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 .
This correspondence is in response to applicant’s reply filed on 04/09/2026. Claims 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 15 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Hung (U.S. Pat. 8276867).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a quick-mounting bracket structure 100, comprising: a junction box 10 provided with a first mounting hole 21; a fastener 22 comprising a fastening head 221 and a fastening shaft 222, where a bottom end of the fastening shaft 222 is pre-installed within the first mounting hole 21 (see Fig. 3); a bracket 10 provided with a mounting portion 40 where an aligning hole 41 and a second mounting hole 42 communicating with the aligning hole 41 are provided, where a diameter of the aligning hole 41 is no less than the that of the fastening head 221, and a diameter of the second mounting hole 42 is less than that of the fastening head 221; and the bracket 10 further comprises an aligning position (shown in Fig. 8) and a fixing position (shown in Fig. 10); when the bracket 10 is located at the aligning position (Fig. 8), the fastening head 221 is inserted through the aligning hole 41 of the bracket 10; when the bracket 10 is located at the fixing position (Fig. 10), the fastener 22 is screwed in such that the fastening head 221 abuts against the bracket 10, where the mounting portion 40 is provided with a slotted hole 421, which communicates the aligning hole 41 with the second mounting hole 42, and where a block 43 protruding downward is configured around the aligning hole 41 of the mounting portion 40; the block 43 comprises a gap (as shown in Fig. 4 below) corresponding to the slotted hole.
Wang is discussed above, and fails to teach a stopper. Hung teaches a mounting assembly 10, comprising a mounting bracket 30 having a fastener 35. The fastener 35 is attached to a stopper 34. Hung’s stopper 34 is able to be fitted over the fastening shaft 222, where a diameter of the aligning hole 41 is no less than the that of the stopper 34, and a diameter of the second mounting hole 42 is less than that of the stopper 34; when the bracket 10 is located at the aligning position (shown in Fig. 8), the stopper 34 and the fastening head 221 are inserted through the aligning hole 41 of the bracket 10; when the bracket 10 is located at the fixing position (shown in Fig. 10), the fastener 22 is screwed in such that an upper surface of the stopper 34 abuts against the bracket 10 and a lower surface of the stopper 34 abuts against the fastening head 221, where a width of the gap is smaller than a diameter of the stopper 34.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the bracket structure of Wang to have a stopper, in order to further secure the fasteners to the mounting bracket, as taught to be desirable by Hung (see discussion in col. 3, lines 33-36).
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches the quick-mounting bracket structure 100, where a center of the aligning hole 41 and a center of the second mounting hole 42 are set in a straight line (as seen in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches the quick-mounting bracket structure 100, where a center of the aligning hole 41 and a center of the second mounting hole 42 are set in an arc (see 41,401 in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches the quick-mounting bracket structure 100, where the fastener 22 is a locking bolt, and internal threads are configured within the first mounting hole 21 to mate with external threads of the locking bolt for screwing (as seen in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches the quick-mounting bracket structure 100, where there are two mounting portions 40 (as seen in Fig. 3), which are respectively configured on two opposite sides of the bracket 10; and there are two fasteners 22, which are respectively pre-installed on two opposite sides of the junction box 20 (as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, Wang teaches a ceiling fan (at 30), comprising the quick-mounting bracket structure 100 of claim 1.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to the Applicant’s argument that Want fails to disclose the specific structural configuration and functional relationships in Claim 1, the Examiner submits the following. Specifically, the Applicant states that Wang fails to teach where “a bottom end of the fastening shaft is pre-installed within the first mounting hole.” The Examiner notes that Wang discloses that “The junction box 20 has two locking holes 21. A locking member 22 is locked to each of the locking holes 21 of the junction box 20 in a bottom-up direction. The locking member 22 is a screw,” (see col. 3, lines 27-29). The Examiner submits that Wang’s disclosure that the fastener 22 is locked within the hole 21, he teaches where “the fastening shaft is pre-installed within the first mounting hole,” as claimed. Therefore, the rejections remain as stated above.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). In the instant case, the Applicant argues that Wang fails to teach a stopper fitted over the fastening shaft 222. As noted in the Non-Final Rejection mailed on 01/09/2026, the Examiner acknowledged that Wang failed to teach or disclose the claimed stopper. The Examiner further stated that Hung teaches the claimed stopper, which is capable of fitting over the fastening shaft 222 of Wang. Therefore, the 103 rejections remain as stated in the Non-Final Office Correspondence mailed on 01/09/2026.
With regards to the Applicant’s argument that Wang fails to teach the claimed “aligning hole communicating with the second mounting hole,” the Examiner submits the following. As shown in Fig. 4, Wang discloses the aligning hole 41, which connects to the second mounting hole 42 via a slotted hole 421. The diameter of the aligning hole 41 is “no less than that of the stopper” (taught by Hung). The Examiner notes that the diameter of the stopper 34 of Hung would be large enough to accommodate the fastener shaft 222 of Wang.
Regarding the Applicant’s argument that Wang fails to teach the quick-mounting mechanism of claim 1, the Examiner submits the following. The Applicant states that, Wang teaches “a linear sliding motion, not the rotational locking motion defined in the present Application” (see pg. 8). The Examiner submits that the “rotational locking motion,” is not found in neither the specification, nor seen in the drawings. The claimed invention appears to teach a sliding motion, as depicted by the “keyhole slots” 411,412. Further, the Examiner notes that Wang teaches the same feature with his aligning hole 41, slotted hole 421, and second mounting hole 42. Therefore, it is submitted that Wang teaches the claimed “quick-mounting mechanism,” as claimed.
Regarding the Applicant’s argument that Wang fails to teach a second mounting hole, the Examiner submits the following. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, defines “hole,” as: “A hollowed place in something solid; a cavity or pit” (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=hole). Wang teaches a second mounting hole 42, which is a “hollowed place” in the upper portion of the bracket 40, as seen in Fig. 4. Therefore, it is submitted that Wang teaches the claimed second mounting hole.
With regards to the Applicant’s argument that Wang fails to teach a downward protruding block, the Examiner submits the following. As seen in Fig. 4, Wang teaches a block 43, that protrudes downwardly from the plane of the second mounting hole 42. The Examiner concludes that Wang teaches the claimed block.
In response to applicant’s argument that there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation to combine the references, the examiner recognizes that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007). In this case, Wang teaches the structure of the quick-mounting bracket as claimed. Although Wang fails to teach a stopper, Hung teaches a stopper mounted on a fastener that connects to the mounting bracket. The Examiner notes that both Wang and Hung teach brackets that suspend objects above the ground. Therefore, it is submitted that Wang and Hung are analogous and teach the limitations of claim 1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 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 12-Jun-26
/TERRELL L MCKINNON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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