DETAILED ACTION
This is the first office action for US Application 19/066,880 for a Movable Display Device.
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 § 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 1-5 and 8 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "either of the support" in lines 13 and 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "either of the support" in lines 5 and 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 6, 8, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2010026680 to Mitsubishi Electric Corp (referred to as Mitsubishi hereinafter). Regarding claim 1, Mitsubishi discloses a movable display device comprising a support (3), a display member (1), and a driver configured to rotationally move the display member to be placed into a displaying position and a non-displaying position (see figures 10-12). There is a restrictor configured to restrict a movement of the display member upon bringing the display member into at least one of the displaying positions or the non-displaying position is provided.
The restrictor includes a roller (11) provided on or with the support, or the display member, or an attached member which rotationally moves with the display member. The restrictor also includes a restriction surface (5a and the surface opposite 5a) provided on or with another of the support, or the display member, or the attached member, and a spring (elastic roller 12) configured to press the roller against the restriction surface.
Regarding claim 6, Mitsubishi discloses a support (3), a slide member (4) supported to reciprocate in a direction crossing a gravitational direction with respect to the support. There is a display member (1) rotatably supported by the slide member. There is a power source configured to reciprocate the slide member toward a predetermined displaying position and a predetermined non-displaying position (see figures 10-12).
There is a display-position switcher (13) configured to rotationally move the display member toward the displaying position, in which an end of the display member opposite to a rotation support side of the display member faces the gravitational direction, by using a moving force of the slide member upon moving the slide member toward the predetermined displaying position, and to rotationally move the display member toward the predetermined non-displaying position, in which the end of the display member is rotationally lifted upward, by using the moving force of the slide member upon moving the slide member toward the non-displaying position (see figures 10-12).
There is a displaying-side restrictor (5a) configured to restrict movement of the display member in the displaying position, and a non-displaying-side restrictor (the surface opposite 5a) configured to restrict the movement of the display member in the non-displaying position. Upon moving the slide member between the predetermined displaying position and the predetermined non-displaying position, the movement of the display member is not restricted either by the displaying-side restrictor or the non-displaying-side restrictor.
Regarding claim 8, the displaying-side restrictor and the non-displaying-side restrictor include a roller (11) provided on or with the support, or the display member, or an attached member which rotationally moves with the display member. There is a restriction surface provided on or with another of the support or the display member or the attached member (at 5a). There is also a spring (12) which presses the roller against the restriction surface (the elastic roller 12 presses roller 11 into the restriction surface 5a).
Regarding claim 9, there is a holder configured to hole the display member rotationally moved to be placed into the non-displaying position, so as not to move in the gravitational direction by using the moving force of the slide member upon moving the slide member toward the predetermined non-displaying position (see figures 10-12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 2, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the features of claim 1 and the spring being a cantilever with the roller supported on a free end of the cantilever, wherein in conjunction with a moving direction of the roller relative the restriction surface upon reaching one of the displaying position or the non-displaying position by the display member. The cantilever is inclined in a restriction proceeding direction such that the free end of the cantilever is positioned further ahead in the restriction proceeding direction than a fixed end of the cantilever, while the roller is pressed against the restriction surface.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not disclose the features of claim 6 and a guide cam provided with an inclined guide portion, which is inclined with respect to a moving direction of the slide member, and the display-position switcher is guided by the inclined guide portion upon moving the slide member between the predetermined displaying position and the predetermined non-displaying position. Upon guiding the display-position switcher by the inclined guide portion, the display member is not restricted either by the displaying-side restrictor or the non-displaying-side restrictor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2026/0210485 to Leman
US 2026/0036258 to Wang
US 7090186 to Quinno
US 7178774 to Kim
US 2005/0029420 to Schroeter
US 12007062 to Leman
DE 20308014 to Schroeter
The prior art above discloses various movable display devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN M MARSH whose telephone number is (571)272-6819. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 9 am-7:30 pm.
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STEVEN M. MARSH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/STEVEN M MARSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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