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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species C, claims 1-3 and 7-20 in the reply filed on August 24, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 4-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 24, 2026.
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 1-3, 7, 14, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Collene (US 20170130502 A1).
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Annotated Figure 3A of Collene
Regarding claim 1, Collene discloses a lid hinge assembly (H1), for an appliance (A), said lid hinge assembly (H1) comprising: a base (10) configured to be attached to (figure 1) an associated appliance body (A), said base (10) comprising a recess (annotated figure 3A); a cam (20) rotatably supported (paragraph 23, lines 3-5) in said recess (annotated figure 3A) and adapted for rotation in first and second opposite angular directions (FA1, FA2) relative to said base (10) about a pivot axis (XL), wherein said first and second angular directions (FA1, FA2) correspond respectively to opening movement of (paragraph 23, lines 4-8) an associated appliance lid (L) relative to the associated appliance body (A) and closing movement of the associated appliance lid (L) relative to the associated appliance body (A); a spring (S) operably engaged between the base (10) and the cam (20), said spring (S) comprising a first end (S2) operably engaged with the base (10) and a second end (S1) operably connected to a cam arm (24, cam lobe) of the cam (20).
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Annotated Figure 4A of Collene
Regarding claim 2, Collene discloses the cam (20) comprises a camshaft (22) rotatably seated in said recess (annotated figure 3A), said cam (20) comprising an enlarged head (figure 4A) located on a first end (annotated figure 4A) of the camshaft (22) on an inner axial end of the cam (20).
Regarding claim 3, Collene discloses said cam arm (24, cam lobe) projects outwardly from a second end (annotated figure 4A) of the camshaft (22) on a second outer end of the cam (20) such that a central portion of the camshaft (22) is located between the enlarged head (figure 4A) and the cam arm (24, cam lobe).
Regarding claim 7, Collene discloses the inner end of the cam (20) includes a non-circular aperture (23) adapted to receive a non-circular tip of an associated hinge arm (paragraph 25, lines 12-15) connected to the associated appliance lid (L).
Regarding claim 14, Collene discloses said cam arm (24, cam lobe) comprises an aperture (24A) and wherein said second end (S1) of said spring (S) comprises a hook (paragraph 27, lines 13-17) that is engaged with the aperture (24A) of the cam arm (24, cam lobe).
Regarding claim 18, Collene discloses a damper (40, snubber) located on the base (10) that is engaged by the cam (20) to slow movement (paragraph 28, lines 11-18) of the cam (20) in said second angular direction (FA2) corresponding to said pivoting closing movement of the associated appliance lid (L).
Regarding claim 19, Collene discloses said base (10) comprises a damper-receiving housing (14, snubber housing) including a bore (30) in which said damper cylinder body is slidably positioned (paragraph 29, lines 14-18), wherein said damper-receiving housing (14, snubber housing) comprises either: (i) a metallic housing structure defined as part of a one-piece structure (paragraph 22, lines 9-11) together with said base (10); (ii) a polymeric housing (paragraph 22, lines 6-7) connected to said base (10); (iii) one or more clips, rivets, bosses, or any other structure(s) connected to and/or formed as part of the channel (paragraph 28, lines 1-4) and positioned to hold the damper (40, snubber) in its operative position on or relative to the base (10).
Regarding claim 20, Collene discloses said cam (20) engages said damper (40, snubber) in an engagement position of said cam (20) that is located angularly between a first operative position (figure 4C) of said cam (20) corresponding to a fully closed position of the associated appliance lid (L) and a second operative position (figure 4A) of said cam corresponding to a fully opened position of the associated appliance lid (L), and wherein angular movement of said cam (20) in said second angular direction (FA2) from said second operative position (figure 4A) toward said first operative position (figure 4C) is unaffected by said damper (40, snubber) for at least part of an angular distance traveled (paragraph 33, lines 10-18) by said cam (20) from said second operative position (figure 4A) toward said first operative position (figure 4C).
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 8-12, 15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collene (US 20170130502 A1) as applied to claim 1 above in view of Oshima et al (US 20210172229 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Collene discloses a lid hinge assembly (H1) having a base (10) which comprises a channel (annotated figure 3A) including: a main wall (17, tail); upper and lower spaced-apart flanges (annotated figure 3A) projecting outwardly in a first direction from the main wall (17, tail); and a distal end (annotated figure 3A) spaced from the open recess (annotated figure 3A).
Collene does not explicitly disclose the distal end including a turned-in end wall portion.
Regarding claim 8, Oshima teaches a hinge assembly (9, door device) having a base (11, arm) with a recess (paragraph 49, lines 1-9) and a distal end (tip), wherein the distal end (tip) includes a turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the base (10) of Collene to include the spring case (51) as taught by Oshima. One would be motivated to make this modification in order to give the hinge assembly a neater appearance and protect the inside of the base from wear (paragraph 9 of Oshima).
Examiner notes that for Collene in view of Oshima (Collene/Oshima), the anchor (19) of Collene would be attached to the spring case (51) of Oshima.
