DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1, Figures 1a-4c, claims 1-3 and 5-17, in the reply filed on March 12, 20206 is acknowledged.
Claim 4 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 12, 2026.
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, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lusterful Science and Technology (EP 3 835 602).
As to claim 1, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting configured for connecting two parts, comprising:
a first fitting part 1 with a first installation body 1 configured for mounting on a first part to be connected, and with a slider 2, which is movably guided in the first installation body and can be moved rearward against the action of a restoring force 5 from a front starting position, in which at least one front slider end 21 having an undercut protrudes out of the first installation body toward the front, into a rear end position, in which the front slider end does not protrude out of the first installation body; and
a second fitting part 3 in the form of a second installation body 3 configured for mounting on a second part to be connected, wherein the second installation body has a keyhole 303 with an insertion opening configured for inserting the front slider end and with a slotted opening, which adjoins the insertion opening and which is constricted in comparison with the insertion opening, configured for engaging behind the undercut of the front slider end;
wherein the front side of the second installation body has, on the side of the keyhole facing away from the slotted opening, an additional opening A (Figure 7 reprinted below with annotations), which opens into the insertion opening and has an oblique opening base, whose depth in relation to the front side, when viewed in the direction away from the insertion opening, decreases continuously to the level of the front side, configured for movement of the slider into the rear end position against the action of the restoring force (Figures 1-9).
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As to claim 5, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the restoring force is provided by a spring 5, which is supported both on the first installation body 1 and on the slider 2 (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 6, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the at least one front slider end 21 is of pin-shaped design (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 9, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the second fitting part 3 has, along the slotted opening, an obliquely rearward-extending tightening contour configured for the undercut of the front slider end 21 in order to pull the first 1 and the second fitting part into mutual contact (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 10, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the first installation body 1 is formed from two housing halves, which each have on the inside a guide recess configured for the slider 2 (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 12, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the first installation body 1 has external projections 113 and/or external transverse ribs (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 13, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses a fitting wherein the second installation body 3 has external transverse ribs 35 (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 14, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses an assembly comprising the two parts and the fitting, wherein the first fitting part 1 is mounted on the one, first part 502, and the second fitting part 3 is mounted on the other, second part 501, and wherein the at least one front slider end 21 is inserted into the keyhole 303 and engages by means of its undercut behind the slotted opening in the insertion direction (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 15, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses an assembly wherein the first fitting part engages by means of its first installation body 1 in a recess of the first part 502, and the second fitting part is mounted by means of its second installation body 3 in a recess of the second part 501 (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 16, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses an assembly wherein the front side of the first installation body 1 ends flush with the first part 502, and the front side of the second installation body 3 ends flush with the second part 501 (Figures 1-9).
As to claim 17, Lusterful Science and Technology discloses an assembly wherein the front side of the first installation body 1 and the front side of the second installation body 3 rest against one another (Figures 1-9).
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 1-3 and 5-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leonardo (WO 2021/019455) in view of Liu et al. (US 8,641,315).
As to claims 1, 9 and 13, Leonardo discloses a fitting configured for connecting two parts, comprising:
a first fitting part 10” with a first installation body 12 configured for mounting on a first part to be connected, and with a slider 15’, which is movably guided in the first installation body and can be moved rearward against the action of a restoring force 19 from a front starting position, in which at least one front slider end 11 protrudes out of the first installation body toward the front, into a rear end position, in which the front slider end does not protrude out of the first installation body; and
wherein the slider has a gear rack 20, which extends in the sliding direction of the slider, and a gear 21, which is rotatably mounted in the first installation body and meshes with the gear rack and can be manually rotated from the outside in order to move the slider into the rear end position against the action of the restoring force (Figures 25-32).
Leonardo fails to disclose a fitting wherein the front slider end has an undercut; and comprising a second fitting part in the form of a second installation body configured for mounting on a second part to be connected, wherein the second installation body has a keyhole with an insertion opening configured for inserting the front slider end and with a slotted opening, which adjoins the insertion opening and which is constricted in comparison with the insertion opening, configured for engaging behind the undercut of the front slider end; wherein the second fitting part has, along the slotted opening, an obliquely rearward-extending tightening contour configured for the undercut of the front slider end in order to pull the first and the second fitting part into mutual contact; and wherein the second installation body has external transverse ribs.
