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 .
Status of Claims
A Preliminary Amendment was filed on 7/2/2024. Accordingly, an Office Action on the merits of claims 1-10 is as follows:
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 1-4, 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dlugai et al. (DE102013224459A1).
Considering claim 1, Dlugai discloses an attachment arrangement, comprising:
- a plastic flange 1 ([0039-40]) which is connected to a component to be attached and has a through-opening (Figure 1, shows spacer bushing 4 occupying through-opening in flange 1); and
- an attachment screw 5, the threaded shank 6 of which is configured to pass through the through-opening of the plastic flange and be screwed into a threaded hole 7 at an installation location (Figures 1 and 3; [0046-47]), wherein
- an elastic constriction 20 is formed in a region of the through opening, an inner spacing of which constriction is smaller than an outer diameter of the threaded shank of the attachment screw (Figures 9-12; [0049-52]),
- the threaded shank 6 is configured to plastically and elastically deform an elastic material of the elastic constriction 20 during the screwing-in process, such that, when the attachment screw is screwed in, a frictional connection is formed between threads of the threaded shank and a remaining elastic material of the elastic constriction, which frictional connection acts to prevent the attachment screw from loosening (Figures 11-12; [0051]).
Considering claim 2, Dlugai discloses that the elastic constriction 20 is formed in an end region of the through-opening so as to face the threaded hole during the screwing-in process (Figures 9-12).
Considering claim 3, Dlugai discloses that the through-opening is formed as an elongated hole in the plastic flange (Figures 1, 9 and 10; whereby the plastic flange 1 has a hole sized to fit the elastic constriction 4 placed therein, which has the shape of an elongated hole, as shown in Fig. 10).
Considering claim 4, Dlugai discloses that the elastic constriction comprises at least two constriction webs 20, which are formed on opposite longitudinal sides of the elongated hole (Figure 9).
Considering claim 7, Dlugai discloses that elastic constriction comprises a constriction lip which is formed circumferentially on an inner circumference of the through-opening (Figures 9-12).
Considering claim 9, Dlugai discloses a sensor arrangement with a sensor, which is attached to the installation location via an attachment arrangement, wherein the attachment arrangement is designed according to claim 1 ([0004]).
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dlugai et al. (DE102013224459A1) in view of Miekley et al. (US 2012/0292469 A1).
Considering claim 10, Dlugai fails to disclose that the plastic flange is connected to a housing of a sensor such that the plastic flange is located between first and second portions of the housing and is screwed to a threaded hole at an installation location with an attachment screw.
However, Miekley discloses a sensor assembly 5,105, wherein the sensor 34,134 comprises a housing 10,110 comprising a first housing part 12,14; 112,116,118 and a second housing part 18,24;122,124,128, which housing is introduced into a receiving opening at the installation location, wherein the plastic flange 24,124 is connected to the housing 10,110 between the first housing part and the second housing part and is screwed to the threaded hole at the installation location 50,150 via an attachment screw 40,140 (Figures 6-18; [0050-54]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to attach a sensor housing flange with an attachment assembly, as suggested by Miekley, using the invention by Dlugai, and the results of the combination would have been predictable and repeatable. The motivation for using the attachment assembly of Dlugai is to provide resistance to unfastening typically caused by vibration, as is understood from the teachings of Dlugai ([0003]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 and 8 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.
Considering claim 5, the invention by Dlugai fails to disclose that the through-opening is formed as a rotationally symmetrical opening in the plastic flange. In fact, Dlugai requires an elongated hole because it promotes adjustability of the threaded hole location. Modification of Dlugai would remove this required feature and make it inoperable for its intended purpose.
Considering claim 6, the invention by Dlugai, in the embodiments with thread shank deformation (only Figures 8-12) fails to disclose that a plurality of constriction segments which are designed to be distributed at a distance from one another on an inner circumference of the through-opening. Dlugai discloses a continuous constriction element, rather than a segmented portion. It is shown in other embodiments the use of segments, however, these segments are not deformed by the threaded shank in any way, only by the underside of the bolt head.
Considering claim 8, the invention by Dlugai fails to disclose that plastic flange with the through-opening and the elastic constriction is designed as a plastic injection-molding component. Dlugai requires that the plastic flange with the through-opening and the elastic construction are two different elements since elastic construction is a part of a metal component, not the plastic part. However, the claim does not explicitly require that the elastic construction and the plastic flange are the same component.
Conclusion
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/JONATHAN M DUNLAP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 June 13, 2026
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