Regarding claim 9, Collene/Oshima discloses the first end of the spring (S2 of Collene) is operably connected to the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) of the main wall (17, tail of Collene).
Regarding claim 10, Collene/Oshima discloses the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) of the main wall (17, tail of Collene) and the upper and lower flanges (annotated figure 3A of Collene) of the channel (annotated figure 3A of Collene) define a space in which said spring (S of Collene) is located.
Regarding claim 11, Collene/Oshima discloses said first end (S2 of Collene) of said spring (S of Collene) comprises a first hook (paragraph 27, column 2, lines 1-3 of Collene) including a linear segment (annotated figure 4A of Collene) at a free end of the first hook; said turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) of the main wall (17, tail of Collene) includes an edge that comprises a notch (51a, groove of Oshima); and, said first hook is engaged with said notch (51a, groove of Oshima) and said linear segment (annotated figure 4A of Collene) at the free end of the hook lies flat against the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima).
Regarding claim 12, Collene/Oshima discloses said turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) is arranged at an oblique angle (figure 3A of Oshima) with respect to said main wall (17, tail of Collene) such that the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) is arranged obliquely (paragraph 50, lines 1-3 of Oshima) with respect to the main wall (17, tail of Collene) whereby an obtuse angle (figure 3A of Oshima) is defined between the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima) and the main wall (17, tail of Collene) when measured in the space defined between the upper and lower flanges (annotated figure 3A of Collene) and the turned-in end wall portion (51, spring case of Oshima).
Regarding claim 15, Collene discloses the cam (20) rotates between a first angular position (figure 4C) corresponding to a fully closed position of the associated appliance lid (L) and an second angular position (figure 4A) corresponding to a fully opened position of the associated appliance lid (L), and wherein said spring (S) biases said cam (20) toward a neutral angular position (figure 4B) of the cam that is located between the first and second angular positions (figure 4C and 4A) of the cam (20).
Collene does not explicitly disclose the cam comprising a stop face that prevents angular movement of the cam in the first angular direction beyond the second angular position of the cam.
Regarding claim 15, Oshima teaches a hinge assembly (9, door device) having a cam (43) that comprises a stop face (43A, recesses) that prevents angular movement (paragraph 53, lines 5-9) of the cam (43) in the first angular direction of the cam (43).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the cam (20) of Collene to include the recesses (43a) as taught by Oshima. One would be motivated to make this modification in order to stop the motion of the cam and appliance lid or door hinge (paragraph 53 of Oshima).
Examiner notes that one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to manipulate the recces (43a) in the cam (43) to place the door stop at the desired angle.
Regarding claim 17, Collene/Oshima discloses the main wall (17, tail of Collene) and the upper and lower spaced-apart flanges (annotated figure 3A of Collene) define a spring-receiving space (figure 4A of Collene) of the base (10 of Collene) in which said spring (S of Collene) is located, wherein said main wall (17, tail of Collene) of said base (10 of Collene) includes at least one of: (i) a recess (annotated figure 3A of Collene) defined in an internal side that faces said spring (S of Collene) to provide space for said spring adjacent said main wall (17, tail of Collene); (ii) open slot (figure 3B of Collene) that extends through said main wall (17, tail of Collene) adjacent said spring (S of Collene).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collene (US 20170130502 A1) as applied to claims 1-3 above, and further in view of TheSpringStore.
Regarding claim 13, Collene discloses a lid hinge assembly (H1) having a spring (S).
Collene does not explicitly disclose the spring being a convex barrel spring.
Regarding claim 13, TheSpringStore discloses a spring that is a compression barrel spring.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the hinge assembly (H1) of Collene by using a barrel spring. One would be motivated to make this modification because barrel springs are an optimal compression spring of greater length because they are less prone to buckling and barrel springs do not need to be paired with a shaft for increased stability (TheSpringStore).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collene (US 20170130502 A1) as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 16, Collene discloses a lid hinge assembly (H1) having a base (10) that is a one-piece polymeric structure (paragraph 21), a housing (14) that is a one-piece polymeric structure (paragraph 22, lines 6-11), and a cam (20).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use a cam made of a one-piece polymeric structure similar to the housing and base of the hinge assembly. One would be motivated to use a one-piece polymeric cam because it is easier to manufacture and has less weak points than the same part made of multiple pieces.
In accordance to MPEP 2113, the method of forming the device is not germane to the issue of patentability of the device itself. Therefore, this limitation has not been given patentable weight. Please note that even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of the cam does not depend on how it was produced. The claim is unpatentable over the reference having identical structure. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Federal Circuit 1985).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hirtsiefer et al (US 20250027353 A1) teaches a furniture fitting with a spring tensioned hinge.
Vanini (US 20240200381 A1) teaches a door hinge with a spring and damper cartridge.
Lee et al (US 20240117663 A1) teaches a door hinge with multiple spring assemblies.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KARA BROOKS whose telephone number is (571)272-9484. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at (571) 272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.J.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677
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