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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 18/789,748 METHOD OF INSTALLING A WINDOW AND COMPOSITE WINDOW BRACKET filed on 7/31/2024. Claims 21-40 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 38 and 40 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention/species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/29/2025.
Claim 25 is also withdrawn as being drawn to a non-elected species as the elected species shows the first and second member to be substantially perpendicular to each other.
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 21-24 and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent No. 2004/0221524 to Poddany et al.
With regards to claim 21, the publication to Poddany et al. discloses a device having a first member (62) including a first end, a second end, a first surface (4) extending from the first end of the first member to the second end of the first member, and a second surface (2) extending from the first end of the first member to the second end of the first member, the first surface (4) of the first member attachable to a support beam (300); and a second member (110) including a first end, a second end, a first surface extending from the first end of the second member to the second end of the second member, meeting the first surface of the first member, and a second surface extending from the first end of the second member to the second end of the second member, meeting the second surface of the first member; a third accessory member (120) positioned proximate the first end of the second member, the third accessory member forms an outwardly opening slot facing away from the first member, between the accessory member and the second member, and adapted to receive a second accessory bracket (not shown, See 0024) within the slot thereof.
With regards to claim 22, Poddany et al. teaches wherein the outwardly opening slot includes a back surface and opposing angled ends such that the outward opening slot tapers from the back surface to the outwardly opening slot. (See Figure 5A)
With regards to claim 23, Poddany et al. teaches wherein the slot has a substantially uniform cross-sectional configuration along a width of the composite window bracket. (See Figure 5A)
With regards to claim 24, Poddany et al. teaches wherein the back surface of the slot is substantially perpendicular to the second surface of the second member. (See Figure 5A)
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow] With regards to claim 26, Poddany et al. teaches wherein the opposing angled ends terminate at the first end of the second member.
PNG
media_image1.png
76
224
media_image1.png
Greyscale
With regards to claim 27, Poddany et al. teaches a first accessory member (80), the first accessory member formed on the second surface (2) of the first member.
With regards to claim 28, Poddany et al. teaches wherein the first accessory member (80) extends outwardly from the second surface of the first member, the first accessory member having a substantially uniform cross-sectional configuration along a width of the composite window bracket and further including a pair of opposite angled ends (86, 94).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 29-33 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.
Claims 34-37 and 39 are allowed.
With regards to claim 29, the prior art does not teach a second accessory member, the second accessory member formed on the second surface of the second member.
With regards to claim 31, the prior art does not teach wherein the composite window bracket comprises a plurality of fibers within a resin matrix.
With regards to claim 34, the prior art does not each a composite window bracket including: a first member including a first end, a second end, a first surface extending from the first end of the first member to the second end of the first member, and a second surface extending from the first end of the first member to the second end of the first member, the first surface of the first member attachable to a support beam; and a second member including a first end, a second end, a first surface extending from the first end of the second member to the second end of the second member, meeting the first surface of the first member, and a second surface extending from the first end of the second member to the second end of the second member, meeting the second surface of the first member ;a third accessory member positioned proximate the first end of the second member, the third accessory member forms an outwardly opening slot facing away from the first member, between the accessory member and the second member, and adapted to receive a second accessory bracket within the slot thereof;- a second accessory bracket attachable to the third accessory member, the second accessory bracket includes a tab, the tab being slidably insertable into the outwardly opening slot of the third accessory member.
Cited References
PN 2022/0145692 to Franson et al. shows a window bracket
PN 2021/0404241 to Hay, III shows a window bracket
PN 2019/0211611 to Hay, III shows a window bracket
PN 6,789,369 to Hughes shows a composite window frame
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 1/15/26