Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 12478181 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis will assess the obviousness of US patent 12478181 under 35 U.S.C. § 103, considering the provided prior art references. An invention is considered obvious 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 to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA). This analysis involves determining the scope and content of the prior art, ascertaining the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art, and identifying the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, along with any secondary considerations of non-obviousness.

The USPTO provides guidance for determining obviousness, emphasizing that rejections must be supported by articulated reasoning and a rational underpinning, not mere conclusory statements. Common rationales for obviousness include combining familiar elements to yield predictable results, substituting one known equivalent for another, and applying a known technique to a known device ready for improvement to yield predictable results.

Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art:
A person having ordinary skill in the art related to adjustable drawers would likely have a background in furniture design, carpentry, mechanical assembly, or a related engineering field. They would be familiar with common construction techniques for drawers, different types of drawer slides, and methods for creating adjustable or modular components in furniture.

Analysis of Independent Claims 1, 10, and 17

The core of US12478181 lies in its adjustable drawer body, formed from connecting elements that allow for both width and length adjustment, ultimately enabling the drawer to expand or contract to fit various cabinet sizes. The adjustability is achieved through stacking portions with openings and fasteners, and/or slidably nested outer edges.

Prior Art References and their Relevance:

• US3272583A (Averdieck): Sliding adjustable drawer: This patent, filed in 1964 and issued in 1966, describes a "sliding adjustable drawer." This reference is highly relevant as it directly addresses the concept of an adjustable drawer, a central feature of US12478181.
• US8608262B1 (Daros): Expandable drawer: This 2013 patent also directly addresses the concept of an "expandable drawer," further demonstrating that adjustability in drawer dimensions is a known concept in the prior art.
• US20030052582A1 (Drawers with adjustable drawer dividers): While focused on adjustable dividers within a drawer, this patent still demonstrates the concept of adjustability within a drawer context. Specifically, it describes increasing the width of a compartment by placing an insert and mentions adjustable dividers that can have equal or non-equal dimensions.
• US1746720A (Sullivan): Adjustable tray: This 1930 patent describes an "adjustable tray," demonstrating the broader concept of adjustability in storage containers.
• US2627801A (Manfred): Extensible cake pan: This 1953 patent describes an "extensible cake pan," further illustrating the concept of adjustability (expansion) in container design.
• US2907487A (Harrington): Expansible containers: This 1959 patent also teaches "expansible containers."
• US2948624A (Watson): Expansible metal foil package: This 1960 patent further reinforces the concept of "expansible" or adjustable containers.
• US5016772A (Wilk): Collapsible receptacle assembly and related method: This 1991 patent shows a "collapsible receptacle assembly," which implies adjustability in terms of size or configuration.
• US5192019A (The Mike Meehan Company): Package product display box having adjustable length feature: This 1993 patent explicitly discloses an "adjustable length feature" in a box.
• US7594706B2 (Styka): Adjustable sliding sink drawer: This 2009 patent combines the concepts of adjustability and sliding drawers, similar to the general idea of the claimed invention.
• US8807355B2 (Merey): Expandible container: This 2014 patent again teaches an "expandible container," highlighting the commonality of adjustable dimensions.
• US9408498B2 (Sekora): Adjustable liner for use in deep fryers of different widths: This 2016 patent focuses on width adjustability.
• US9624000B1 (McLaughlin): Article holding tray: This 2017 patent also describes an "article holding tray."

Obviousness Combinations:

Combination 1: US3272583A (Averdieck) in view of US8608262B1 (Daros) and the general knowledge of modular design and fasteners.

• Motivation to combine: A PHOSITA, aware of the need for drawers that can fit various cabinet sizes (as articulated in US12478181's background), would be motivated to improve the adjustability of existing adjustable drawers. The concept of modularity and using fasteners for adjustable components is well-known in mechanical design.

