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 .
This non-final Office action is in response to Applicant’s patent application number 18/749,262 filed on 6/20/2024.
Currently, claims 1-24 are pending and examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/25/2025 and 7/17/2024 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re claim 20, line 3; a citation “a slot” is confusing and indefinite because it’s unclear whether the same “a slot” cited in line 2? Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 13-15, 17-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US No. 11,959,274 to Bowers.
Re claim 1: Bowers discloses a wall block 2 comprising: first and second opposing, parallel side walls 1/1 extending lengthwise of the block 2; first and second opposing, parallel end walls 110/110 extending between respective ends of the side walls 1/1, wherein the first and second side walls 1/1 are longer than the first and second end walls 110/110 (i.e. as shown in Fig. 2); and at least first and second trapezoidal shaped projections 40/40 extending outwardly from the first side wall 1, wherein the first and second projections 40/40 are configured to be received in slots of adjacent blocks in a wall.
Re claim 3: wherein the first and second projections 40/40 are spaced equidistant from a traverse centerline of the block 2 extending from the first side wall 1 to the second side wall 1 and bisecting the block 2.
Re claim 4: wherein the second side wall 1 has at least third and fourth trapezoidal shaped projections (see Fig. 16) extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the third and fourth projections are configured to be received in slots of adjacent blocks in a wall.
Re claim 5: wherein the first projection and the third projection are spaced equidistant from one of the end walls 1/1 and the second projection and the fourth projection are spaced equidistant from the other end wall (see Fig. 16).
Re claim 13: Bowers discloses a wall (Fig. 17) comprising: at least a first course (wherein 11 points to), the first course comprising: a plurality of face blocks 11 arranged in side-by-side relationship with each other and forming a first row of the first course; and a plurality of trunk blocks 2 arranged in side-by-side relationship with each other and forming a second row (wherein 2 points to) of the first course, wherein the second row is arranged behind the first row, and wherein a selected trunk block 2 in the second row interconnects two adjacent face blocks 11/11 in the first row.
Re claim 14: wherein the plurality of face blocks 11/11 comprises face blocks of different lengths (i.e. blocks in near corner are shorter).
Re claim 15: wherein the plurality of face blocks 11/11 comprises face blocks of the same length (i.e. all blocks 11/11 near front are having the same length).
Re claim 17: wherein the first course further comprises a plurality of face blocks 11/11 (Fig. 17) arranged in side-by-side relationship with each other and forming a third row of the first course, wherein the second row is arranged between the first and third rows, and wherein the selected trunk block 2/2 in the second row interconnects two adjacent face blocks 11/11 in the third row.
Re claim 18: wherein the first course further comprises a plurality of trunk blocks 2/2 forming a third row of the first course, wherein the second row is arranged between the first and third rows, and wherein each of the trunk blocks 2/2 in the third row is connected to a respective trunk block 2/2 of the second row and extends perpendicularly therefrom (Fig. 17).
Re claim 19: wherein the trunk blocks 2/2 of the second row and the trunk blocks 2/2 of the third row have the same size and shape (Figs. 2 and 17).
Re claim 20: wherein the selected trunk block 2/2 has first and second projections 40/40, wherein the first projection 40 is positioned in a slot 50 in one of the two adjacent face blocks 11/11 and the second projection 40 is positioned in a slot 50 in the other of the two adjacent face blocks 11/11.
Re claim 21: Bowers discloses a block assembly comprising: a trunk block 2 (Figs. 2-3) comprising: first and second opposing, parallel side walls 1/1 extending lengthwise of the trunk block 2 and first and second opposing, parallel end walls 110/110 wherein extending between respective ends of the side walls of the trunk block 2, wherein the first and second side walls 1/1 of the trunk block are longer than the first and second end walls 110/110 of the trunk block 1; and at least one trapezoidal shaped projection 40 extending outwardly from the first side wall 1 of the trunk block 2 and at least one trapezoidal shaped slot 6 formed in the first end wall of the trunk block 2; and a face block 11 (Fig. 5) comprising: front and rear surfaces extending lengthwise of the face block 11 and first and second side surfaces extending between respective ends of the front and rear surfaces of the face block 11, wherein the front and rear surfaces of the face block are longer than the first and second side surfaces of the face block, and wherein the rear surface of the face block 11 is formed with at least one trapezoidal shaped slot 30 configured to receive a projection 40 of the trunk block 2 (Fig. 10).
Re claim 22: wherein the at least one trapezoidal shaped slot 30 comprises three trapezoidal shaped slots (Fig. 6), including a center trapezoidal shaped slot 30 and two outer trapezoidal shaped slots 30/30.
Re claim 23: wherein the at least one trapezoidal shaped slot 30 comprises two trapezoidal shaped slots 30/30 spaced equidistant from a centerline extending from the rear surface to the front surface and bisecting the face block 11.
