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 § 102
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) 1-3, 5, and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (KR 20200144458 A, English Translation provided by Espacenet, accessed on 9/2/2026).
1: Park teaches a container assembly (assembly shown in Figure 3) comprising: a container for accommodating contents (container 200 capable of accommodating unclaimed contents), a cap (cap 300) mounted to the container (mounted to 200), and
a locking part (locking part 100) detachably coupled to the cap (detachably coupled to 300, Figures 4-6), wherein: the container includes a container body (container body 210) in which the unclaimed contents are accommodated, and a neck part (neck part 220) formed on an upper end of the container body;
a coupling portion (coupling portion 320) is formed on the cap, the coupling portion being capable of rotational coupling and release with the neck part (via 321, Figure 7), so that the cap is detachably attached to the container (detachably attached to 200);
the locking part includes a band part (band part 140) having a loop shape (140 loop along the perimeter of 100), the band part being slidable vertically along an outer circumference of the container body (via 140 and 120, see Figure 6), and a front coupling part (coupling part, left element 110 of Figure 3) formed on one upper side of the band part (on the left upper side of 140);
the band part has an inner circumferential shape (see Figure 3 inner shape of 140, Figure 3, which corresponds to the shape of 210) corresponding to and abutting an outer circumferential surface of the container body (via 140, see Figure 5), and has a predetermined strength such that the band part is prevented from a relative rotation around the container body (the band is made of plastic or metal, which provide certain rigidity that prevents rotation, due to the shape, and the friction of material, paragraph 0071) but is slidable in a vertical direction of the container body (140 is capable of being slid on to 210, from Figures 3-5); and the front coupling part is hook-coupled to the cap to prevent the rotation of the cap (left 110 in Figure 3, is hooked coupled to portion 320, via hook engagement of 111 to prevent the rotation of 300).
2: Park teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Park further teaches that: the locking part further includes a side fixing part formed on an upper portion of the band part (side fixing part, right element 112 of 110, Figure 3); the side fixing part includes a leaf spring (right 112 itself is tensioned from 140, which acts a leaf spring) that extends upward from the upper portion of the band part (upwards from 140, see Figure 3) and is bent at an upper end thereof (bent at 111) to extend outwardly (outward from 112) and downwardly (downward from the top of 11, which is sloped downward, see Figure 3), and a first protrusion (protrusion 113) is formed on an outer side of the leaf spring; a through-hole (hole located at 322, Figure 7) is formed on an side of the cap at a position corresponding to the side fixing part (corresponding to 112), and a space for receiving the side fixing part (space/opening at right side 325, Figure 7) is formed in an inner side relative to the through-hole (towards the interior space of 320, at right 325, Figure 7); and a catching step (right catching step 325, Figure 7) is formed at a lower end of the through-hole, for hook-coupling with the first protrusion of the leaf spring (see Figure 5 below).
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3: Park teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Park further teaches that the locking part (part 100) further includes a side fixing part (side fixing part 112 of the right element 110 of Figure 3) formed on the upper portion of the band part to be hook-coupled to the cap (see Figure 3); the cap includes a through-hole (right hole at 322, Figure 7) formed at a position corresponding to the side fixing part for receiving a portion of the side fixing part (capable of receiving 112), and a step (right step 325, Figure 7) formed at one end of the through-hole for hook-coupling of the side fixing part (via 111); the locking part and the cap configured to be coupled by the locking part sliding upwardly along the container body to closely abut a bottom portion (a bottom portion of 320, of 300) of the cap mounted to the container such that the front coupling part and the side fixing part are simultaneously hook-coupled to the cap (both left and right elements 110 are hooked to the cap 300, see Figure 5); and in a state where the locking part is coupled to the cap, the coupling between the locking part and the cap can be released by pressing the side fixing part to release the hook-coupling and simultaneously releasing the hook-coupling of the front coupling part (when both the side fixing part is released, the complete coupling between the locking part and the cap is released, and also the hook coupling is simultaneously weaken, to release).
