (50’) engaged with the base and adapted to move relative to the base in a sliding reciprocal manner; a spring (G’) that exerts a biasing force on the spring rod that urges the spring rod toward an extended position (fig. 5B), wherein said spring rod (50’) is movable against the biasing force from the extended position toward a retracted position (fig. 5C); said arm (34’) operatively engaged with the spring rod (50’) such that: (i) pivoting movement of the arm in an opening direction (OD) corresponds with movement of the spring rod toward the extended position; and, (ii) pivoting movement of the arm in a closing direction (CD) corresponds with movement of the spring rod toward the retracted position.
As to claim 2, the base (10’) comprises opposite spaced apart first and second side walls (12’, 14’) that comprises respective first and second elongated slots (12S’, 14S’) that are registered with each other, and wherein a rod fastener (RF’) is slidably engaged with both said first and second elongated slots and an inner end of the spring rod (50b’) is operably engaged with said rod fastener (RF’) such that said spring rod moves linearly relative to the base along a spring rod axis.
As to claim 3, a damper (DS’) is connected to said base (10’) and adapted to be engaged by and exert a damping force on said arm control system when said arm moves in said closing direction (CD).
As to claim 4, the damper (DS’) is engaged by the spring rod of said arm control system (through DX’) when said spring rod moves toward its retracted position (fig. 5C).
As to claim 5, the damper (DS’) comprises a piston (PP’) that moves between an extended position and a retracted position along an axis that is offset from and parallel to the spring rod axis (RX’).
As to claim 6, the inner end (50b’) of the spring rod comprises an enlarged head (50h’) comprising a damper actuator (DX’) for engaging said damper, said enlarged head comprising a bifurcated structure (fig. 5, {0057]) including first and second spaced-apart walls that are each engaged with the rod fastener (RF’).
As to claim 7, in the embodiment (H2) shown in figures 3-3C, Collene et al. teaches an appliance lid hinge similar to the embodiment (H3) of figures 5-5C and meeting claim 1 (e.g., fig 3A, a base 10, an arm 34, a spring rod 50, a spring G, and a damper DS. For brevity, details of corresponding elements are omitted). Collene et al. further shows the arm (34) being operatively engaged with the spring rod (50) through an arm control linkage (44) comprising a first end (top end, fig. 3A) connected to the arm (by cam follower 48) and comprises a second end (lower end) that is operably engaged with the spring rod (by pin RF).
As to claim 8, the arm (34) pivots relative to the base (10) about a main pivot axis (F1), and wherein the first end of the arm control linkage is pivotally connected to the arm and pivots relative to the arm about a link pivot axis (KF) that is parallel to but offset from the main pivot axis (F1).
As to claim 9, the arm control linkage (44) comprises a single link (46) or multiple interconnected links.
As to claim 15, Collene et al. (embodiment H2, figures 3-3C) shows an appliance lid hinge assembly including a base (10), an arm (34) pivotally connected to the base, an arm control system including a siding spring rod (50) and a biasing system (G) that acts resiliently between the spring rod and the base, and an arm control linkage (44) pivotally connected to the arm and engaged with the spring rod (50) to operatively connect the arm to the biasing spring system.
As to claim 16, Collene et al. further shows a damper system (DS) that acts on the biasing spring system to slow movement of the arm relative to the base.
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.
Claims 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collene et al. ‘582.
Regarding claim 10, Collene et al. discloses the invention as claimed (e.g., embodiments H2 or H3) except for the spring rod (50 or 50’) being directly pivotally connected to the arm by a secondary pivot fastener that is offset from the main pivot axis. Instead, Collene et al. shows the spring being pivotally connected to the arm by a cam follower (48’) or by a linkage (44) to control the pivoting position of the arm (34 or 34’). However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to directly connect the spring rod to the arm using a secondary pivot fastener that is offset from the main pivot axis (X or X’) to control the positioning of the arm, instead of using a linkage or a cam follower, since applicant has not disclosed that using the specific secondary pivot fastener directly connecting the spring rod to the arm solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the linkage and cam follower taught by Collene et al. would perform equally well for controlling the position of the arm. In re Kuhle, 188 USPQ 7.
As to claim 11, Collene et al. has a damper (DS or DS’) connected to the base and adapted to be engaged by and exert a damping force on the arm control system when the arm moves in the closing direction.
As to claim 12, the damper is engaged by the spring rod (50) of the arm control system when the spring rod moves toward its retracted position (fig. 5C).
As to claim 13, the damper comprises a piston (PP or PP’) that moves between an extended position and a retracted position along an axis that is offset from the spring rod axis (RX’).
As to claim 14, the inner end (50b’) of the spring rod comprises an enlarged head (50h’) comprising a damper actuator (DX’) for engaging said damper, said enlarged head comprising a bifurcated structure (fig. 5, {0057]) including first and second spaced-apart walls. For the presence of the “secondary pivot fastener”, see reasons stated above regarding claim 10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Related prior art:
US 2010/0148646 A1 (Bettinzoli) shows a hinge for appliance including a base, an arm pivotally connected to the base, an arm control system having a spring rod, a spring biasing force on the spring rod, and the arm is directly connected to the spring rod by a secondary fastener that is offset from a main pivot fastener.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK MAH whose telephone number is (571)272-7059. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00-3:00.
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/CHUCK Y MAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677 CM
March 31, 2026
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