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 § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11330920 to Rogers (hereinafter “Rogers”) in view of US 8572873 to Van Bortel (hereinafter “Van Bortel”).
-From Claim 1: Rogers discloses a modular display system, comprising:
a frame 100 having peripheral sidewalls with a plurality of keyhole inserts 142 and mount inserts A provided thereabout, each of the plurality of keyhole inserts includes an upper insert section 144 and a lower insert section 150 positioned below and in communication with the upper insert section; and
a panel 30 having a frame with a plurality of raised edging fasteners 62 positioned to correspond with the plurality of keyhole inserts, each of the plurality of raised edging fasteners having a spacer 66 with spacer walls and a flanged collar 64 positioned on top of the spacer walls, the spacer wall dimensioned to fit in the lower insert section and the flanged collar spaced to fit in the upper insert section.
However, Rogers does not disclose: wherein each of the mount inserts includes a fastener receiving passageway and a head accommodation cavity in communication with the fastener receiving passageway.
(Examiner notes that Rogers does disclose: “Alternatively, and by way of still further illustration and not limitation, the mounting plate body 110 may be formed having one or more through-holes (not shown) to facilitate its installation on a wall as by nails, screws, or the like in a manner known in the art.” (Col. 12, ll. 10-15)).
Van Bortel teaches a mount insert (Fig. 6) including a fastener receiving passageway 50 and a head accommodation cavity 60 in communication with the fastener receiving passageway.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers by adding the mount insert as taught by Van Bortel in order to provide a more secure connection between panel and frame.
-From Claim 2: Rogers discloses wherein a force in a first direction is applied for locking the plurality of raised edging fasteners to the keyhole inserts (Figs. 13-14).
-From Claim 3: Rogers discloses wherein a force in a second direction is applied for unlocking the plurality of raised edging fasteners to the keyhole inserts (going the opposite direction of Figs. 13-14).
-From Claims 4-7: Van Bortel teaches: wherein the frame further includes an embedded leveler 22; wherein the embedded leveler further includes a central insert 92; wherein the embedded leveler 22 further includes a bubble level; and wherein the central insert 92 is positioned below the bubble level.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers by adding the bubble level and central insert as taught by Van Bortel in order to provide a means of levelling the panel with respect to the frame and/or some other nearby surface (e.g., the ground).
-From Claim 8: Rogers discloses wherein the frame further includes a corner member in which the keyhole insert is positioned.
-From Claim 9: Rogers discloses wherein the mount insert is positioned through the corner member.
-From Claim 10: Rogers discloses wherein the mount insert is positioned angular to the keyhole insert (i.e., at 90 degrees).
-From Claim 11: Rogers discloses wherein the panel 30 further includes a backing board 52.
-From Claim 16: Rogers discloses wherein the modular display assembly further includes an on-edge insertion panel 30’.
-From Claim 17: Rogers discloses wherein the on-edge insertion panel includes an insertion frame.
-From Claim 18: Rogers discloses wherein the insertion frame includes a plurality of slits 72’.
-From Claim 19: Rogers discloses wherein the on-edge insertion panel further includes a plurality of fins 62’.
-From Claim 20: Rogers discloses wherein the panel of a plurality of panels can be substituted with a second panel of the plurality of panels. (See Fig. 15, showing multiple panels)
Claim(s) 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rogers in view of Van Bortel as applied to claims 1-11 and 16-20 above, and further in view of US 5269083 to Vampatella et al. (hereinafter “Vampatella”).
-From Claim 12: Vampatella teaches a frame and panel assembly wherein the panel further includes a raised edging 23.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers, as modified according to Van Bortel, by adding raised edging as taught by Vampatella in order to provide a securement for the indicia with respect to the frame.
-From Claim 13: Vampatella teaches wherein the panel further includes a plurality of protrusions 31.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers, as modified according to Van Bortel, by adding protrusions (in the form of magnets) as taught by Vampatella in order to add an additional securement method between the frame and the panel.
-From Claim 14: Vampatella teaches wherein the panel further includes a material insert 102.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers, as modified according to Van Bortel, by adding a material insert as taught by Vampatella in order to provide interchangeable indicia on the panel.
-From Claim 15: Vampatella teaches wherein the raised edging fasteners 22 are located on the raised edging.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Rogers, as modified according to Van Bortel, by adding raised edging fasteners on the raised edging as taught by Vampatella in order to provide additional securement between the frame and the panel.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, as the cited references include structure similar to that of the presently claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J WILEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7324. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm PST.
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/DANIEL J WILEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678 10/6/2025