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 .
The amendment filed on 12 March 2026 in response to the non-final office action mailed on 12 December 2025 has been considered. Claim(s) 1-21 is/are pending. Claim(s) 1-21 has/have been examined in this action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 10-15, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over US 2003/0126818 A1 to Chung.
PNG
media_image1.png
424
646
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, a hanger system, comprising: a connector member (See Figure above); a base member (See Figure above) configured to removably attach to the connector member and to clamp onto a support member (See Figure above; clamps onto the support member via connector member), such that the support member is clamped between the base member and the connector member (the support member is clamped between the threads of the connector member and the base member), wherein the base member includes at least one base flange (See Figure above); and at least one hanger member (See Figure above) adjustably attachable to the at least one base flange (adjustable attachable via the bolt and slot of Figure above), wherein the at least one hanger member is configured to support a panel (See Figure above).
If one were to argue that the support member is not clamped between the base member and the threads of the connector member, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the connector member as a nut and bolt and thereby clamped the support member between the base member and the nut of the connector member, thereby providing pre-drilled, pre-measure holes within the support member and providing a secure connection which can easily be detached and reattached without reinserting self-tapping metal screws.
Regarding claim 10, wherein the at least one hanger member is adjustably attachable to the at least one base flange via at least one hanger connecting member (See Figure above), and wherein the at least one hanger member is movable relative to the at least one base flange by adjusting a position of the at least one hanger connecting member (bolt is movable within the slot to adjust the panel).
Regarding claim 11, wherein the at least one hanger member is flush with the body portion when connected to the at least one base flange (See Figure above; head of bolt will be flush with the flange).
Regarding claim 12, further comprising at least one panel connector member (See Figure above) attached to a top end of the at least one hanger member.
Regarding claim 13, further comprising: a modular panel (See Figure above) removably attachable to the at least one hanger member (See Figure above).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the modular panel is connectable to the base member via the at least one hanger member (See Figure above).
Regarding claim 15, further comprising a modular panel (See Figure above) removably attachable to the at least one hanger member, wherein the modular panel further comprises at least one panel connector member (See Figure above) attached to a back face of the modular panel, and wherein the at least one hanger member is configured to receive the at least one panel connector member (See Figure above) so as to allow the modular panel to be removably attached to the at least one hanger member (See Figure above) and in turn to be attached to and removed from the support member via the at least one hanger member and the base member (See Figure above).
Regarding claim 20, further comprising: a first modular panel (9, Fig.12) removably attachable to at first one of the at least one hanger member (See Figure above); a second modular panel (9, Fig.12) removably attachable to at second one of the at least one hanger member (See Figure above), wherein the second modular panel is spaced apart by a gap from the first modular panel (Fig.12); and a panel gap filler (overhang of the top panel covering the gap between the top and lower panel) member positioned in the gap between the first modular panel and the second modular panel.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 is allowed.
Claims 2-9 and 16-19 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 and all double patenting/112 rejections have been overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record fails to disclose the hanger system having the details of the relationship between the elements of the system, specifically the details of the relationship of the connector member and the base member relative to a support member.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 21 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.
Regarding the rejections under Double Patenting, it is noted that the published patent 11,814,849 B2 does not actually include the amendment which was filed on 08/02/2023 in Application 17/455,844. The allowed claims were used for double patenting purposes, and not the claims that were published in the granted patent. The granted published patent appears to omit “a panel connector member having a top hook member and a bottom flange member configured to fit over the at least one panel hanger member.”. This claim limitation and further including the newly added amended claim language to the present claims overcomes the rejection under Double Patenting.
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 RYAN D KWIECINSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-5160. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 272-3238. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
RDK
/RYAN D KWIECINSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
Prosecution Insights