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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/04/2025 was filed is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 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. (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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jaumann (US 7878465B2, hereinafter referred to as “Jaumann”).
Regarding claim 1, Jaumann discloses a tripod head (title of invention: tripod head), comprising: a case (Fig 1, housing 10), wherein the case (10) is movably provided with a first actuating member (Fig 1, rotary knob 41) and a second actuating member (Fig 2, rotary disc 46 with first control cam 50 with actuating portion 52, and a second control cam 51 with an actuating portion 56); a mounting assembly configured to install a photographic equipment (col 5, lines 47-50), wherein the mounting assembly is movably provided on the case (Fig 1 and col 5, lines 47-50, 16, 17 form the receptacle for camera to be attached); a pivot shaft (Fig 1, shaft 15) movably provided inside the case (col 5, lines 46-47: shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in the housing via ball bearings 14) and connected to the mounting assembly (col 5, lines 47-48); a plurality of energy storage components (Fig 1, energy accumulators 20-25) sleeved onto the pivot shaft (col 5, lines 61-63); and a plurality of locking assemblies (Fig 1, levers 30-35) configured to control the plurality of energy storage components (col 6, lines 1-7), wherein the plurality of locking assemblies correspond respectively to the plurality of energy storage components (col 6, lines 11-19), wherein the first actuating member (rotary knob 41) is connected to at least one of the plurality of locking assemblies (col 7, lines 19-48), and the second actuating member is connected to another at least one of the plurality of locking assemblies (col 7, line 69 to col 8 line 37).
Regarding claim 2, Jaumann disclose further comprising a locking shaft (Figs 1 and 3, shaft 37) inside the case (Fig 1); wherein the plurality of locking assemblies (Fig 3, 30-35) comprises a plurality of locking members (Fig 3, 31-35) and a plurality of locking springs (Fig 1, springs 39); wherein the plurality of locking members is movably sleeved onto the locking shaft (col 6, lines 2-4); wherein a locking groove (Fig 1, depression 43) is provided on one side of each of the plurality of energy storage components (21-25, col 7 lines 31-32); wherein a first end of each of the plurality of locking members corresponds to the locking groove (Fig 1, depression 43 corresponds to 44 in Fig 3), and the plurality of locking springs (39) are fixedly provided inside the case (Fig 1) and connected to or abutted against a second side of the plurality of locking members (Fig 1, spring 39 abut a side of 34); and wherein the first actuating member (41) is configured to control a second end of a corresponding locking member to compress or release the locking spring (col 7, lines 19-36), and the second actuating member (rotary disc 46) is configured to control a second end of a corresponding locking member (35) to compress or release the locking spring (Fig 3).
Regarding claim 3, Jaumann discloses wherein a first actuating zone is provided on the case; wherein the first actuating zone comprises one or more first trigger holes (col. 8, lines 55-60); wherein a first trigger pin (Fig 3, ram 64) is movably provided inside each of the one or more first trigger holes (col 8, lines 55-60, a hole); wherein one or more first locking trigger parts (Fig 2, 55, 56, 59) are configured to compress the first trigger pin (64) are provided on the first actuating member (Fig 2, col 8, lines 59-60); wherein the first actuating member is movably provided on the first actuating zone (Fig 3, rotary knob 41 moves with rotary disc 46 which has a first control cam 50 with actuating portion 52 which rotatably moves in a circumferential one); wherein the one or more first locking trigger parts correspond respectively to one or more first trigger pins (64); and wherein the first trigger pin (64) is connected to or abutted against one side of the corresponding locking member (35) opposite to the locking spring (Fig 3).
Regarding claim 5, Jaumann discloses wherein a plurality of first locking trigger parts (Fig 2, 55, 56, 59) are circumferentially arranged in sequence along a diameter of the first actuating member on the first actuating member (Fig 2, 55, 56 and 59 arranged circumferential around rotary disc 46, which is directly on the round shaped rotary knob 41, see Fig 3 also).
Allowable subject matter
Claim(s) 4, 6-11 is/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: Cited prior art Jaumann fails to read on the following: a plurality of actuating beads circumferentially provided between the first actuating member and the first actuating zone as claimed in claim 4, wherein a counterweight of an energy storage component corresponding to at least one first trigger pin in the first actuating zone is half of a weight of the energy storage component corresponding to other first trigger pins as claimed in claim 6, and wherein the second actuating zone comprises a second trigger hole; wherein a second trigger pin is movably provided inside the second trigger hole; wherein a second locking trigger part is provided on the second actuating member; wherein the second actuating member is movably provided in the second actuating zone; wherein the second locking trigger part corresponds to the second trigger pin; and wherein the second trigger pin is connected to or abutted against one side of the corresponding locking member opposite to the locking spring as claimed in claim 7, and wherein a sliding groove is provided in the second actuating zone; wherein the second trigger hole is provided in the sliding groove; and wherein the second locking trigger part is vertically movably provided in the sliding groove as claimed in claim 8, and wherein a guiding element is arranged on the second actuating zone; wherein a guide hole is provided on the guiding element; wherein the guide hole is connected to the sliding groove; wherein a connecting part is fixed on the second actuating member; wherein the second actuating member is movably provided on the guiding element; and wherein the connecting part passes through the guide hole to be connected to the second locking trigger part located in the sliding groove as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the first actuating member is connected to one of the three parts, the second actuating member is connected to another one of the three parts as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the damping actuating member is rotatably arranged on the case; wherein a plurality of damping plate assemblies are sleeved onto the pivot shaft; wherein an adjusting post is movably provided on the case; wherein a locking protrusion is provided on the adjusting post; wherein the locking protrusion corresponds to all of the plurality of damping plate assemblies; and wherein a damping trigger is connected to the adjusting post to drive the locking protrusion to move as claimed in claim 11. As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chan (US 20190271902A1) disclose a support for a tripod. Abelev (WO2017177282A1) discloses apparatus for applying counterbalance torque to a tripod head. Lu (US 12523338B2) discloses a dynamic balance adjusting structure for tripod head. Jaumann (US 20160357093A1) disclose a tripod head. Dan Carr “Every type of tripod head explained – Choose wisely” article discusses several commercial tripod heads including fluid head. Lu (EP3348892A1) discloses a damping mechanism for tripod head. Gwalani (US 20250035255A1) discloses tripod head.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DING Y TAN whose telephone number is (303)297-4271. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 8:00am MT--5:00pm MT. 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, Terrell McKinnon can be reached on 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DING Y TAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3632
/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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