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, 5, 7-9, 11, 13 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the “B&P Lamp® Mogul Size Porcelain Socket for 3-Way Bulbs” product listing on Amazon.com, hereinafter Amazon.
Please see the “Top reviews from the United States” section of the website. Some of the reviews are from 2021, establishing this product was available prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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Amazon discloses the claimed invention as follows:
Claim 1. An adapter for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface, the adapter comprising:
a base (B, including the arch-shaped lip portion L) configured to1 engage the mount surface;
an internally threaded socket (S) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (vertically through the socket) through the base, the internally threaded socket being configured to receive the threaded knuckle mount stem to couple the luminaire to the adapter; and,
wherein the internally threaded socket comprises an upstanding annular sidewall (W) that projects upwardly from the base and includes a first threaded bore configured to threadably receive the threaded knuckle mount stem of the luminaire fixture to couple the threaded knuckle mount stem of the luminaire fixture to the adapter;
a notch (N) formed in the base that extends through a portion of the upstanding annular sidewall of the internally threaded socket to form a second wireway (see opening defined by the notch N) in communication with the first wireway; and
a pair of apertures (A) formed in the base and spaced laterally from the internally threaded socket on opposite sides of the base, the pair of apertures being configured to receive mounting hardware to attach the adapter to the mount surface.
Claim 5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the first wireway extends between a first opening (at the upper end of W) located on a first side of the base and a second opening (at the bottom surface of B) located on a second side of the base.
Claim 7. The adapter of claim 5, wherein the notch intersects the second opening to the first wireway.
Claim 8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first leg (L1) and a second leg (L2) with the internally threaded socket being located between the first leg and the second leg.
Claim 9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the pair of apertures includes a first aperture formed in the first leg and a second aperture formed in the second leg.
Claim 11. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the internally threaded socket is located directly between the first aperture and the second aperture along a longitudinal axis of the base.
Claim 13. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising a notch (N) formed in the base that extends through a portion of the internally threaded socket to form a second wireway in communication with the first wireway, wherein the notch is located between the first leg and the second leg.
Claim 18. An adapter for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface, the adapter comprising:
a base (B with arch-shaped lip portion L) configured to engage the mount surface;
a socket (S) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (passing vertically through S) through the base, the socket includes an upstanding sidewall (W) that projects upwardly from the base and includes a threaded bore configured to threadably receive the threaded knuckle mount stem of the luminaire fixture for coupling the luminaire to the adapter;
a notch (N) formed in the base that extends through a portion of the upstanding sidewall of the socket to form a second wireway in communication with the first wireway; and
a pair of apertures (A) formed in the base and spaced laterally from the internally threaded socket on opposite sides of the base, the pair of apertures being configured to receive mounting hardware for attaching the adapter to the mount surface.
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amazon in view of Potterie (US1559227A).
Amazon discloses the claimed invention, except for the claimed set screw. However, such a feature is conventional. See set screw 17 in Potterie, provided in a threaded bore 16, so that a nipple 13 (functionally corresponding to the socket S of Amazon) is prevented from inadvertent unscrewing from a conduit 50. See page 1, lns. 80-90.
In view of the teachings of Potterie, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide the socket S of Amazon with a threaded bore, to receive a set screw to prevent inadvertent rotation between the socket S and a threaded element threaded into the socket.
Claim(s) 10 and 12 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amazon in view of Hartweg (US1532817A).
Amazon discloses circular apertures. However, elongated apertures are known in the art. Hartweg discloses (refer to Fig. 3) an adapter comprising a base with a socket 9 projecting upwardly from the base, the base including two apertures 13 elongated along a longitudinal axis of the base, to comprise a slot. As it is known in the art, such elongated slots allow slight positional adjustment relative to mounting bolts/screws, compared to circular apertures.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the adapter of Amazon to include elongated slots in place of the two circular apertures, to allow slight positional adjustment relative to mounting bolts/screws, compared to circular apertures.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 6/29/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIVIUS R CAZAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8032. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday noon-8:30 pm ET.
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/LIVIUS R. CAZAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
1 The language in italics constitutes intended use, not limiting the structure of the adapter, other than that it must be capable of being used in this manner.
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