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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of species A in the reply filed on 2026-01-16 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim 9 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
(claim 9 recites “multi latching positions arranged on behind the other perpendicularly to the main body” which is a feature only disclosed of species B)
Claims 6, 7, 8, 13-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species C, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
(claim 6 recites “ board fastened to the plurality of screw domes” which is only shown in FIG.11; claim 7 recites “module carrier snap-in receptacle” which is only shown FIG.9; claims 8, 13, 14, and 15 ultimately depend from claim 7; all of which are features only disclosed/shown in species C)
(in addition please note that claim 7 recites the limitation “backwardly projecting snap-in hook”, however there is no “backwardly projecting snap-in hook” element recited in the specification that has a matching element in the drawings. There are a plurality of “snap-in hook”s disclosed in the figures but it is unclear which of the many disclosed snap-in hooks are the recited “backwardly projecting snap-in hook”s of claim 7, also please note that claim 7 first uses the “backwardly” language, then dispenses of the “backwardly” language in favor of just “snap-in hook” and so it’s not clear whether the claim is attempting to recite two different snap-in hook types, or all the snap-in hooks recited in claim 7 are the same type of snap-in hook)
Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2026-01-16.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 10-12, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zadesky et al. (US 2008/0165485).
Regarding claim 1 Zadesky discloses:
A device for mechanically fastening a module to a wall of a piece of equipment including a mounting opening dimensioned to receive the module, comprising:
a module carrier (e.g. 310 FIG.6) comprising, a main body (e.g. 312 FIG.6) extending along a body plane and structured for insertion into the mounting opening (e.g. shown FIG.6), and at least one first snap-in element (e.g. 336 FIG.6) on an outer periphery of the main body;
the module (e.g. 350 FIG.6) is positioned on a front face of the main body and fastened to the module carrier;
a support plate (e.g. 110 FIG.6) for support on a front side of the wall (e.g. 114 FIG.6), wherein the support plate is connected to one of
(i) the module carrier (e.g. shown FIG.6) or
(ii) module, and
is configured to project outwards in parallel with the body plane (e.g. shown FIG.6);
a latching frame (e.g. 314 FIG.6) extending along a frame plane and defining a frame opening for inserting a rear face of the main body (e.g. as shown/indicated FIG.6) and comprising at least one second snap-in element (e.g. 420 FIG.6) on an inner periphery; and
at least one spring element (e.g. 410 FIG.6) configured to resiliently support at least one of:
(i) the latching frame on a rear side of the wall and next to the mounting opening (e.g. shown FIG.6), and
(ii) the support plate on the front side of the wall, wherein
the first snap-in element and the second snap-in element are configured to snap together when the main body is inserted into the frame opening (e.g. shown FIG.6), wherein a spacing is defined between a rear face of the support plate and the front face of the latching frame that is dimensioned for receiving an edge region of the wall surrounding the mounting opening (e.g. wall 114 being received/shown FIG.6).
Regarding claim 2 Zadesky discloses:
the support plate is integrally connected to one of:
(i) the module carrier (e.g. shown FIG.6); or
(ii) the module.
Regarding claim 3 Zadesky discloses:
the module carrier defines a cut-out on the front face and wherein the module is inserted into the cut-out (e.g. 350 inserted in 310 shown FIG.6).
Regarding claim 4 Zadesky discloses:
the module is connected to the module carrier via an adhesive connection (e.g. 210 adhered to 110 holds 322 shown FIG.6, which connects 350 to 310 described paragraph [0028]).
Regarding claim 5 Zadesky discloses:
the module is a display (e.g. 350 FIG.6), a monitor, a keyboard, a touchscreen, another UI module, or a transparent pane.
Regarding claim 10 Zadesky discloses:
the module carrier comprises multiple first snap-in elements (e.g. at least four shown FIG.1) positioned on the outer periphery and wherein the latching frame comprises multiple second snap-in elements (e.g. at least four shown FIG.1) on the inner periphery.
Regarding claim 11 Zadesky discloses:
the spring element is configured to project from the front face of the latching frame (e.g. as shown FIG.6).
Regarding claim 12 Zadesky discloses:
the latching frame comprises, on the front face, at least one spring element (e.g. four shown FIG.1) that is configured as a flexible spring (e.g. described paragraph [0016]) and inclined at an acute angle to the frame plane (e.g. sections of 410 inclined to the plane shown FIG.6).
Regarding claim 16 Zadesky discloses:
the module carrier is formed from a plastics (e.g. described paragraph [0037]) material.
Regarding claim 17 Zadesky discloses:
the latching frame is formed from a plastics material (e.g. polymers col [0035]).
Regarding claim 18 Zadesky discloses:
at least one of the module carrier or the latching frame is formed by an injection molding process (e.g. read as inherent to the processes and materials disclosed paragraph [0035]) . (regarding the product by process limitation "injection molding" “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985) (citations omitted)(MPEP 2113).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references cited on the PTO-892 disclose/teach similar electronic housings as those disclosed in the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THERON S MILLISER whose telephone number is (571)270-1800. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6.
Limited examiner interviews are available.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N. Hayman can be reached at (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THERON S MILLISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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