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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/24/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant contends that Zimmer only discloses a device that has an electrical interface for providing power distribution and fails to disclose communication between firearm accessories. This is not persuasive in that Zimmer clearly discloses that the connector extension device distributes both power and data (col. 4, line 33; col. 5, lines 45 and 56; col. 6, lines 16 and 42; col. 8, lines 29 and 43; col. 9, lines 13 and 17; col. 10, line 16; col. 11, line 12 and col. 12, line 51). It is noted that a “data bus” is merely just an electrical or logical pathway that transfers data between components and Zimmer clearly discloses such a pathway in that both power and data is distributed between devices via the connector extension (120), cable(s) (124) and connectors (122). Additionally, Zimmer discloses multiple accessories (102) and (104) and that the connector extension (120) may be configured to allow for a series and/or parallel connection between one or more conductively connected switches and/or other accessories (col. 4, lines 24-40).
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) 1-13, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer (US 11,060,820) in view of Meissen et al. (US 11,906,267). Zimmer discloses an apparatus (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for providing electrical power to and communicating data and control signals among at least two weapon accessory devices disposed on a handguard having a weapon rail interface and a plurality of slots (col. 4, lines 6-7), the apparatus comprising: a control module (col. 6, lines 45-50) attachable to the handguard via at least one of the plurality of slots of the handguard, the control module comprising: a processor (Fig. 6); a power supply (110) operably coupled to the processor; and a control module connector element (130, 140, 550) adapted to extend through the at least one of the plurality of slots via which the control module is attachable to the weapon rail interface; electrical or logical pathways (i.e. a data bus) configured to allow data communication between the control module and the at least two weapon accessory devices (col. 4, line 33; col. 5, lines 45 and 56; col. 6, lines 16 and 42; col. 8, lines 29 and 43; col. 9, lines 13 and 17; col. 10, line 16; col. 11, line 12 and col. 12, line 51) and thereby communication between the at least two weapon accessory devices, the electrical or logical pathways comprising: at least two inserts each comprising an insert connector element (134a/b, 144a/b, 562a/b), the at least two inserts adapted for operative coupling with the at least two weapon accessory devices (102, 104, 204, 304, 404, 504) respectively, wherein the processor of the control module comprises a communications interface (112, 504) for data communication with the at least two inserts; and at least two cables each (120, 160, 564) comprising connector ends (122a/b, 562a/b) on either end of the at least two cables, wherein the connector ends are adapted to couple to at least the control module connector element of the control module and the insert connector elements of the at least two insert. Zimmer discloses the control module connector element adapted to extend through the at least one of the plurality of slots via which the control module is attachable to the weapon rail interface, wherein the control module is configured to detachably engage an elongated slot formed through a wall of the handguard (col. 4, lines 6-7), and but does not expressly disclose the control module connector element extends through the elongated slot into an interior of the handguard, however Meissen et al. does. Meissen et al. teaches an accessory and control module for a handguard including negative space mounting slots, wherein the connector elements (68) extend through the elongated slot into an interior of the handguard (col. 3, lines 1-11). All the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded the predictable results of allowing the apparatus of Zimmer to be mounted onto the handguard as disclosed by Zimmer since extending connector elements is the easiest, and most popular way, to install accessories on negative space mounting slot handguards and there would have been a reasonable expectation of success.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module further comprises a power interface (112) for operably connecting the power supply of the control module.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the connector ends are further adapted to couple to the weapon accessory devices; and the operative coupling of the at least two inserts with the weapon accessory devices is via the at least two cables.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weapon accessory devices with which each of the at least two inserts is adapted for operative coupling is selected from the group consisting of a flashlight, a laser package, an optical sight, and a fire control system. (col. 3, line 48)
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the weapon accessory devices with which the at least one of the at least two inserts is adapted for operative coupling, wherein the at least one weapon accessory device is one or more selected from the group consisting of a flashlight, a laser package, an optical sight, and a fire control system. (col. 3, line 48)
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module connector element comprises connector receptacles that engage with the connector ends of the at least one cable. (Fig. 1)
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insert connector elements comprise connector receptacles that engage with the connector ends of the at least two cables. (Fig. 1, 5)
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the at least two inserts further comprises a housing attached to the insert connector element with at least one electrical contact electrically coupled to connector receptacles for transmitting power and data signals. (Fig. 1, 5)
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one electrical contact is four electrical contacts, a first of which is electrically coupled to the ground/negative terminal of the power supply; a second of which is electrically coupled to a data line that carries positive signals for transmitting data between devices; a third of which is electrically coupled to a data line that carries negative signals for transmitting data between devices; and a fourth of which is electrically coupled to the voltage/positive terminal of the power supply. (Fig. 1B, 5B)
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the housing has at least one upper peripheral flange. (upper side, Fig. 1B, 5B)
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one upper peripheral flange has a beveled edge. (Fig. 1B, 5B)
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein: Meissen et al. teaches the at least one of the at least two inserts further comprises at least one retention clip (68) with an extending tab portion (68A) and a threaded fastener around which the at least one retention clip is rotatable (Fig. 4); a channel is defined between the at least one upper peripheral flange and the extending tab portion of the at least one retention clip; and rotation of the retention clip around the threaded fastener allows for tightening and loosening of the at least one of the at least two inserts within the elongated slots of the weapon rail interface. (col. 3, lines 1-22)
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one corner of the at least one retention clip is rounded to permit retention clip to rotate when the threaded fastener is rotated. (Meissen et al. Fig. 4)
15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one cable extender. (Zimmer Fig. 1)
16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an accessory controller device electrically coupled to the at least two inserts and the control module, wherein the accessory controller device comprises a plurality of buttons (Fig. 1B, 5B) for controlling operation of the at least two weapon accessory devices with which the at least two inserts are adapted for operative coupling.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one optics riser (150) operatively coupled to at least one of the weapon accessory devices with which the at least two inserts are adapted for operative coupling and to the at least two cables.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the handguard comprising the weapons rail interface (Meissen et al. Fig. 5) and having a plurality of slots adapted to receive a weapon accessory device.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface of the processor is a wireless interface (col. 13, lines 50-55).
21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power pathway (i.e. power bus) in communication with the control module, the electrical or logical pathway (i.e. data bus), and the at least two weapon accessory devices (102, 104, 110). (Zimmer col. 4, lines 24-40; col. 5, lines 40-60; col. 6, lines 7-30 and 31-43; col. 8, lines 23-31 and 42-48; col. 9, lines 10-30; col. 10, lines 6-17; col. 11, line 1-15 and col. 12, line 43-51).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer and Meissen et al. as applied to claims 1, 7, 8, 10 and 12 above, and further in view of Mayberry et al. (US 11,536,535). Zimmer and Meissen et al. disclose the claimed invention but do not expressly disclose at least one corner of the at least one retention clip (i.e. nut) is squared to act as a stop to prevent the retention clip from rotating when the threaded fastener is rotated, however Mayberry et al. does. Mayberry et al. teaches a variety of retention clips/nuts/second fasteners having various shapes for various negative space elongated slot weapon rail interface systems, each shape is designed to keep the nut from turning to an undesirable position, one of the shapes showing at least one corner being squared (Fig. 25, 31). The claim would have been obvious because the substitution to one known element for another would have yielded the predictable results of allowing the apparatus to be used on different shapes of slotted rails to one of ordinary skill in the art and there would have been a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE CLEMENT whose telephone number is (571)272-6884. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6.
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/MICHELLE CLEMENT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
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