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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on July 10, 2025, August 26, 2025 and February 24, 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on July 10, 2025. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
(i) 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.
Appropriate correction is required.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Examiner Comments
The Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers, paragraphs, or figures in the reference(s) as applied to the claims for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the Applicant, in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) in view of Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1).
As per claim 1, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) discloses an acoustic device (e.g., AS - see Fig. 1) comprising: a base (e.g., including (4, 41)); a shaft member (e.g., 71) penetrating through the base (4, 41); a turntable (e.g., 51) provided on the base (4, 41), the turntable (51) being rotatable (about rotation axis Rx) around the shaft member (71); a movable member (e.g., 72) provided in a manner movable along the shaft member (71); and a load adjuster (e.g., 9) attached to the shaft member (71), the load adjuster (9) being configured to approach the turntable (51) along the shaft member (71) and press an intervening member (e.g., 3 and/or SM and/or SS - see, inter alia, Fig. 4) interposed between the load adjuster (9) and the movable member (72) toward the turntable to adjust a rotation load of the intervening member (e.g., 3 and/or SM and/or SS - see, inter alia, Fig. 4) on the turntable (51) (e.g., see Fig. 18).
As per claim 8, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) discloses an acoustic device e.g., AS - see Fig. 1) comprising: a turntable (e.g., 51) having a placement surface (e.g., surface of (51) on which the intervening member is placed) on which a disc (e.g., 3) is placeable, the turntable (51) being rotatable together with the disc (3); a shaft member (e.g., 71) penetrating through the turntable (51); a movable member (e.g., 72) having a contact surface (e.g., surface of (72) placed in contact with the intervening member) capable of contacting with the disc (e.g., 3), the movable member (72) being provided in a manner movable (72) along the shaft member (71); and a load adjuster (e.g., 9) attached to the shaft member (71), the load adjuster (9) being configured to approach the turntable (51) along the shaft member (71) and press the disc (3) interposed between the load adjuster (9) and the movable member (72) toward the turntable (51) to adjust a rotation load of the disc (3) on the turntable (51), wherein the turntable (51) is rotatable around the shaft member (71), the load adjuster (9) is configured to bias the movable member (72) by a force to hold the disc (3) together with the movable member (72), and the movable member (72) is movable between a first position (e.g., Fig. 20), at which the contact surface (e.g., surface of (72) placed in contact with the intervening member) is located opposite the load adjuster (9) with respect to the placement surface (e.g., surface of (51) on which the intervening member is placed), and a second position (e.g., see Figs. 18 and/or 19), at which the contact surface (e.g., surface of (72) placed in contact with the intervening member) is located near the load adjuster (9) with respect to the placement surface (e.g., surface of (51) on which the intervening member is placed).
As per claim 5, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) further discloses wherein the load adjuster comprises: an adjusting member (e.g., 94 - see Fig. 16) rotatable around the shaft member (71); and a press member (e.g., 91 - see Fig. 16) configured to move along the shaft member (71) as the adjusting member (94) is rotated and press the intervening member (e.g., 3 and/or SM and/or SS - see, inter alia, Fig. 4) toward the turntable (51).
As per claim 6, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) further discloses wherein the turntable (51) has a placement surface (e.g., surface of (51) on which the intervening member is placed) on which the intervening member (e.g., 3 and/or SM and/or SS - see, inter alia, Fig. 4) is placed, the movable member (72) has a contact surface (e.g., surface of (72) placed in contact with the intervening member) that is in contact with the intervening member (e.g., 3 and/or SM and/or SS - see, inter alia, Fig. 4) when the movable member (72) is biased toward the load adjuster (9), and the contact surface is capable of being located at a position closer to the load adjuster (9) with respect to the placement surface. See Fig. 20.
As per claim 7, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) further discloses wherein the turntable (51) has an opening (e.g., 511) through which the shaft member (71) is inserted, and the movable member (72) is located inside the opening (511) as viewed from a side near the load adjuster (9) with respect to the movable member (72) - see Figs. 18-20.
As per claim 1, however, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) remains silent with regard to wherein the load adjuster is configured to attract the movable member by a magnetic force to hold the intervening member together with the movable member.
Analogously, as per claim 8, Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) remains silent with regard to wherein the load adjuster is configured to attract the movable member by a magnetic force to hold the disc together with the movable member.
Such features, however, are known in the art.
As just one example, Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1) discloses an analogous acoustic device, in the same field of endeavor as Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1), wherein as per claim 1, and analogously, as per claim 8, Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1) provides a corresponding load adjuster (e.g., 10) is configured to attract a corresponding member (e.g. 30) by a magnetic force to hold a corresponding intervening member (e.g., 14 and/or 36) together with the magnetically attracted member (30).
Additionally, as per claim 2, Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1) further discloses a tone arm capable of contacting with the intervening member (e.g., 14 and/or 36) - see, inter alia, col. 7, ll. 41-46.
Additionally, as per claim 3, Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1) further discloses wherein the load adjuster (10) comprises a magnetic unit (e.g., 38) configured to apply the magnetic force on the corresponding member (e.g., 30).
Additionally still, as per claim 4, Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1) further wherein the corresponding member (e.g. 30) comprises a magnetic body on which the magnetic force acts - see, inter alia, col. 7, ll. 15-23.
Given the express teachings and motivations, as espoused by Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the load adjuster of Shiba (WO 2022/168282 A1) as being configured to attract the movable member by a magnetic force to hold the intervening member (disc) together with the movable member, as per claims 1 and 8, in addition to the features provided for in dependent claims 2-4, as taught by Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1), in order to advantageously reduce slippage of the intervening member, minimize vibration, and provide for such an adjusting/stabilizing device of disc-to-turntable attachment which allows for ease of engagement and disengagement (see, inter alia, col. 1, ll. 61-64; col. 3, ll. 53-63; col. 5, ll. 27-31 of Tippetts (US 10,930,305 B1).
In an obviousness analysis, it is not necessary to find precise disclosure directed to the specific subject matter claimed because inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ can be taken into account. See KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007). In this regard, "[a] person of ordinary skill is also a person of ordinary creativity, not an automaton." Id. at 421.
As the U.S. Supreme Court has stated, obviousness requires an "expansive and flexible" approach that asks whether the claimed improvement is more than a "predictable variation" of "prior art elements according to their established functions." KSR, 550 U.S. at 415, 417.
Citation of Prior or Relevant Art on enclosed PTO-892
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The cited art made of record (see the enclosed PTO-892), not applied to the rejection of the claims, supra, each disclose aspects of the claimed invention, including wherein acoustic devices (including record players) include elements for providing structure to secure underlying discs, records, slip mats and/or slip sheets to the surface of a turntable.
The best prior art has been applied to the claimed invention (see the rejection of the claims on the applied prior art, supra). However, if Applicant chooses to amend the claims in a manner to obviate the applied prior art, as noted in the rejection, supra, the Applicant is advised to not only carefully review the applied prior art for all it teaches and/or suggests, but also the cited prior art of record in order to obviate any potential rejections based on potential amendment(s); by doing so, compact prosecution on the merits can be enhanced.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to William J Klimowicz whose telephone number is (571)272-7577. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 8:00AM-6PM, ET.
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, Steven Lim can be reached at (571)270-1210. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM J KLIMOWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2688
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