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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 2/26/2026 is acknowledged.
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, 8, 9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lampe (US2640670).
Lampe discloses the claimed invention as follows (refer to Figs. 1-3):
Claim 1. An adapter (14) for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface1, the adapter comprising:
a base (14 other than 28) configured to engage the mount surface;
an internally threaded socket (28) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (through 28; see Fig. 3) through the base, the internally threaded socket being configured to receive the threaded knuckle mount stem to couple the luminaire to the adapter (see footnote 1); and
a pair of apertures (through which 26 pass) 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 (26) to attach the adapter to the mount surface.
Claim 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the internally threaded socket comprises an upstanding annular sidewall (see Fig. 3) that projects upwardly from the base and includes a first threaded bore (see Fig. 3; threaded at 30) 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 (see footnote 1).
Claim 3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein the upstanding annular sidewall includes a second threaded bore (in which set screw 40 is received; see Fig. 1 and col. 2, lns. 33-36) configured to threadably receive a set screw (40) therethrough to prevent rotation of the threaded knuckle mount stem of the luminaire fixture relative to the adapter (see footnote 1).
Claim 5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the first wireway extends between a first opening (lower end of 28, in Fig. 2) located on a first side of the base and a second opening (upp\er end of 28, in Fig. 2) located on a second side of the base (see Fig. 3)).
Claim 8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first leg (18; alternatively, for claims 9 and 11: upper half of 16) and a second leg (20; alternatively, for claims 9 and 11: lower half of 16) with the internally threaded socket being located between the first leg and the second leg (see Fig. 1).
Claim 9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the pair of apertures includes a first aperture (through which upper 26 passes, Fig. 1) formed in the first leg and a second aperture (through which lower 26 passes, in Fig. 1) 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. See Fig. 1.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-9, 11, 13 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a)(1) as being anticipated by Wooley (US1557515).
Wooley discloses the claimed invention as follows:
Claim 1. An adapter (5) for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface (see footnote 1), the adapter comprising:
a base (portion of 5 below upper surface of 7, in Fig. 1) configured to engage the mount surface;
an internally threaded socket (portion of 5 above the upper surface of 7) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (through opening 5 and between portions 7) through the base, the internally threaded socket being configured to receive the threaded knuckle mount stem to couple the luminaire to the adapter (see footnote 1); and
a pair of apertures (8) 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 (9) to attach the adapter to the mount surface.
Claim 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the internally threaded socket comprises an upstanding annular sidewall (see Fig. 1) that projects upwardly from the base and includes a first threaded bore (6) 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 (see footnote 1).
Claim 4. The adapter of claim 2, further comprising a notch (see Fig. 1; there is a space in the middle, between the two portions 7, defining a notch; see Fig. 2) formed in the base that extends through a portion of the upstanding annular sidewall of the internally threaded socket to form a second wireway in communication with the first wireway.
Claim 5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the first wireway extends between a first opening (at upper end of 6, in Fig. 1) located on a first side of the base and a second opening (at lower surface of 5m In Fig. 1) located on a second side of the base.
Claim 6. The adapter of claim 5, further comprising a notch (see Fig. 1; there is a space in the middle, between the two portions 7, defining a notch; see Fig. 2) formed in the base that extends through a portion of the internally threaded socket to form a second wireway (the space defined by the notch) in communication with the first wireway.
Claim 7. The adapter of claim 6, wherein the notch intersects the second opening to the first wireway. See Fig. 2.
Claim 8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first leg (one 7) and a second leg (the other 7) with the internally threaded socket being located between the first leg and the second leg. See Fig. 1.
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. See Fig. 1.
Claim 13. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising a notch (see Fig. 1; there is a space in the middle, between the two portions 7, defining a notch; see Fig. 2) 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, the notch being located between the first leg and the second leg. See Fig. 2.
Claim 18. An adapter (5) for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface (see footnote 1), the adapter comprising:
a base (part of 5 below upper surface of 7, in Fig. 1) configured to engage the mount surface;
a socket (part of 5 above upper surface of 7, in Fig. 1) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (through 6) through the base, the socket includes an upstanding sidewall 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 (see footnote 1);
a notch formed (see Fig. 1; there is a space in the middle, between the two portions 7, defining a notch; see Fig. 2) 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 (8) 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 (9) for attaching the adapter to the mount surface.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5 and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guth (US1155805).
Guth discloses the claimed invention as follows:
Claim 1. An adapter (5) for mounting a luminaire having a luminaire fixture including a threaded knuckle mount stem to a mount surface (see footnote 1), the adapter comprising:
a base (portion of 5 below upper surface of 6, in Fig. 1) configured to engage the mount surface;
an internally threaded socket (8) supported by the base that defines a first wireway (through 8) through the base, the internally threaded socket being configured to receive the threaded knuckle mount stem to couple the luminaire to the adapter (see footnote 1); and
a pair of apertures (7) 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 (see Fig. 1) to attach the adapter to the mount surface.
Claim 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the internally threaded socket comprises an upstanding annular sidewall (see Fig. 1) that projects upwardly from the base and includes a first threaded bore (page 1, lines 50-52) 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 (see footnote 1).
Claim 5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the first wireway extends between a first opening (at upper end of 8, in Fig. 1) located on a first side of the base and a second opening (at lower end of 8, in Fig. 1) located on a second side of the base.
Claim 8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first leg (one 6) and a second leg (the other 6) with the internally threaded socket being located between the first leg and the second leg. See Fig. 2.
Claim 9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the pair of apertures includes a first aperture (7) formed in the first leg and a second aperture (7) formed in the second leg. See Fig. 2.
Claim 10. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are each elongated to comprise a slot. See Fig. 2.
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. See Fig. 1.
Claim 12. The adapter of claim 10, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are elongated along a longitudinal axis of the base. See Fig. 2.
Conclusion
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 is intended use, not affecting the structure of the adapter in this case.
Prosecution Insights