Re claim 24: wherein the at least one trapezoidal shaped slot 30 comprises a trapezoidal shaped slot 30 centered on a centerline extending from the rear surface to the front surface and bisecting the face block 11.
Alternatively, claim(s) 1-5, 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US No. 7,806,038 to Duke.
Re claims 1, 8: Duke discloses a wall block 34 (Fig. 8) comprising: first and second opposing, parallel side walls (i.e. wherein 40 points to one of the side walls) extending lengthwise of the block 34; first and second opposing, parallel end walls (i.e. wherein near 34 points to one of the end walls) extending between respective ends of the side walls, wherein the first and second side walls are longer than the first and second end walls (i.e. as shown in Fig. 8); and at least first and second trapezoidal shaped projections 40/40 extending outwardly from the first side wall, wherein the first and second projections 40/40 are configured to be received in slots of adjacent blocks in a wall (Fig. 11).
Re claim 2: wherein each of the first and second end walls (near 34 points to one of the end walls) are formed with a trapezoidal shaped slot 42 having a shape complementary to the shape of the projections 40 and configured to receive a projection 40 of an adjacent block in a wall (Fig. 11).
Re claim 3: wherein the first and second projections 40/40 are spaced equidistant from a traverse centerline of the block 34 extending from the first side wall to the second side wall and bisecting the block (Fig. 8).
Re claim 4: wherein the second side wall (i.e. wherein 40 points to one of the side walls) has at least third and fourth trapezoidal shaped projections 40/40 (see Fig. 8) extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the third and fourth projections 40/40 are configured to be received in slots 42/42 of adjacent blocks in a wall (Fig. 11).
Re claim 5: wherein the first projection 40 and the third projection 40 are spaced equidistant from one of the end walls and the second projection 40 and the fourth projection 40 are spaced equidistant from the other end wall (see Fig. 8).
Re claim 9: wherein the three trapezoidal shaped slots 42 comprises a center slot (i.e. near 40, Fig. 8) centered on a centerline of the block 34 extending from the front surface to the rear surface and bisecting the block 34.
Re claim 10: wherein the three trapezoidal shaped slots 42 comprises two outer slots 42 on opposite sides of and spaced equidistant from the centerline (Fig. 8).
Re claim 11: wherein the rear surface is planar (Fig. 10).
Re claim 12: wherein the front surface is parallel to the rear surface (Fig. 8).
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.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US No. 7,806,038 to Duke in view of US No. 11,959,274 to Bowers.
Re claims 6, 7: Duke further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and a vertical slot 44 extends lengthwise of the block 34 along a longitudinal centerline of the block 34 (Fig. 8) but Duke does not disclose expressly the vertical slot extending from the lower surface to the upper surface; and wherein the upper surface of the block is formed with a recess surrounding an upper end of the vertical slot. Bowers discloses a wall block 2 comprising: first and second opposing, parallel side walls 1/1 extending lengthwise of the block 2; first and second opposing, parallel end walls 10/110 extending between respective ends of the side walls 1/1, a vertical slot 3 extending from the lower surface 20 to the top surface 18 (see Fig. 2, col. 3, lines 36-37); and wherein the upper surface of the block is formed with a recess 9 surrounding an upper end 10 of the vertical slot 3 (Fig. 4, col. 3, lines 22). In view of Bowers, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Duke wall block with a slot extending from the bottom surface to the top surface wherein the upper surface of the block is formed with a recess surrounding an upper end of the vertical slot as suggested by Bowers in order to conveniently enroute utility cables or add more reinforcing structures between the wall blocks.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US No. 11,959,274 to Bowers in view of US No. 10,458,092 to Correia et al.
Re claim 16: Bowers discloses basic structures of the claimed invention as stated and further comprising: a second course disposed immediately above the first course (Fig. 17), wherein the second course comprises a first row of face blocks 11/11 and a second row of trunk blocks 2/2 but does not disclose expressly at least one block-connecting element comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion extends into a slot of the selected trunk block of the first course and the upper portion extends into a slot of a selected trunk block of the second course. Correia discloses in Fig. 2, interlocking building wall block including at least one block-connecting element 16 comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion extends into a slot 30 of the selected trunk block of the first course and the upper portion extends into a slot 42 of a selected trunk block 32 of the second course. In view of Correia, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Bowers a connecting element as suggested by Correia in order to securely connect between two rows of the block.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see attached PTO-892).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to CHI Q. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-6847. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7AM-5PM or email: chi.nguyen@uspto.gov. If attempt to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pairdirect.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197.
/CHI Q NGUYEN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
PNG
media_image1.png
100
143
media_image1.png
Greyscale