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 Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 3 currently states “the third shock-absorbing portion includes, outside a side edge of the base portion to which the side wall portions are not connected, engagement segments extending toward a side of the base portion facing housing space, the engagement segments engaging with said side edge of the base portion.” The Examiner believes the claim is intended to state “the third shock-absorbing portion includes, outside a side edge of the base portion to which the side wall portions are not connected, engagement segments extending toward a side of the base portion facing the housing space, the engagement segments engaging with said side edge of the base portion.” Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itano (US 11623812).
Regarding Claim 1
Itano teaches a packing member (below – Fig. 3 and 5) formed by bending a single sheet material (Fig. 3) so as to have a housing space, comprising: a base portion (1) in a rectangular shape; a pair of side wall portions (2) formed by being bent substantially perpendicularly from a circumferential edge of the base portion (@ F1), the pair of side wall portions being arranged to face each other along a first direction across the housing space; a pair of first shock-absorbing portions (3) formed by being bent substantially perpendicularly from circumferential edges of the pair of side wall portions (@ F2), the pair of first shock-absorbing portions extending outward of the side wall portions along the first direction; a pair of second shock-absorbing portions (4) formed by being bent substantially perpendicularly from circumferential edges of the pair of first shock-absorbing portions (@ F3), the pair of second shock- absorbing portions extending substantially perpendicularly to the side wall portions along the first direction and along a direction toward the base portion; and a third shock-absorbing portion (5) connected between the pair of second shock-absorbing portions and formed substantially in a V-shape as seen from a second direction facing the base portion, the third shock-absorbing portion being arranged adjacently outside the housing space with respect to the base portion, wherein the base portion has a pair of through holes (1x) arranged away from each other along the first direction, and the pair of second shock-absorbing portions have a pair of projections (4x) inserted in the pair of through holes (Col. 3, Ln. 52 – Col. 6, Ln. 59).
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Regarding Claim 2
Itano teaches the pair of through holes (1x) respectively extend from boundaries between the pair of side wall portions (2) and the base portion (1) into the base portion, as can be seen in Fig. 3 above.
Regarding Claim 3
Itano teaches the third shock-absorbing portion (5) includes, outside a side edge of the base portion to which the side wall portions are not connected, engagement segments (5a) extending toward a side of the base portion (1) facing the housing space, the engagement segments engaging with said side edge of the base portion, as can be seen in Fig. 5 above.
Regarding Claim 4
Itano teaches a fourth shock-absorbing portion (6) arranged outside the housing space with respect to a third direction orthogonal the first and second directions, the fourth shock-absorbing portion extending along the third direction and being formed substantially in a V-shape as seen from the third direction, as can be seen in Fig. 5 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Further pertinent prior art includes but is not limited to that which is listed in the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENNIFER CASTRIOTTA whose telephone number is (571)270-5279. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Jenness can be reached at (571) 270-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JENNIFER CASTRIOTTA/Examiner, Art Unit 3733
/LAURA E. PARKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733
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