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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/07/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 1 rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over US 2241437 to Worthington in view of US 2565636 to Tinnerman.
Regarding claim 1, Worthington discloses:
A tension lock (fig 1) for assembly without tools on two components to be connected to one another, comprising: - a first fastening element (12) for connecting the tension lock to the first component, and - a tension lever (13) for actuating the tension lock, wherein the tension lever is movably connected to at least one of the two fastening elements (fig 2),- wherein the first fastening element is configured to create a positive- locking connection (between 12 and 13) with a cut-out (cutout for 17 and 47) provided in each the component, wherein each fastening element has a locking hook (47) and a mounting block with a spring element, and in that the locking hook and the mounting block (24) with the spring element (25) are arranged on opposite sides and in opposite directions to one another (47 and 25 are on opposite sides).
Worthington does not explicitly disclose:
- a second fastening element for connecting the tension lock to the second component; wherein the first fastening element and the second fastening element are configured to create a positive- locking connection; fixing the fastening elements in their position on two opposite sides of the cutouts respectively.
However, Tinnerman teaches that it is well known in the art a lock assembly to be mounted on both sides, have a first and second fastening elements on opposite sides. This would have a second fastening element for connecting the tension lock to the second component; the second fastening element also configured to create a positive- locking connection; and both fastening elements fixed on two opposite sides of the cutouts. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tinnerman into Worthington at least because doing so would provide additional security by adding a second fastening element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-13 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding Applicant’s arguments that the spring does not aid in fixing the fastening elements in their positions, Examiner notes that the claims recite the “latching hook and mounting block with the spring element”, the spring element is with the mounting block, but the latching hook and mounting block are what aid in fixing the fastening elements.
Regarding Applicant’s arguments that the disclosure of Worthington is not a tension lock for assembly without tools, and requires pliers, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Nowhere in the disclosure, including the cited section at col 1 lines 29-36 does Worthington necessitate any tool to bend the lugs during assembly. Therefore, rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Yahya Sidky whose telephone number is (571)272-6237. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30-4:30.
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/Y.S./Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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