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 .
This is the non-final Office Action for the serial number 18/660,362, COMPOSITE THREADED STANDOFF UNIT, filed on 5/10/24.
The final office action mailed on 11/20/2025 has been withdrawn in view of new ground rejections, any inconvenience is regretted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-2, 4, 6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent # 6,113,054 to Ma in view of US Patent Application Publication 2022/0099247 to Builder et al.
Ma teaches a standoff unit comprising a bottom platform (12) comprising a bonding surface configured to be attached with the mounting surface, the bonding surface comprising a plurality of nubs (66) of predefined dimension disposed in a spaced apart manner whereby the nubs define a bond line thickness between the bonding surface and the mounting surface. The unit comprises a standoff column (16) extending vertically from bottom platform. The standoff column is formed with an inner cavity having a proximal end formed adjacent to the bottom platform, a distal end and a threaded portion (26) disposed adjacent to the distal end on the inner cavity. The plurality of nubs of predefined dimension are placed in a symmetrical manner on the bonding surface. Wherein the threaded portion is molded together with the inner cavity of the standoff column as a single piece.
Ma teaches the bonding surface but fails to teach the bonding surface includes a bonding agent (adhesive). Builder et al. teaches the bonding agent (adhesive) (section 0078). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added the bonding agent to Ma’s bonding surface as taught by Builder et al. to provide “permanently fixed” to a surface (section 0078).
Claims 3, 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma in view of Builder et al. and in further view of US Patent # 5,354,031 to Bilotti.
Ma teaches the column having an outer surface and the threaded portion is molded together with the inner cavity of the standoff column as a single piece but fails to teach the outer surface having a plurality of longitudinally extending slotted channels defining a non-circular periphery of the standoff column. Bilotti teaches the plurality of longitudinally extending slotted channels (50-51) defining the non-circular periphery of the standoff column. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added the plurality of longitudinally extending slotted channels to Ma’s column as taught by Bilotti to an alternative method for attaching the column to the bottom platform (column 3,lines 58-62 in Bilotti’s invention).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma in view of Builder et al and in further view of US Patent Application Publication # 2002/0141187 to Lin.
Ma teaches the nubs having a distal ends but fails to teach the distal ends are flat and coplanar with either other, the distal ends of the nubs are being parallel to the bonding surface and the nubs are integral with the bottom platform as a unitary molded structure. Lin teaches the nubs (figure 3, see below) having the distal ends are flat and coplanar with either other, the distal ends of the nubs are being parallel to the bonding surface and the nubs are integral with the bottom platform as a unitary molded structure. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Ma’s nubs with flat and integral molded with the bottom platform as taught by Lin to provide increased stability for the nubs to rest on the mounting surface.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALFRED J WUJCIAK whose telephone number is (571)272-6827. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm.
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ALFRED J. WUJCIAK
Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ALFRED J WUJCIAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636 3/30/26
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