• Reasoning for obviousness:

  • US3272583A (Averdieck) discloses a "sliding adjustable drawer" and thus provides the foundational concept of a drawer that can be adjusted.
  • US8608262B1 (Daros) further teaches an "expandable drawer," reinforcing the idea of a drawer whose dimensions can be altered.
  • Considering these, a PHOSITA would readily understand that an adjustable drawer could be constructed from multiple connecting elements that slide relative to each other to achieve width and/or length adjustment. The specific mechanism of "first" and "second" connecting elements with bent portions forming sliding grooves (as detailed in Claims 1 and 17) represents a known method for creating a slidable, nested connection, commonly seen in expandable structures. This is particularly evident when considering the general design principle of making parts "integral, separable, or adjustable," which is often considered obvious unless new and unexpected results are achieved.
  • The use of openings and fasteners (as described in Claims 1, 10, and 17) to secure adjustable components is a routine mechanical design choice. Numerous prior art references, such as those related to adjustable trays or containers (e.g., US1746720A, US2627801A, US2907487A, US2948624A, US5192019A, US8807355B2), demonstrate the widespread use of such fastening mechanisms for achieving adjustability. The selection of elongated oval holes or circular holes for these openings would be a matter of design choice, as both are common in mechanical fastenings to allow for tolerance or precise positioning.
  • Therefore, designing an adjustable drawer by having connecting elements that slidably nest and are secured in various positions by fasteners through aligned openings would be an obvious combination of known elements with predictable results.

Combination 2: US7594706B2 (Styka) in view of US20030052582A1 (Drawers with adjustable drawer dividers) and US9408498B2 (Sekora).

• Motivation to combine: A PHOSITA seeking to create a versatile drawer system would be motivated to combine features from existing adjustable drawer mechanisms and those that offer internal adjustability. The goal would be to provide both external dimensional adjustability and internal organizational flexibility.

• Reasoning for obviousness:

  • US7594706B2 (Styka) teaches an "adjustable sliding sink drawer," establishing the concept of a drawer that is both adjustable and slides.
  • US20030052582A1 (Drawers with adjustable drawer dividers), while primarily about internal dividers, illustrates the general principle of adjustable components within a drawer, including adjusting width.
  • US9408498B2 (Sekora) specifically addresses "adjustable liner for use in deep fryers of different widths," directly showing the utility of width adjustability in a storage context.
  • A PHOSITA combining Styka's adjustable sliding drawer with the concepts of internal and external width adjustability from US20030052582A1 and US9408498B2 would find it obvious to apply the principle of using multiple, interconnected components to create an overall adjustable drawer body. The idea of having "connecting elements" that allow for expansion and contraction along both length and width (as in Claims 1, 10, and 17) would be a natural extension of these prior art teachings.
  • The arrangement of openings in an array (as in Claim 10) on the bottom surface of connecting elements for securing them with fasteners is a predictable design choice for achieving incremental adjustability. This is a common engineering solution for modular systems.

General Obviousness Considerations:

The overall concept of an "adjustable drawer" is well-represented in the prior art through various patents disclosing adjustable trays, expandable containers, and even specific adjustable drawers (e.g., US3272583A, US8608262B1, US7594706B2). The specific mechanisms employed in US12478181 for achieving adjustability (e.g., stacked connecting elements, sliding grooves, fasteners through aligned openings) appear to be combinations of known mechanical elements. Making a device adjustable, or making parts integral or separable, is often considered obvious in the absence of new and unexpected results.

The problem solved by US12478181—matching drawers to various cabinet sizes—is a long-standing design challenge in home furnishings, as acknowledged in the patent's background. Solving a known problem with known tools and predictable results generally points towards obviousness.

Conclusion on Obviousness:

Based on the cited prior art, the claims of US12478181 appear to be obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103. A person having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the existing teachings of adjustable/expandable drawers and containers with common mechanical fastening techniques to create a drawer adjustable in both length and width. The specific configurations of connecting elements, sliding mechanisms, and fastening methods described in the claims represent predictable applications and combinations of known design principles in the field of furniture and modular storage.