DETAILED ACTION
The following Non-Final Office Action is in response to the amendment filed 12/18/2025.
Status of the claims: Claims 1-10 are hereby examined below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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, 4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Buccola, Jr. et al US 2017/0241201.
In regard to claim 1, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose an electromechanical actuator for driving a winding tube of a closure, occultation or solar protection installation, the electromechanical actuator comprising at least a housing (107, Figs. 1 and 6), a torque support (130, Figs. 3 and 6) being arranged at a first end of the housing (107), an electric supply cable (184, Fig. 13), the electric supply cable (184) being configured to be connected to an electrical energy supply network, an electric motor (152, Fig. 4), the electric motor being mounted within the housing (107), the electric motor (152) being supplied with electrical power via the electric supply cable (184), an electronic control unit comprising at least one electronic board (162, Fig. 4), the at least one electronic board (162) being arranged inside the torque support (130) (as shown in Fig. 11), wherein the torque support (130) forms a recess in which the at least one electronic board (162) is at least partially inserted, and the electromechanical actuator also comprises an electrically insulating cover (104,114,140 paragraph (0048]), forming a space for receiving at least part of the at least one electronic board (162), the insulating cover (104,114,140) closing the recess of the torque support (130), the recess (of 130) and the insulating cover (104,114,140) together forming a protective case for the at least one electronic board (162).
In regard to claim 2, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose wherein the insulating cover (104,114,140) is a drawer movable on the torque support (130) between a rest position (separated) and an actuating position (secured), wherein the drawer (formed by 104,114,140) comprises a bearing zone (inner surface of 114), wherein the drawer is configured so that a force exerted on the bearing zone (by a user) tilts the drawer from its rest position (separated) to its actuating position (secured), and wherein the drawer is configured to actuate a selection device (188) of the at least one electronic board
In regard to claim 4, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose wherein the recess (of 130) comprises two walls (of top and bottom halves, shown in Fig. 4) substantially parallel to each other, between which the at least one electronic board (162) is recessed at least in part, and wherein the drawer (formed by 104,114,140) slides between the walls of the recess.
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In regard to claim 6, Buccola, Jr. et l ‘201 disclose wherein the insulating cover (104,114,140) is snap fitted on the torque support (130). (paragraph [0037])
In regard to claim 7, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose wherein the insulating cover (104,114,140) comprises: two side walls (shown below) parallel to each other and perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the electromechanical actuator, an end wall (shown below), which connects the two side walls, wherein the space for receiving the at least one electronic board (162) is formed between the two side walls and the end wall, wherein the end wall has a shape of an arc of a circle, and wherein the end wall is flush with an outer surface of the torque support (130). (shown in Fig. 6)
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In regard to claim 8, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose wherein the torque support comprises a central stud (166), wherein out (shown below), and wherein the at least one electronic board (162) is mounted in the recess (of 130) while being held clamped to the central stud (166) by its cut-out. (paragraph [0049])
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In regard to claim 9, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose the at least one electronic board (162) further comprises a connector (179, Fig. 11 and shown above) , and wherein the insulating cover (104,114,140) comprises a projection (132, Fig. 9)
In regard to claim 10, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 disclose a closure, occultation or solar protection installation comprising a winding screen (architectural covering, Abstract]) on a winding tube (108, Fig. 1) and driven in movement by the electromechanical actuator.
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buccola, Jr. et al US 2017/0241201 in view of Tan et al US2020/0300032.
In regard to claim 5, Buccola, Jr. et al ‘201 fails to disclose the insulating cover comprises a light guide made of a translucent material and guiding light emitted by an illumination source of the at least one electronic board towards the outside of the electromechanical actuator. Tan et al ‘032 discloses the insulating cover (7)(15)(16) comprises a light guide (16) made of a translucent material and guiding light emitted by an illumination source (10) of the at least one electronic board (2) towards
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection. Newly applied reference Buccola, Jr. et al ‘210 discloses the limitations of the claims as set forth above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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.
Conclusion
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/JEREMY C RAMSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634