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 .
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 1-18 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.
Claims 1 and 16 recite the limitation " one or more connection mechanisms having corresponding mating structures, there is insufficient antecedent basis for the “corresponding mating structures” limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-15 and 17-18 are rejected based on their respective dependencies.
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 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 1-3 and 5-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 5306080 (“Lautenschlager et al.”) in view of US 6325473 (“Brustle et al.”)
Regarding Claim 1, Lautenschlager et al. discloses singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit, comprising:
a drawer slide member, including a drawer slide member bracket part (10) and a drawer slide member sliding part (rail under drawer, not shown); and
a mounting bracket portion (12) mechanically affixed to an end portion of the drawer slide member bracket part (10) via one or more connection mechanisms (32) having corresponding mating structures (30) respectively provided on the drawer slide member bracket part (10) and the mounting bracket portion (12).
Lautenschlager et al. discloses the claimed invention but does not expressly disclose the drawer slide member with a drawer slide member sliding part.
Brustle et al. demonstrates it is well known in the art to provide the drawer slide member with a drawer slide member sliding part (1; 13) and a drawer slide member bracket part (2; 14) mechanically affixed to a mounting bracket portion (3)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a drawer slide member with a drawer slide member sliding part that slides along the drawer sidle member bracket part.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein a lower bottom side of the drawer slide bracket part (10) includes a raised stamped part (16, 30) proximate a rear end side of the drawer slide member bracket part (10).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein an upper portion of a cabinet facing side of the drawer slide member bracket part (10) includes a notch proximate the rear end side thereof. Brustle et al. demonstrates the benefit of providing a notch (44) in the drawer slide member bracket part (best seen in Figs. 14-17). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided an upper portion of a cabinet facing side of the drawer slide member bracket part with a notch that receives a retaining member (extending from the bracket mounting portion) in order to retain the drawer slide member bracket part relative to the rear wall of the article of furniture.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein one or more detents (30) are provided extending outwardly and downwardly from a bottom outer surface of the raised stamped part (30).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination discloses (Brustle et al.) wherein the mounting bracket portion (3) includes a latch (26) extending in an extension direction outwardly away from a first end proximate a portion of a front side of the mounting bracket portion (3) toward an opposed terminal end thereof having a hook portion (50), which extends in a direction that deviates from the extension direction of a remainder of the latch.
Regarding Claim 7, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the mounting bracket portion (12) includes a mounting bracket channel (within 22) having a channel opening (best seen in Figs. 1 and 4-7) at a front side thereof and which extends inwardly along a bottom inner surface of the mounting bracket portion (12) toward a rear side of the mounting bracket portion (12).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the bracket channel (within 22) includes two laterally opposed side portions and a central portion sandwiched therebetween.
Regarding Claim 9, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the bracket channel (within 22) includes at least one upwardly sloped detent entering path extending into the bracket channel(within 22) from the channel opening at the front side of the mounting bracket portion (12) toward the rear side of the mounting bracket portion (12) along the inner surface of the mounting bracket portion (12).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein at least one transversely extending detent recess channel (32) is provided immediately adjacent to an uppermost end of the upwardly sloped detent entering path inside the bracket channel (within 22).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein an outermost bottom surface of the drawer slide member is flush with an outermost bottom surface of the mounting bracket portion (12).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the mounting bracket portion (12) includes one or more securing dowels (36) extending outwardly from an outermost back surface thereof, whereby the singular preassembly unit is adapted to be securely installed in a cabinet for slidably accommodating drawers via the securing dowels without using any tools.
Regarding Claim 13, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the securing dowels are selected from the group consisting of solid post securing dowels (36).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein a rear end of the drawer slide member bracket part (10) of the drawer slide member includes an extension part (16) having one or more notches (along 16) provided in an upper surface thereof and running along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the extension part.
Regarding Claim 15, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.), wherein the mounting bracket portion (12) includes one or more bracket channels (within 22), and wherein one or more convex locking members ( along 26) are formed on an upper inner surface of the one or more bracket channels (within 22) to lockingly engage with a corresponding shape of the one or more notches (along 16).
Regarding claim 16, Lautenschlager et al. discloses singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit, comprising:
a singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit, comprising the steps of: providing a drawer slide member including a drawer slide member bracket part (10) and a drawer slide member sliding part; providing a mounting bracket portion (12); and mechanically connecting the mounting bracket portion (12) to an end part of the drawer slide member bracket part (10) via one or more connection mechanisms (32) having corresponding mating structures (30) so that an outermost bottom surface of the drawer slide member is flush with an outermost bottom surface of the mounting bracket portion (12), whereby the singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit can be handled and transported prior to being installed in a furniture unit that accommodates sliding parts without disengaging or misaligning.
Brustle et al. demonstrates it is well known in the art to provide the drawer slide member with a drawer slide member sliding part (1; 13) and a drawer sidle member bracket part (2; 14) mechanically affixed to a mounting bracket portion (3)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a drawer slide member with a drawer slide member sliding part that slides along the drawer sidle member bracket part.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention that of the invention to use the singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit according to method steps set forth above, since the combination discloses the invention of claim 16 such method steps would occur during the ordinary course using the singular drawer slide-mounting bracket preassembly unit. see MPEP 2112.02
Regarding Claim 17, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the mounting bracket portion (12) includes one or more securing dowels (36) extending outwardly from an outermost back surface thereof, whereby the singular preassembly unit is adapted to be securely installed in a cabinet for slidably accommodating drawers via the securing dowels without using any tools.
Regarding Claim 18, the combination discloses (Lautenschlager et al.) wherein the securing dowels are selected from the group consisting of solid post securing dowels (36).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Lautenschlager et al. and Brustle et al. as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of US Patent No.: US 6286919 (“Fleisch”).
The combination (Bustle et al.) demonstrates how the mounting bracket portion (3) mechanically affixed to an end portion of the drawer slide member bracket part (2, 14) via a notch in drawer slide member bracket part (2, 14) but does not expressly disclose the notch with the first channel extending along a longitudinal direction and the second channel part adjacent the first channel part.
Fleisch demonstrates it is well known in the art to secure two components together via a notch (12, 13) includes a first channel part (12) having an extension path extending a distance along a longitudinal extension direction of the drawer slide member, a second channel part (13) adjacent the first channel part and defining a substantially vertical or angled channel having an extension path that deviates from the extension path of the first channel part, and a transition portion defined between the adjacent first and second channel parts (col. 3: lines 17-39
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 notch with a channel extending along a longitudinal direction and the second channel part adjacent the first channel part, to provide a stable and secure connection that would not easily dislodge between the drawer slide member bracket part and the mounting bracket portion, similar to the manner taught by Fleisch.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLEY S WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571)270-3328. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy can be reached at 5712703742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLEY S WRIGHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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