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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/21/2024 was considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the term “the” or “said” should be inserted before “prefabricated” at line 3 because the prefabricated panel was previously introduced in lines 1 and 2 of the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: at lines 3-4, the term “the panel” is used. The applicant has used “at least one prefabricated panel”, “prefabricated panel”, and “the panel” all in claim 1. The applicant should be consistent with the claim terminology. The applicant then goes back to “the at least one prefabricated panel” in claim 2. The claims should use the same phrase when referring to one element all throughout the claims for consistency and clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: At line 6, the claim reads “surface the panel”. The claim should read “surface of the panel”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-8, 11, 13, and 15-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Coubray WO2020208561.
Claim 1 and 15. Coubray discloses a composite floor comprising a plurality of spaced apart beams (10), at least one prefabricated panel situated between and supported by adjacent spaced apart beams (as shown in Fig.2), wherein the prefabricated panel has an upper surface a lower surface, side surfaces and end surfaces, the panel comprising two spaced apart elongate side members of a first material (23) and a main panel body of a second material therebetween, the second material being concrete (6 and Pg.13:5-6) and, wherein the upper surface the panel is substantially planar and wherein the lower surface includes at least one rib (20) formed in the second material and extending from one side member to the other, and wherein at least one attachment member (16, 30, or 40) is fixed to each of the side members and extends into the main panel body.
Claim 2. Coubray discloses a layer of concrete cast in-situ, the layer of concrete overlying the at least one prefabricated panel and at least a part of each of the beams supporting the at least one panel. (Pg.13:3-6)
Claim 3. Coubray discloses the spaced apart beams are formed of metal (Pg.1:26).
Claim 4. Coubray discloses the spaced apart beams are I-beams (as shown in Fig.13).
Claim 5. Coubray discloses each beam includes at least one panel support (30, Fig.3).
Claim 6. Coubray discloses at least one panel support (30) is provided to each side of the beam (Fig.1).
Claim 7. Coubray discloses the panel support comprises a continuous plate (33) fixed to the beam (Fig.6).
Claim 8. Coubray discloses the continuous plate is attached to the underside of a lower part of the beam and extends to one of: one side of the beam and both sides of the beam (illustrated in Fig.5).
Claim 11. Coubray discloses at least one reinforcing element (16) extends through at least one opening (36) in at least one of the plurality of beams, the at least one reinforcing element being embedded in the layer of concrete (Fig.5 and 7B).
Claim 13. Coubray discloses the at least one reinforcing element extending through a beam extends beyond the face of at least one prefabricated panel supported by said beam to one of: one side of the said beam, and each side of the said beam (Pg.15:34 – mounting point and illustrated in Fig.8).
Claim 16. Coubray discloses at least one attachment member is selected from the group comprising a stud and a rod (rod of framework 40, Fig.3).
Claim 17. Coubray discloses the rod extends from one side member to the other and is attached to both said side members (Fig.3).
Claim 18. Coubray discloses in the longitudinal direction of the panel a rod is situated next to a stud (as shown in Fig.3).
Claim 19. Coubray discloses the side members are formed of metal (Fig.1:6-7).
Claim 20. Coubray discloses the side members are formed such that the concrete (slab 6) extends into the side members (Fig.15).
Claim 21. Coubray discloses the main panel body panel comprises elongate edge regions, the at least one rib (20) extending between the edge regions, wherein each elongate edge region abuts a respective one of the elongate side members (Fig.3-4).
Claim 22. Coubray discloses the prefabricated panel includes a plurality of reinforcing members, the reinforcement members being encapsulated by the concrete (shown in Figs 2 and 15).
Claim 23. Coubray discloses the plurality of reinforcement members includes a plurality of different types of reinforcement members, the different types of reinforcement member selected from the group comprising: an open stirrup; a closed stirrup; reinforcement mesh; and reinforcement bars (shown in Fig.3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Coubray WO2020208561 as applied to claim 1 above.
Claims 9 and 10. Coubray discloses an I-beam in Fig.13 and each continuous plate extending beyond the edge of the said part to which the respective continuous plate is attached thereby providing panel mounting region for rib (40) but is silent on the separate continuous plates are attached the underside of the lower part of the beam/a lower flange of the I beam at respective sides of said lower part.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to attach said plate to the lowest or bottom flange for additional clearance, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Coubray WO2020208561 as applied to claim 15 above in view Zou CN209907695.
Claim 24. Coubray discloses rebar grid (40) but is silent on the panel comprising a plurality of closed stirrups spaced apart from one another are arranged within the edge regions of the panel and wherein at least one reinforcement bar connects the closed stirrups together.
Zou discloses steel-concrete composite floor with closed stirrups (12) connected by rebar (5, Fig.4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to provide the reinforcement setup of Zou to that of Coubray with the motivation of providing a superior slab with great tensile strength, as a person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue known options within his or her technical grasp.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to attached NOTICE OF REFERENCE CITED.
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BABAJIDE A. DEMUREN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3633
/BABAJIDE A DEMUREN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633