This is a Final office action for serial number 18/906,464.
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 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.
(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) 1-3, 5-6, and 12-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Brown 3,612,461. The applicant is reminded that the ground, object, and ceiling are not positively claimed therefore the prior art only need to be capable of performing the functions related to the ground, ceiling, and object.
Brown discloses claims:
(Claim 1) A bracket, comprising: a first unit, comprising: a first body portion (27); and a first assembling portion (29), connected to the first body portion, wherein an angle is formed between the first body portion and the first assembling portion; and a second unit, pivotally connected to the first unit and comprising: a second body portion (21); and a second assembling portion (23), connected to the second body portion, wherein another angle is formed between the second body portion and the second assembling portion; wherein the first unit further comprises a first pivot portion, the second unit further comprises a second pivot portion, the first unit and the second unit are pivotally connected through the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion, and the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion have a pivot axis parallel to a third direction perpendicular to a ground wherein, when the first unit and the second unit are in a closed state, the first assembling portion and the second assembling portion are configured to assemble with an object
(Claim 2) the bracket according to claim 1, wherein the first pivot portion, connected to an end of the first body portion in a first direction; the second pivot portion, connected to an end of the second body portion in the first direction;
(Claim 3) The bracket according to claim 2, wherein a length of the first assembling portion along the first direction is less than a length of the first body portion along the first direction, and in the first direction, the first pivot portion and a part of the first body portion connected to the first pivot portion protrude more than the first assembling portion;
(Claim 5) The bracket according to claim 2, wherein the first assembling portion is connected to an end of the first body portion in a third direction and extends toward an end of a second direction, the second assembling portion is connected to an end of the second body portion in the third direction and extends toward the other end of the second direction, and the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular to one another;
(Claim 6) The bracket according to claim 5, wherein each of the first assembling portion and the second assembling portion comprises a groove section, and the object comprises two protrusion sections; wherein, when the first unit and the second unit rotate relative to each other to achieve an unfolded state, the groove section of the first assembling portion is able to couple with one of the protrusion sections of the object, and when the first unit and the second unit subsequently rotate relative to each other to achieve the closed state, the groove section of the second assembling portion is able to couple with the other of the protrusion sections of the object, to clamp the object;
(Claim 12) The bracket according to claim 1 wherein the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion are combined to form a hinge structure (living hinge 17), and the object configured to assemble with the first assembling portion and the second assembling portion is connected to a ceiling.
(Claim 13) The bracket according to claim 5, wherein there is a gap (54) between the first body portion and the first assembling portion, there is another gap (52) between the second body portion and the second assembling portion, the gap and the another gap are adjacent and configured to allow at least a part (48) of the object (12) to pass through along the first direction or the second direction;
(Claim 14) The bracket according to claim 1, wherein each of the first unit and the second unit is made of metal material and integrally formed, and at least one of the first assembling portion and the second assembling portion comprises a groove section configured to couple with a protrusion section (left and right 46) of the object (12) to assemble with the object;
(Claim 15) The bracket according to claim 1, wherein a virtual central plane is located between the first body portion and the second body portion, the first body portion and the second body portion are substantially symmetrical to the virtual central plane, and the first assembling portion and the second assembling portion are substantially symmetrical to the virtual central plane;
(Claim 16) The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the angle and the another angle are equal and between 80 degrees and 100 degrees;
[AltContent: textbox (First pivot portion second pivot portion)]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second unit 15
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Angle Another angle)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First unit 16
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Groove section)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Hinge structure)][AltContent: textbox (Closed state Figure 3)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First direction)][AltContent: textbox (Pivot axis of 1st and 2nd pivot portion perpendicular to the ground)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Protrusions 46 of object 12)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: rect][AltContent: arrow]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
Claims 7-9 and 17-19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art Brown in regards to claim 7 does not disclose wherein the first unit further comprises a third assembling portion, connected to an other end of the first body portion in the third direction and extends toward the end of the second direction; wherein the second unit further comprises a fourth assembling portion, connected to an other end of the second body portion in the third direction and extends toward the other end of the second direction, and the third assembling portion and the fourth assembling portion are configured to support an article and including all of the other limitations of the claim.
The prior art Brown in regards to claim 17 does not disclose wherein the pivot axis extends in a direction perpendicular to a ground, the first assembling portion is located at an upper end or a lower end of the first unit, and the second assembling portion corresponds to the first assembling portion and is located at an end of an upper end and a lower end being same thereas of the second unit and including all of the other limitations of the claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 16, 2025 regarding Brown 3,612,461 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant's arguments fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.111(b) because they amount to a general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the references.
Applicant's arguments do not comply with 37 CFR 1.111(c) because they do not clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. Further, they do not show how the amendments avoid such references or objections.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY T WOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-6826. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 9:00am-5:30pm flexible schedule.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLY T WOOD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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