5: Park teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 1 and Park further teaches that the an inner groove (groove formed at 322) is formed in the cap for hook-coupling with the front coupling part (left 110, Figure 3); and the front coupling part includes a front coupling part leaf spring (leaf spring at 112) capable of elastic deformation by an external force, and a front hook (hook at 111) formed on an upper end of the front coupling part leaf spring for hook-coupling with the inner groove (with coupling of 325 within the groove).
8: Park teaches a locking device (device shown in Figure 3) comprising: a cap (cap 300) configured to be detachably coupled to a container (unclaimed container 200) for accommodating contents by rotational coupling (via 321, Figure 7), and
a locking part (part 100) detachably coupled to the cap to prevent rotation of the cap, wherein: a coupling portion (coupling portion, elements within 300) is formed on an inner side of the cap (interior perimeter of the cap), the coupling portion being capable of rotational coupling and release with the cap (via a pair of concave portions 383, where 310 can rotate 180 degrees to accommodate a pair of hooks 390), so that the cap can be detachably attached to the container (permitting access to 325, to detach from the unclaimed container);
the locking part (part 100) includes a band part (band part 140) having a loop shape (140 loop along the perimeter of 100), the band part being slidable vertically along an outer circumference of the container (via 140 and 120, see Figure 6), and a front coupling part (left element 11 of Figure 3) formed on one upper side of the band part (on the left upper side of 140); the band part has a corresponding inner circumferential shape to abut an outer circumferential surface of the container (via 140, see Figure 5) and has a predetermined strength so that the band part cannot perform a relative rotational movement around the container but can slide in a vertical direction of the container (the band is made of plastic or metal which provide certain rigidity that prevents rotation, due to the shape, and the friction of material, paragraph 0071); and the front coupling part is hook-coupled to the cap to prevent the rotation of the cap (left 110 in Figure 3, is hooked coupled to portion 320, via hook engagement of 111 to prevent the rotation of 300).
9: Park teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 8 and Park further teaches that: the locking part further includes a side fixing part formed on an upper portion of the band part (side fixing part, right element 112 of 110, Figure 3); the side fixing part includes a leaf spring (right 112 itself is tensioned from 140, which acts a leaf spring) that extends upward from the upper portion of the band part (upwards from 140, see Figure 3) and is bent at an upper end thereof (bent at 111) to extend outwardly (outward from 112) and downwardly (downward from the top of 11, which is sloped downward, see Figure 3), and a first protrusion (protrusion 113) is formed on an outer side of the leaf spring; a through-hole (hole located at 322, Figure 7) is formed on an side of the cap at a position corresponding to the side fixing part (corresponding to 112), and a space for receiving the side fixing part (space/opening at right side 325, Figure 7) is formed in an inner side relative to the through-hole (towards the interior space of 320, at right 325, Figure 7); and a catching step (right catching step 325, Figure 7) is formed at a lower end of the through-hole, for hook-coupling with the first protrusion of the leaf spring (see Figure 5 above).
10: Park teaches the claimed invention as discussed above for Claim 8 and Park further teaches that the locking part (part 100) further includes a side fixing part (side fixing part 112 of the right element 110 of Figure 3) formed on the upper portion of the band part to be hook-coupled to the cap (see Figure 3); the cap includes a through-hole (right hole at 322, Figure 7) formed at a position corresponding to the side fixing part for receiving a portion of the side fixing part (capable of receiving 112), and a step (right step 325, Figure 7) formed at one end of the through-hole for hook-coupling of the side fixing part (via 111); the locking part and the cap configured to be coupled by the locking part sliding upwardly along the container body to closely abut a bottom portion (a bottom portion of 320, of 300) of the cap mounted to the container such that the front coupling part and the side fixing part are simultaneously hook-coupled to the cap (both left and right elements 110 are hooked to the cap 300, see Figure 5); and in a state where the locking part is coupled to the cap, the coupling between the locking part and the cap can be released by pressing the side fixing part to release the hook-coupling and simultaneously releasing the hook-coupling of the front coupling part (when both the side fixing part is released, the complete coupling between the locking part and the cap is released, and also the hook coupling is simultaneously weaken, to release).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6-7 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KING M CHU whose telephone number is (571)270-7428. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Stashick can be reached at (571) 272 - 4561. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/King M Chu/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735
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