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 . 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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the locking hole, as set forth in claim 1, line 7, and claim 11, line 7, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because at line 8, “a lamp” should read --the lamp--, as best understood by the Examiner. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5-7, 9, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 first recites “a lamp” as part of an intended use of a multi-lamp splicing apparatus in lines 7-8. However, claim 5 goes on to positively recite the lamp in lines 8-9 by reciting, “the locking column passes through the through hole and is threadedly connected to the lamp.” It is therefore unclear from the claim whether Applicant is intending to claim the subcombination of the multi-lamp splicing apparatus, or the combination of the multi-lamp splicing apparatus and the lamp. For the purpose of this action, the claim has been interpreted as being directed only to the subcombination of multi-lamp splicing apparatus, given the preamble of the claim. As such, the limitation of claim 5, lines 8-9, has been interpreted as follows:
--the locking column passes through the through hole and is configured to be threadedly connected to the lamp--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 3413546 (Ertle; the citations of which are taken from the attached translation).
Regarding claim 1, Ertle discloses a multi-lamp splicing apparatus (see Figures 1-3 and annotated Figure 1 below), comprising:
a supporting base (2) provided with several supporting surfaces (see annotated Figure 1 below); and
a connector (7) disposed on at least one of the supporting surfaces (see Figure 3), wherein
the connector comprises a support (6) and a locking gear (15);
the support and the corresponding one of the supporting surfaces form a first limiting space (9), and the locking gear is rotatably disposed in the first limiting space (see Figure 3); and
the locking gear is provided with a locking column (the locking gear being formed in a columnar shape, as shown in Figure 3 and annotated Figure 1 below) or a locking hole for connecting a lamp (see NOTE below).
NOTE: It is to be noted that the limitation “for connecting a lamp” constitutes an intended use recitation. Applicant is reminded that a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. As such, the locking gear is capable of connection a lamp, given it is shown connecting a columnar structure (4) to the support (2) in Figure 3. The threaded shaft at 14, 16 in Figure 3 is also capable of connecting a lamp in that it secures the columnar structure to the support, and is also in the form of a column.
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Figure 1. Annotated Figure 3 of Ertle
Regarding claim 2, Ertle discloses each of the supporting surfaces (see annotated Figure 1 above) is provided with first fixing holes (3), the support (6) is provided with second fixing holes (10), and the first fixing holes and the second fixing holes are detachably connected by fasteners (14; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 8, Ertle discloses several toggle grooves (18) are provided at intervals on a circumferential outer wall of the locking gear (15); and
each of the toggle grooves is provided with an insertion hole (see Figure 3), and the insertion hole is used for placement of an insertion rod, to enable the insertion rod to be inserted into the insertion hole to toggle the locking gear for rotation (see paragraph [0016]).
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.
Claims 11, 12, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ertle in view of CN 11026022 (Chen; the citations of which are taken from the attached translation).
Regarding claim 11, Ertle discloses a multi-lamp lighting device (see Figures 1-3 and annotated Figure 1 above), comprising a columnar element (4);
a supporting base (2) provided with several supporting surfaces (see annotated Figure 1 below); and
a connector (7) disposed on at least one of the supporting surfaces (see Figure 3), wherein
the connector comprises a support (6) and a locking gear (15);
the support and the corresponding one of the supporting surfaces form a first limiting space (9), and the locking gear is rotatably disposed in the first limiting space (see Figure 3); and
the locking gear is provided with a locking column (the locking gear being formed in a columnar shape, as shown in Figure 3 and annotated Figure 1 below) or a locking hole for connecting the columnar element (4); and
the columnar element is connected to the locking column or the locking hole (see Figure 3).
Ertle does not expressly disclose the columnar element is a lamp.
Chen teaches it is known in the art of nodal connectors for columnar elements to utilize said connectors in conjunction with columnar elements in the form of lamps in order to form a lighting device that is capable of being configured in a variety of shapes as desired (see paragraphs [0008]-[0014]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Ertle such that the columnar element is a lamp, as Chen teaches it is known in the art of nodal connectors for columnar elements to utilize said connectors in conjunction with columnar elements in the form of lamps in order to form a lighting device that is capable of being configured in a variety of shapes as desired.
Regarding claim 12, Ertle teaches each of the supporting surfaces (see annotated Figure 1 above) is provided with first fixing holes (3), the support (6) is provided with second fixing holes (10), and the first fixing holes and the second fixing holes are detachably connected by fasteners (14; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 18, Ertle teaches several toggle grooves (18) are provided at intervals on a circumferential outer wall of the locking gear (15); and
each of the toggle grooves is provided with an insertion hole (see Figure 3), and the insertion hole is used for placement of an insertion rod, to enable the insertion rod to be inserted into the insertion hole to toggle the locking gear for rotation (see paragraph [0016]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 13-17, 19, and 20 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.
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Ertle discloses the multi-lamp splicing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting base (2) is a hollow structure (see Figure 1), a second limiting space (at 10) is formed, wherein the locking gear (15) is rotatably disposed in the second limiting space (see Figure 3), and an included angle is formed between an axis of the second limiting space and an axis of the first limiting space (see Figure 3; the spaces being formed parallel, and therefore, the angle would be 180°).
Ertle fails to disclose a baffle is disposed in a hollow region of the supporting base, and therefore also fails to disclose the support is connected to the baffle, and the second limiting space is formed between the support and baffle. The prior art fails to fairly show or suggest a modification to Ertle such that a baffle is disposed in a hollow region of the supporting base, the support is connected to the baffle, and the second limiting space is formed between the support and baffle. Further, such a modification would render the device of Ertle inoperable as intended, as such a baffle would cross the first fixing holes (3) of Ertle such that the locking gear (15) can no longer be connected to the supporting base (2).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the claims would be allowable for the same reasons noted above regarding claims 3 and 4, where claims 13 and 14 are directed to the combination of the multi-lamp splicing apparatus and a lamp.
Regarding claims 15-17, 19, and 20, Ertle teaches the multi-lamp lighting device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the supporting surfaces is provided with one said connector;
the support (6) comprises an abutting plate (opposite 21 in Figure 2; see also annotated Figure 2 above), a supporting plate (at 6), and a base (21);
two ends of the abutting plate are connected to the supporting plate, and an end of the supporting plate away from the abutting plate is connected to the base (see annotated Figure 2 above); and
the abutting plate, the supporting plate, the base, and the supporting surface form the first limiting space (10).
Ertle fails to disclose a through hole is provided in and runs through the abutting plate, and the locking column (at 14, 16) passes through the through hole and is configured to be threadedly connected to the lamp. Ertle instead discloses the abutting plate as a solid member, wherein the locking column passes through a limiting space (9) and is threaded to the supporting base (2), such that an end of the columnar element (4) is clamped to the supporting base (see Figure 3). Modifying Ertle such that disclose a through hole is provided in and runs through the abutting plate, and the locking column passes through the through hole and is configured to be threadedly connected to the lamp would not only teach away from the intended clamping structure of Ertle, but would render the device of Ertle inoperable as intended as the locking column would no longer connect to the supporting base.
Claims 5-7, 9, and 10 would be allowable, for the same reasons noted above regarding claims 15-17, 19, and 20, if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art set forth in the attached Notice of References Cited (PTO-892) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/Josh Skroupa/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
February 26, 2026