DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: lines 4-5 recites "a geometry to receive at least a portion of a connecting member (2b) of a connecting element". 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 1-7 and 16, 17, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hur Kab KR20220058089.
Claim 1. Hur Kab discloses at least one wall (41) forming a void space (411) extending along a first dimension of the truss element, the void space having a geometry to receive at least a portion of a connecting member (2b) of a connecting element, and at least one corner element (denoted 40b) extending along the first dimension of the truss element adjacent the wall; wherein a slot opening (opening into 41 leading to 411, Fig 4) formed in a portion of the corner element provides access to the void space of the wall, the access permitting at least partial insertion of the connecting member into the wall (as shown in Fig.2).
Claim 2. Hur Kab discloses the slot opening is formed by selective removal of the portion of the corner element (as illustrated by the cross-sectional view of Fig.5).
Claim 3. Hur Kab discloses the truss element further includes a hollow center portion (46, Fig.5).
Claim 4. Hur Kab discloses the truss element comprises a plurality of wall cavities (411, 421) and a plurality of corner elements (41, 42), at least one of the plurality of corner elements is positioned adjacent two adjacent wall cavities of the plurality of wall cavities (Fig.4).
Claim 16. Hur Kab discloses providing a truss element having at least one wall (41) forming a void space (411) extending along a first dimension of the truss element, the void space having a geometry to receive at least a portion of a connecting member (2b) of a connecting element, and at least one corner element (denoted 40b) extending along the first dimension of the truss element adjacent the wall ; forming a slot opening (opening into 41 leading to 411, Fig 4) to provide access to the wall; inserting one or more connecting members through the slot opening into the void space of the wall (as shown in Fig.5); and positioning a securing element (5) through the wall and connecting member to secure the one or more connecting elements to the truss element (Fig.3).
Claim 17. Hur Kab discloses the forming of the slot opening includes selectively removing a portion of the corner element to form the slot opening (as illustrated by the cross-sectional view of Fig.5).
Claim 13 and 19. Hur Kab discloses connecting a plurality of truss elements and connecting elements to form a truss subassembly (Fig.3).
Claim 20. Hur Kab discloses connecting a plurality of the truss subassemblies to form a truss assembly (as illustrated in Fig.2).
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 5-15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hur Kab KR20220058089 as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Bowron WO2018132921.
Claim 5. Hur Kab discloses a truss element, the truss element comprising: at least one wall (42) forming a void space (421) extending along a first dimension of the truss element, the void space having a geometry to receive at least a portion of a connecting member (2b) of one or more connecting elements; at least one corner element extending along the first dimension of the truss element adjacent the wall; and a slot opening (opening surrounding 42 leading to void 421) in the at least one corner element formed in a portion of the corner element providing access to the void space of the wall (Fig.4); the connecting member at least partially inserted into the wall (Fig.5); but is silent on a securing element extending through the wall and the connecting member to secure the connecting element to the truss element.
Bowron before the filing date of the instant invention discloses a truss element (8) with at least a one wall (24) with an opening (27) and a connecting member (16) with a second opening (26) such that the first opening and second opening aligning upon insertion of the connecting member into the wall (as shown in Fig.3-4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to include the aligning opening of Bowron to the system of Hur Kab to properly secure both elements using pin (28), as a person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue known options within his or her technical grasp.
Claim 6. Hur Kab as modified discloses the slot opening is formed by selective removal of the portion of the corner element (as illustrated by the cross-sectional view of Fig.5).
Claim 7. Hur Kab as modified discloses the positioning of the securing element forms a structural double shear connection between the truss element and the connecting member (2b sandwiched between 41 when inserted in void 411, Fig.5).
Claim 8. Hur Kab as modified discloses the connecting element and the truss element are oriented at an acute angle to each other (Fig.19). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to form an acute angle as shown in the embodiment of Fig.19 of Bowron especially when used for a slope roofing as a person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue known options within his or her technical grasp.
Claim 9. Hur Kab as modified discloses a first connecting element and a second connecting element are connected to at least one secondary part (5 of Fig.4).
Claim 10. Hur Kab as modified discloses the securing element is selected from the group consisting of a pin (28 of Bowron), a fastener, an adhesive, a magnetic component, and combinations thereof.
Claim 11. Hur Kab as modified discloses the securing element is at least one pin penetrating through the wall and the connecting member (Fig.3-4 of Bowron).
Claim 12. Hur Kab as modified each of the wall and the connecting member have openings (26 and 27- Bowron) to receive the at least one pin (28 of Bowron), the openings aligning to receive a pin of the least one pin when the connecting member is at least partially inserted into the wall (Figs 5-6 of Bowron).
Claim 13. Hur Kab as modified discloses a plurality of truss elements and a plurality of connecting elements connected with one another to form a truss subassembly (see Fig.3).
Claim 14. Hur Kab as modified discloses a plurality of the truss subassemblies are connected together with the connecting elements to form a truss assembly, the plurality of truss subassemblies being arranged within the truss assembly to form a housing space defined by the plurality of truss subassemblies (as illustrated in Fig.2).
Claim 15. Hur Kab as modified discloses the truss assembly further comprises at least one attachment feature (20 of Bowron).
Claim 18. Hur Kab is silent on a first opening through the wall and a second opening in the connecting member.
Bowron before the filing date of the instant invention discloses a truss element (8) with at least a one wall (24) with an opening and a connecting member (16) with a second opening (26) such that the first opening and second opening aligning upon insertion of the connecting member into the wall (as shown in Fig.3-4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to include the aligning opening of Bowron to the system of Hur Kab to properly secure both elements using pin (28), 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BABAJIDE A DEMUREN whose telephone number is (571)270-7017. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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BABAJIDE A. DEMUREN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3633
/BABAJIDE A DEMUREN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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