DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on September 01, 2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “first surface” & “the second surface” must be clearly shown \ labeled within the drawings or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Claims 2, 5 & 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. In Claim 2, the recitations of the “first storage housing”, “a second storage housing”, “a first upper platform” and “a second upper platform” are unclear and confusing as presently set forth since one cannot reasonably interpret whether these features are new and distinct limitations, or whether they are a sub-set of the previously defined “one storage housing” & “one upper platform”, thereby rendering the metes and bounds of patent protection being sought by applicant unascertainable; additionally, in line 8, the phrase “the first upper platform receiving slot” does not have a proper antecedent basis. Appropriate clarification and/or correction is required. In Claim 5, the phrase “the base platform” does not have a proper antecedent basis. In Claim 8, the phrase “the first storage housing” does not have a proper antecedent basis. In Claim 9, the phrase “the first storage housing” does not have a proper antecedent basis, and does not make sense in the context of how the limitation is being used, i.e., how does the housing pivotally open? It appears that the “first storage housing door” is the intended feature for such functionality.
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.
Claims 1-2 & 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jin [US 2006/0108899]. Jin teaches of a storage apparatus (figs. 1 & 9) having a stowed position (figs. 4-5) and an assembled position (fig. 1), the storage comprising: at least one storage housing (10) foldable from the stowed position to the assembled position (shown), each storage housing having a first surface (viewed as the left side surface – fig. 1 for instance), a second surface (viewed as the right side surface – fig. 1 for instance), a thickness (distance) between the first surface and the second surface, a top end (upper end of (28, 30) for instance), a bottom end (lower end of (28, 30) for instance), a first side end (front side end – fig. 3), a second side end (rear side end – fig. 3), at least one first upper protruding member (upper (36)) along the top end, at least one first lower protruding member (lower (36)) along the bottom end, and a plurality of foldable panels (12, 14, 16, 18) connected to one another at fold lines (such as along (32, 34) for instance; a bottom platform (22) comprising at least one bottom receiving slot (38), wherein the at least one first lower protruding member is received in the at least one bottom receiving slot in the assembled position [0067]; and at least one upper platform (20) comprising at least one upper receiving slot (38) wherein the at least one first upper protruding member is received in the at least one upper receiving slot in the assembled position [0067]. As to Claim 2, the storage apparatus comprising a first storage housing (bottom (10) – fig. 9), and a second storage housing (top (10) – fig. 9), a first upper platform (lower platform (22) of the second storage housing), and at least a second upper platform (upper platform (20) of second storage housing), wherein the second storage housing comprises at least one second upper protruding member (upper (36)) and at least one second lower protruding member (lower (36)) ;the first upper platform is configured to receive the second lower protruding member via the first upper platform receiving slot; and the second upper platform comprises at least one second upper platform receiving slot, configured to receive the second upper protruding member. As to Claim 7, the at least one storage housing comprises a first storage housing door (24, 26). As to Claim 8, the first storage housing comprises a recessed strip (viewed as the vertical recessed end section along (18) as shown in fig. 3 for instance) along adjacent to the first storage housing door, thereby allowing the first storage housing door to pivotably open. As to Claim 9, the first storage housing door can pivotably open towards an interior of the first storage housing (such as when member (52) is removed from within the housing). As to Claim 10, the storage housing comprises an acoustic material (basically, any solid material can be viewed as a generic acoustic material).
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 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin in view of Gilliom [US 4,793,667]. Jin teaches applicant’s basic inventive claimed storage apparatus as outlined {mapped} above, but does not show at least one leg being attached to the bottom platform as prescribed by applicant. Gilliom is cited as an evidence reference for the known use of incorporating legs (28) along the bottom of a base unit (20, 21) of a modular storage apparatus (fig. 1) in an analogous art. Accordingly, the position is taken that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Jin so as to include legs along the bottom of the storage apparatus in view of Gilliom’s teaching, with a reasonable expectation of success, because this arrangement would enhance the versatility of the prior art’s device by providing a means by which the storage apparatus can be elevated above a floor for cleaning purposes (note col. 3 of Gilliom) as dictated by the needs and/or preferences of an end user. Regarding Claim 4, as modified, the at least one of the leg and the bottom platform can further comprise at least one fastener hole (note the hole within (27) along the bottom of the platform for instance). Regarding Claim 5, as modified, the leg is attached to the base platform via a fastener (29) installed through the fastener hole. Regarding Claim 6, as modified, the apparatus can further comprise at least five legs (at least eight legs shown), wherein one leg of the five legs is positioned at a center of the bottom platform (viewed as the centrally located leg(s) – fig. 1 of Gilliom).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin in view of Glekas [US 2015/0342341]. Jin teaches applicant’s basic inventive claimed storage apparatus as outlined above, including a polyethylene material [0080] used in the construction of the storage apparatus; but does not specifically show polyethylene terephthalate (PET). As to this aspect, Glekas is cited as an evidence reference for the known use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) [0058] in the manufacturing of a modular storage apparatus (100) in an analogous art. As such, the position is taken that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used PET as the manufacturing material in view of Glekas, with a reasonable expectation of success, because this known alternative material would provide the prior art’s device with a material that is strong, lightweight, and shatter-resistant with high mechanical and dimensional stability.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin in view of Flanders [US 4,050,604]. Jin teaches applicant’s basic inventive claimed storage apparatus as outlined above; but does not show wood being used as the material for one of the bottom or upper platforms. As to this aspect, Flanders is cited as an evidence reference for the known use of wood in the construction of a bottom platform (floor member (20)) of a modular storage apparatus (10). As such, the position is taken that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used wood as the bottom platform material in view of Flanders, with a reasonable expectation of success, because this known alternative material would provide the prior art’s device with a natural material that has a high mechanical strength, and the ability to absorb or release moisture as dictated by the needs and/or preferences of an end user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure – see the attached Form PTO-892 showing various storage apparatuses and/or modular storage assemblies.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES O HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6866. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8 am - 4:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JOH
September 11, 2026
/James O Hansen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
