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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Alberts (US 5476338).
Regarding claim 1, Alberts disclose a retractable bollard light comprising: a shell set configured to be set underground, the shell set including: an outer shell 14 being tubular; an inner shell 20, 64 being tubular and disposed in the outer shell (see Fig. 7); and a top cover 70 mounted on a top end of the outer shell and a top end of the inner shell, and the top cover having: a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other (see Fig. 6A); and a top opening formed through the top surface and the bottom surface (Fig. 5 & 6A); and a main body movably disposed in the shell set, and the main body having: a moving assembly 32 mounted in the inner shell and being moveable with respect to the inner shell 16, along an extending direction of the inner shell; a light source assembly 84, 86 mounted on the moving assembly 32 and thereby being movable along with the moving assembly, the light source assembly disposed in the inner shell 64 and being capable of moving out from the inner shell through the top opening; and a power module 28 electrically connected to the moving assembly and the light source assembly (see col.2, lines 34 to col.3, lines 1-42).
Regarding claim 2, Alberts discloses the inner shell has a gear rack mounted on an inner wall surface of the inner shell, and the gear rack 22, 24 extending along the extending direction of the inner shell 20; and the moving assembly has a motor 28; and
a gear rotatably mounted on the motor and engaging with the gear rack, and the gear being movable along the gear rack (see Fig. 12, col.4, lines 22-46).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Alberts discloses the inner shell 16 has a guide track mounted on the inner wall surface of the inner shell, and the guide track extending along the extending direction of the inner shell and the moving assembly has a guiding unit contacting the guide track, and the guiding unit 54 being movable along the guide track (see annotated Fig. 8).
PNG
media_image1.png
396
380
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 13, Alberts discloses the top cover seals 78 the top end of the outer shell and the top end of the inner shell, and the top cover has a scraper unit 80, of the top opening, and the scraper unit contacting the light source assembly (see Fig. 15 & 16A, col.4, lines 1-10).
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 5, 6, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alberts (US 5476338).
Regarding claims 5 and 6, Alberts teaches the guide track has a groove extending along the extending direction of the inner shell (see annotated Fig. 8 above). Although Alberts fails to specifically disclose the guiding unit has a wheel disposed in the groove and capable of rolling in the groove of the guide track, and a width of the wheel is equal to a width of the groove, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to replace the portion of the moving assembly sliding along the inner shell within the guide track/groove with a notoriously old and well known wheel assembly in order to avoid the friction for sliding along the groove without the friction caused by wearing it out.
Regarding claims 17 and 19, Alberts fails to specifically disclose the power module is capable of slowly retracting the main body after switched off and the power module has a capacitor electrically connected to the moving assembly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have a such a function of slowly retracting the main body after power switched off and to provide a notoriously and well known capacitor to the moving assembly/motor to regulate the voltage to the moving assembly while in use.
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alberts (US 5476338) in view of Steinmann (WO 80/02576, see the English Translations attached in PTO-892).
Alberts fails to teach or fairly suggest the top cover has a roller rotatably mounted on the bottom surface of the top cover and arranged around the top opening, and the roller contacting the light source assembly.
However, Steinmann teaches a retractable post/bollard with a set of rollers 10 under the top cover 2 arranged around the top opening, the roller contacting the light source assembly 9 having a light source (see Fig.1, Abstract and the paragraph just above “Claims” section)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to add the roller assembly below the top cover of Alberts as taught by Steinmann in order to smoothly translating the post/light assembly without causing friction between the post and the inner shell.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12, 14, 16, 18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter as to claims 7 and 8: The prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest a shell set, a top cover and a main body with a moving assembly, a lighting assembly and a power module, the light source assembly has a housing connected to the moving assembly, a driving module mounted in the housing the illumination unit pivotably mounted in the housing; and a link connecting with the driving module and an illumination unit and a link connection connecting with the driving module and the illuminations unit, thereby the driving module capable of driving the illumination unit as specifically called for the claimed combinations.
Relevant Prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
WO 2020037379 A1 ENERGY ABSORBING BOLLARD ASSEMBLY
US 20120134745 A1 Traffic barrier pop-up bollard system
KR 20110124018 A BOLLARD FOR PREVENTION OF DRIVE VEHICLE
US 20070258762 A1 Bollard type barrier assembly
US 4919563 A Vehicle parking or passageway security barrier
US 4715742 A Manually depressible automatically deployable spring balanced bollard
US 4576508 A Bollard trafficway barrier and vehicle arrest system
WO 8002576 A1 BARRIER WITH RETRACTABLE POST
US 3086430 A Traffic control equipment
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jong-Suk (James) Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-7044. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday 6AM- 4PM. 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, Allana Bidder can be reached on 571-272-5560. 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: httos://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https:/Avww.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.
/JONG-SUK (JAMES) LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights