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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
The “left hinge device actuating mechanism configured to actuate the left hinge device” in claim 1.
The “right hinge device actuating mechanism configured to actuate the right hinge device” in claim 1.
The “left release device coupled to the left hinge device actuating mechanism and configured to release ethe left hinge device actuating mechanism by pressing” in claim 1.
The “right release device coupled to the right hinge device actuating mechanism and configured to release the right hinge device actuating mechanism by pressing” in claim 1.
The “control member configured to selectively control a movement of each of the right and left release devices”.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagai et al. (Japanese Patent Publication 2019055740).
Re claim 1, Nagai et al. discloses a console box, comprising a main body (2, figure 3) having an opening; and a lid (3, figure 3) coupled to the main body via a left hinge device (the left hand 41 and 44 in figure 4) and a right hinge device (the right hand 41 and 44 in figure 4), wherein the lid is configured to open and close the opening in a dual swing-mode (see the Abstract), wherein the lid includes a left hinge device actuating mechanism (the left hand 40 in figure 6) configured to actuate the left hinge device, a right hinge device actuating mechanism (the right hand 40 in figure 6) configured to actuate the right hinge device, a left release device (the left hand 30 in figure 4) coupled to the left hinge device actuating mechanism and configured to release the left hinge device actuating mechanism by pressing, a right release device (the right hand 30 in figure 4) coupled to the right hinge device actuating mechanism and configured to release the right hinge device actuating mechanism by pressing, and a control member (70 figure 5) configured to selectively control a movement of each of the right and left release devices, wherein the right release device and the left release device are disposed on the lid with a space therebetween (as shown by figure 9, there is a space between each 30), wherein the right release device and the left release device are configured such that when one of the right release device and the left release device is pressed, one of the right release device and the left release device is positioned close to the other of the right release device and the left release device (as shown by the position in figure 12), wherein the control member is configured such that with the lid positioned to close the opening of the main body, the control member moves to a position configured to allow the right release device and the left release device to move relative to each other (as in positions 11 and 14), and wherein the control member is configured such that with the lid positioned to open the opening of the main body after one of the right release device and the left release device is pressed, the control member moves to a position in which the control member engages one of the right release device and the left release device (as in figure 17) to prevent the right release device and the left release device from moving relative to each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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 primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claim is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to one of the lid inner member and the lid outer member including a pair of bearing strips while the other of the lid inner member and the lid outer member includes a support bracket, wherein the control member is attached to the bearing strips and the support bracket is configured to clamp the bearing strips. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. Nagai et al., the closest prior art of record, does not disclose a clamping support bracket and there is no suggestion or motivation in the prior art of record to modify the device of Nagai et al. to anticipate the claim limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references all disclose vehicle consoles.
US Patent 6,142,333 (Sasamoto et al.) discloses a bi-directional opening console lid.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jason S Morrow whose telephone number is (571)272-6663. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON S MORROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
September 29, 2026
