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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 10, 11 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: It is believed that the aforementioned claims depend from incorrect claims. To expedite prosecution, it is believed these claims depend from claim 8 and 9.
Claim 14 are objected to because of the following informalities: Line 4 recites “an inclined upwardly extending side surface”; and line 12 recites “said upwardly inclined extending side surface.” It is requested to be consistent with the limitations consistently.
Appropriate correction 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) 8, 10-12 and 14 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Number 10,000,945 to Frantz.
Frantz discloses an anti-theft device for use in deterring theft of an audio/video device mounted to a bracket, which includes: a female housing portion (20) having a recessed channel surface (formed by 27) extending from a first side inwardly defined by an upwardly extending side surface (127) and a laterally connecting surface through which a bolt receiving open surface (25) extends entirely through to an outer side of said female housing portion, said laterally connecting surface further includes a first lock pin receiving surface (29) extending at least partially into said female housing portion, a male housing portion (60) having a protruding surface of a complementary configuration (figures 2 and 3) to be slidably received against said recessed channel surface, and having an outwardly extending side surface (chamfer of 61) and a laterally connecting surface which respectively mate to said upwardly extending side surface and laterally connecting surface of said female housing portion when mated to one another (figures 2 and 3), wherein a dovetail is formed by a lengthwise sliding interconnection between said upwardly extending side surface, said outwardly extending side surface and said laterally connecting surfaces (engagement between 27 and 64 forms the dovetail fit), and a second lock pin receiving surface (channel that receives 64) extending at least through said male housing portion and which is coaxially aligned with said first lock pin receiving surface when said female housing portion and male housing portion are mated (figures 2 and 3), and a push button cam lock (64; column 6, lines 29-41) in said male housing portion having a lock pin (64) and an operably connected keyed portion (62) which in a non-actuated position permits mating of said male housing portion to said female housing portion when so mated and upon actuation enables movement of said lock pin to an extended position through said first and second lock pin receiving surfaces thereby preventing movement between said female and male housing portions (column 6, lines 9-28), as in claim 8.
Frantz also discloses a key (67) operably keyed to said push button cam lock, as in claim 10, and includes a bolt (12) having a head and a neck which is threaded in a manner to enable securing to a bracket (6) of the audio/video device, said neck extending through said bolt receiving surface and said head retained between the laterally connecting surfaces when said female and male housing portions are mated (figures 2-4), as in claim 11, as well as including washers (111) provided on each side of said bolt receiving surface of the female housing portion and to receive the bolt neck therethrough, as in claim 12.
Frantz further discloses an anti-theft device for use in deterring theft of an audio/video device mounted to a bracket, which includes: a female housing portion (20) having a recessed channel surface (formed by 27) extending from a first side inwardly defined by an inclined upwardly extending side surface (127) and a laterally connecting surface through which a bolt receiving open surface (25) extends entirely through to an outer side of said female housing portion, said laterally connecting surface further includes a first lock pin receiving surface (29) extending at least partially into said female housing portion, a male housing portion (60) having a protruding surface of a complementary configuration (figures 2 and 3) to be slidably received against said recessed channel surface, and having an outwardly inclined extending side surface (chamfer of 61) and a laterally connecting surface which respectively mate to said inclined upwardly extending side surface and laterally connecting surface of said female housing portion when mated to one another (figures 2 and 3), and a second lock pin receiving surface (channel that receives 64) extending at least through said male housing portion and which is coaxially aligned with said first lock pin receiving surface when said female housing portion and male housing portion are mated (figures 2 and 3), and a push button cam lock (64; column 6, lines 29-41) in said male housing portion having a lock pin (64) and an operably connected keyed portion (62) which in a retracted position permits said male housing portion to be slidably received adjacent said female housing portion and upon actuation enables movement of said lock pin to an extended position through said first and second lock pin receiving surfaces thereby preventing movement between the female and male housing portions (column 6, lines 9-28), as in claim 14.
Frantz additionally discloses a key (67) operably keyed to said push button cam lock, as in claim 16, and includes a bolt (12) having a head and a neck which is threaded in a manner to enable securing to a bracket (6) of the audio/video device, said neck extending through said bolt receiving surface and said head retained between the laterally connecting surfaces when said female and male housing portions are mated (figures 2-4), as in claim 17, as well as including washers (111) provided on each side of said bolt receiving surface of the female housing portion and to receive the bolt neck therethrough, as in claim 18, wherein a dovetail is formed by a lengthwise sliding interconnection between said upwardly inclined extending side surface, said outwardly inclined extending side surface and said laterally connecting surfaces (engagement between 27 and 64 forms the dovetail fit), as in claim 19.
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) 9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frantz.
Frantz discloses an anti-theft device for use in deterring theft of an audio/video device mounted to a bracket, which includes: a female housing portion (20) having a recessed channel surface (127) extending from a first side inwardly defined by an upwardly extending side surface and a laterally connecting surface through which a bolt receiving opening (25) extends entirely through to an outer side of said female housing portion, said laterally connecting surface further includes a first lock pin receiving surface (29) extending at least partially into said female housing portion, a male housing portion (60) having a protruding surface of a complementary configuration (figures 2 and 3) to be slidably received against said recessed channel surface, and having an outwardly extending side surface and a laterally connecting surface which respectively mate to the upwardly extending side surface and laterally connecting surface of said female housing portion when mated to one another (figures 2 and 3), and a second lock pin receiving surface (channel that receives 64) extending at least through said male housing portion and which is coaxially aligned with said first lock pin receiving surface when said female housing portion and male housing portion are mated (figures 2 and 3), and a push button cam lock (64; column 6, lines 29-41) having a lock pin (64) and an operably connected keyed portion (62) which upon actuation enables movement of said lock pin to an extended position through said first and second lock pin receiving surfaces thereby preventing movement between the female and male housing portions when mated to a retracted position enabling movement between female and make housing portions (column 6, lines 9-28).
However, Frantz does not disclose when so mated, said male housing portion and said female housing portion provide an external polygonal configuration having two sides which intersect by a line and which collectively form an angled peak above the bracket. It is common knowledge in the prior art to change the shape of a lock housing to be a polygon in the same field of endeavor for the purpose of better deflect blows from a percussion instrument from an unauthorized user. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have mating housings of the male housing portion and female housing portion being of a polygon shape in order to thwart impacts from a tool of a potential thief. A change in the shape of a prior art device is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Frantz also discloses said upwardly extending side surface and said outwardly surface are inclined (127, and chamfer of 61), as in claim 13.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Claim 20 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claims are allowable over the prior art of record because the teachings of the references taken as a whole do not teach or render obvious the combination set forth, including that of
said bolt receiving open surface and said first lock pin receiving surface are laterally displaced on said laterally connecting surface and are not co-axially aligned, as well as an outer surface of said female housing portion can include at least one inwardly extending hole to selectively removably receive a spring pin which is used to seat in a bracket slot and prevent rotation of the anti-theft device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to bolt encasing locking means:
U.S. Patent Number 7,409,843 to Rinehart, Sr.; U.S. Patent Number 7,243,514 to Frantz; U.S. Patent Number 5,737,948 to Lefkovits; U.S. Patent Number 5,388,434 to Kalis; U.S. Patent Number 5,097,686 to Plumer; U.S. Patent Number 4,574,602 to Furuse; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2008/0264118 to King.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-7054. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9-4; F 9-12.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
CJB /cb/
December 16, 2025