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 .
The following correspondence is a non-final Office Action for application # 18861740, entitled: BRACKET, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERCONNECTING FURNITURE PARTS, filed on 10/30/2024. Claims 1-10 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 9-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 11/13/2025.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I. (claims 1-8) in the reply filed on 11/13/2025 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Benoit (DE 202020101382).
Regarding claim 1, Benoit discloses a bracket 1 for interconnecting two furniture parts S,B, the bracket 1 having a first end and a second end (as seen in Fig. 6 below), and a base (as seen in Fig. 6 below) with a lower surface for facing and interconnection with a first furniture part S and an upper surface, the bracket 1 having at least one wall element 7 projecting from the upper surface (as shown in Fig. 6 below), and for facing and interconnection with an identical second bracket 1 arranged on a second furniture part B (as seen in Fig. 9), the at least one wall element 7 and the base 1 defining a channel (as seen in Fig. 5 below) configured to receive and interconnect with at least one wall element 7 of the second bracket 1, and the bracket 1 further comprising a fixed stop (as shown in Fig. 5 below) within the channel at a central longitudinal position of the bracket 1, for interacting with an identical stop on the second bracket 1 (see Figs. 7-9), for preventing movement between the brackets 1,1 beyond the stop, characterized in that wherein the channel is open at the first and second end, such that the at least one wall element 7 of the second bracket 1 may be is inserted into the channel from either end.
Regarding claim 2, Benoit discloses the bracket 1, where the at least one wall element 7 comprises a connection flange (as seen in Fig. 5 below) extending from the wall element 7 at an upper end thereof, such that when the bracket 1 has been connected to the second bracket 1, the connection flange (as seen in Fig. 5) prevents the brackets 1,1 from being disengaged in a direction transverse in relation to a longitudinal direction of the channel (as seen in Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 3, Benoit discloses the bracket 1, where the connection flange only spans part of a longitudinal direction of the bracket 1.
Regarding claim 4, Benoit discloses the bracket 1, where the stop (shown in Fig. 5 below) is arranged on at least one of the connection flange, the wall element 7, or the base 1 in the channel between the connection flange and the upper surface of the base 1 (as seen in Fig. 6 below).
Regarding claim 8, Benoit discloses a system comprising: a bracket 1 according to claim 1, and the second bracket 1 (as seen in Figs. 7-9).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or disclose the brackets of claim 1, where an upper part of the at least one wall element comprises a concave shape, or where the bracket comprises a first wall element extending along a first side of the base, and a second wall element extending parallel with the first wall element towards an opposite second side of the base, the second wall element extending a shorter distance along the base compared to the first wall element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the reference to Benoit above, the Examiner submits the Notice of References Cited (PTO-892). The listed references are drawn to mounting systems capable of securing furniture parts together.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL D MCDUFFIE whose telephone number is (571)272-3832. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael McDuffie/Examiner, Art Unit 3632 23-Jan-26
/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632