Liu et al. teach a fitting wherein a front slider end 140 of a first fitting part 100 has an undercut 143; and comprising a second fitting part 200 in the form of a second installation body configured for mounting on a second part to be connected, wherein the second installation body has a keyhole 214 with an insertion opening configured for inserting the front slider end and with a slotted opening, which adjoins the insertion opening and which is constricted in comparison with the insertion opening, configured for engaging behind the undercut of the front slider end; wherein the second fitting part has, along the slotted opening, an obliquely rearward-extending tightening contour configured for the undercut of the front slider end in order to pull the first and the second fitting part into mutual contact; and wherein the second installation body has external transverse ribs 217; the slidably interlocking engagement between the undercut of the front slider end and the keyhole of the second fitting part providing for a more secure connection between the first and second parts, and preventing inadvertent disconnecting between the parts (Figures 15,22). Accordingly, 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 fitting disclosed by Leonardo to comprise a second fitting part having a keyhole which slidably interlocks with an undercut of the front slider, as taught by Liu et al., in order to provide for a more secure connection between the first and second parts, and to prevent inadvertent disconnecting between the parts.
As to claim 2, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the gear 21 is arranged in an opening 15a’ of the slider 15’, one side wall of which opening has the gear rack 50 (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 3, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the first installation body 12 has an access opening 16 configured for rotation of the gear 21 (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 5, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the restoring force is provided by a spring 19, which is supported both on the first installation body 12 and on the slider 15’ (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 6, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the at least one front slider end 11 is of pin-shaped design (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 7, Leonardo fails to disclose a fitting wherein the slider has two parallel front slider ends, each having an undercut.
Liu et al. teach a fitting wherein a first fitting part 100 has two parallel front slider ends 140, each having an undercut 143; the pair or parallel front slider ends providing for a more secure connection between the first fitting part and second part 200, and preventing inadvertent disconnecting between the first and second parts (Figures 15,22). Accordingly, 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 fitting disclosed by Leonardo to comprise a pair of parallel front slider ends, as taught by Liu et al., in order to provide for a more secure connection between the first and second fitting parts, and to prevent inadvertent disconnecting between the first and second parts.
As to claim 8, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the slider 15’ is latched 25 to the first installation body 12 in the rear end position (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 10, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein the first installation body is formed from two housing halves 12, which each have on the inside a guide recess 14 configured for the slider 15’ (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 11, Leonardo discloses a fitting wherein at least one of the two housing halves 12 has a respective bearing opening 16 in which the gear 21 is rotatably mounted (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 12, Leonardo fails to disclose a fitting wherein the first installation body has external projections and/or external transverse ribs.
Liu et al. teach a fitting wherein a first installation body 110 of a first fitting part 100 has external projections and/or external transverse ribs 117; the projections or ribs providing for more secure engagement between the first fitting part a first part (Figures 15,22). Accordingly, 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 fitting disclosed by Leonardo wherein the first installation body has projections or ribs, as taught by Liu et al., in order to provide for more secure engagement between the first fitting part and the first part.
As to claim 14, Leonardo as modified by Liu et al. discloses an assembly comprising the two parts and the fitting, wherein the first fitting part 10” is mounted on the one, first part 100, and the second fitting part (200 Liu Figure 22) is mounted on the other, second part 200, and wherein the at least one front slider end 11 is inserted into the keyhole (214 Liu Figure 22) and engages by means of its undercut (143 Liu Figure 15) behind the slotted opening in the insertion direction (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 15, Leonardo as modified by Liu et al. discloses an assembly wherein the first fitting part 10” engages by means of its first installation body 12 in a recess of the first part 100, and the second fitting part (200 Liu Figure 22) is mounted by means of its second installation body in a recess of the second part 200 (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 16, Leonardo as modified by Liu et al. discloses an assembly wherein the front side of the first installation body 12 ends flush with the first part 100, and the front side of the second installation body ends flush with the second part 200 (Figures 25-32).
As to claim 17, Leonardo as modified by Liu et al. discloses an assembly wherein the front side of the first installation body 12 and the front side of the second installation body rest against one another (Figures 25-32).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL P FERGUSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7081. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (10:00 am-7:00 pm EST).
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03/21/26
/MICHAEL P FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619