DETAILED ACTION
Response to Election/Restriction
This communication is responsive to the provisional election made without traverse on 03/16/2026 to prosecute the invention of Group I, including claims 1-16. Other Group, including claims 17-19 is/are withdrawn from further consideration, as being drawn to a non-elected invention. A complete reply to a future final office action must include cancellation of non-elected claims or other appropriate action (37 CFR 1.144). See MPEP § 821.01.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
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 1-7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hathaway (U. S. Pat. No. – 4,289,929).
Regarding claim 1, Hathaway discloses a loudspeaker system (38) comprising a first loudspeaker assembly (42/44) and a second loudspeaker assembly (46), wherein a support bracket (45, 104, 60) supports at least part of the weight of the second loudspeaker assembly upon the first loudspeaker assembly (Fig. 5), and holds the second loudspeaker assembly in a spaced apart relation to the first loudspeaker assembly (Fig. 5), the support bracket comprising a spacer connected to an elastic element (106) having a lower stiffness than the spacer, wherein the spacer is mounted upon one of the first loudspeaker assembly or the second loudspeaker assembly and the elastic element rests against the other one of the first loudspeaker assembly or the second loudspeaker assembly such that any force transmitted between the first loudspeaker assembly and second loudspeaker assembly via the bracket passes through the elastic element (Fig. 6) as claimed.
Regarding claim 2, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker system, wherein the other one of the first loudspeaker assembly and the second loudspeaker assembly comprises a channel in which the elastic element (106) and at least part of the spacer of the bracket (45) are received, and wherein the elastic element rests against an internal wall of the channel such that a load path created by at least part of the weight of the second loudspeaker assembly passes between the internal wall of the channel and the elastic element (Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 3, Hathaway further discloses, wherein the elastic element rests against internal walls of the channel in at least two perpendicular directions (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker, wherein an internal wall of the channel is formed with a recess, and wherein the elastic element is formed with a complementarily shaped projecting portion that is received in the recess (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker, wherein the elastic element (106) has an end portion comprising an end face which rests against an internal end wall of the channel, and wherein the end portion increases in length towards its end face such that the length of the end portion is greatest at the end face (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker, wherein the elastic element (106) has an end portion comprising an end face which rests against an internal end wall of the channel, and wherein the end portion increases in width towards its end face such that the width of the end portion is greatest at the end face (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker, wherein the elastic element (106) has an end portion comprising an end face which rests against an internal end wall of the channel, and wherein the end portion comprises a block of material formed with a void (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 13, Hathaway further discloses the loudspeaker, wherein the elastic element (106) comprises a thermoset polymer (col. 4, lines 50-61).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-12 and 14-16 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAN NI whose telephone number is (571)272-7505. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.
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/SUHAN NI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691