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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/6/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 7/6/2026 does not place the application in condition for allowance.
The previous art rejections are withdrawn due to Applicant’s amendment.
New analysis follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 7, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0233543 to Hansel.
Regarding claims 1, 4, 7, and 9, Hansel teaches a system for mounting photovoltaic (PV) modules to a torque tube, the system comprising
A mounting rail 905 configured to be secured to a PV modules (Figs. 9, 10, ¶0038-0041; see Fig. 2, ¶0026)
A first strap 910 having a first proximate end (near 912), a first distal end (unlabeled, near bottom of page in frame of Fig. 10), and a first torque tube interface section 914 between the first proximal end and the first distal end, the first torque tube interface section configured to interface with a torque tube 940, wherein
The first strap 910 at the first torque tube interface section 914 includes a rectangular cross-sectional shape (MPEP §2125) such that there is a thickness edge (extending into and out of page of Figs. 9, 10) that defines a thickness of the first strap at the first torque tube interface section and a width edge (extending left-right) that defines a width of the first strap at the first torque tube interface section
The first strap 910 is oriented such that at least a portion of the thickness edge of the first strap at the first torque tube interface section 914 is configured to interface with the torque tube 940
The first proximal end of the first strap 910 is coupled to the mounting rail 905 (section 912, including the first proximal end, is attached to the mounting rail 905 at 907) and the first distal end includes a first connecting portion (illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 as a circular/oval opening, similar to the through hole shown at the distal end of 710 in Fig. 7, receiving a bolt, ¶0033)
A second strap 920 having a second proximate end (near 922), a second distal end (unlabeled, near bottom of page in frame of Fig. 10), and a second torque tube interface section 924 between the second proximal end and the second distal end, the second torque tube interface section configured to interface with a torque tube 940, wherein
The second strap 920 at the second torque tube interface section 924 includes a rectangular cross-sectional shape (MPEP §2125) such that there is a thickness edge (extending into and out of page of Figs. 9, 10) that defines a thickness of the second strap at the second torque tube interface section and a width edge (extending left-right) that defines a width of the second strap at the first torque tube interface section
The second strap 920 is oriented such that at least a portion of the thickness edge of the second strap at the second torque tube interface section 924 is configured to interface with the torque tube 940
The second proximal end of the second strap 920 is coupled to the mounting rail 905 (section 922, including the second proximal end, is attached to the mounting rail 905 at 908) and the second distal end includes a second connecting portion (illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 as a circular/oval opening, similar to the through hole shown at the distal end of 710 in Fig. 7, receiving a bolt)
A fastener (bolt, not illustrated in Figs. 9, 10) that couples the first connecting portion of the first strap 910 to the second connecting portion of the second strap 920 (similar to Figs. 3, 4, ¶0028).
The thickness edge of the first (second strap) is not specifically illustrated as a shorter edge, and the width edge of the first (second strap) is not specifically illustrated as a longer edge. However, it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to form each thickness edge to be a shorter edge and each width edge to be a longer edge because it would have merely required a change in shape. The change in form or shape, without any new or unexpected results, is an obvious engineering design. See In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Per claim 4, the first and second connecting portion of the first and second strap 910, 920 includes an embossed feature (hole, as shown in Fig. 7) configured to seat the fastener (Fig. 10).
Per claim 7, the fastener is a bolt (Ibid.).
Per claim 9, the first strap 910 and the second strap 920 are integrally formed (MPEP §2125).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansel as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2023/0246589 to Morankar.
Regarding claim 6, modified-Hansel teaches the limitations of claim 1. The first and second proximal ends of the first and second straps 910, 920 individually define a pivot axis (Ibid.), but the reference does not include the structural details of the pivot axis. Morankar teaches similar pivot axes (coincident with 282, 284 of Fig. 16) and teaches that each pivot axis comprises a hole in similar proximal end of a strap (372, 374 of Fig. 21), and a corresponding hole in a mounting rail (352i of Fig. 19), the holes in the strap and the corresponding hole in the rail receiving a pin (282, 284, ¶0087-0089). Therefore it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to configure the first and second proximal ends of the first and second straps, and the mounting rail, of modified-Hansel with the claimed structure, as described in Morankar, to enable a functioning pivot axis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-13, 15, and 16 are allowed. Claim 10 is allowable. Claim 14, previously withdrawn from consideration as a result of a restriction requirement, requires all the limitations of an allowable claim, and is rejoined, and deemed clear of the art and allowable.
Claims 3 and 8 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4, 6, 7, and 9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryan S Cannon whose telephone number is (571)270-7186. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30am-5:30pm PST.
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Ryan S. Cannon
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/RYAN S CANNON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726
