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 is the first office action for application number 18/924,038, MOUNTING BRACKET FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, filed on October 23, 2024.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: "158" in Figs. 4 & 5. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informality: in paragraph [0063] in line 6, "eight" should be changed to --eighth--.
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.
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 2,658,241 to Houghton, Jr. et al., hereinafter, Houghton. Houghton discloses a mounting bracket capable for supporting an electrical component between structural supports, the mounting bracket comprising: a first support rail (10) with a first recessed channel (42); and a second support rail (12) with a second recessed channel (40), the first and second support rails nested together for telescopic adjustment along a lateral direction, with the first recessed channel nested within the second recessed channel; one of the first support rail or the second support rail having centering tabs (26 or 36) that extend to biasingly engage the other of the first or second support rails to maintain alignment of the first and second support rails with respect to each other, transverse to the lateral direction; wherein a gap (Fig. 2) is defined between the first and second support rails transverse to the lateral direction, with the centering tabs providing the only points of contact between the first and second support rails across the gap; and wherein the first support rail includes the centering tabs.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Houghton in view of U.S. Patent No. 9,929,549 to Witherbee et al., hereinafter, Witherbee. Witherbee discloses the claimed invention except for the limitation of wherein each of the first and second recessed channels has a rear wall and mounting holes arrayed along the rear wall.
Witherbee teaches a mounting bracket (10) for supporting an electrical component between structural supports, the bracket having a first support rail (12) with a first recessed channel, a second support rail (14) with a second recessed channel, the rails nested together for telescopic adjustment along a lateral direction, and wherein each of the channels having a rear wall and mounting holes (32 & 62) arrayed along the rear wall.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mounting bracket in Houghton to have included the mounting holes as taught by Witherbee for the purpose of securely attaching an object, such as an electrical box, to the mounting bracket during usage in a specific environment, such as building construction.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Houghton in view of 9,696,021 to Wronski. Houghton discloses the claimed invention except for the limitations of wherein a structure mount extends in a respective distal direction from a distal end of each of the first and second support rails to secure the mounting bracket to a corresponding support structure; and wherein a mounting tab extends from each of structure mounts, opposite the respective distal direction, to receive a fastener to further secure the structure mount to a closed side of the corresponding structural support.
Wronski teaches a mounting bracket for supporting an electrical component (110), the bracket having a first supporting rail (120), a second support rail (160), wherein a structure mount (144) extends in a respective distal direction from a distal end of the each of the support rails to secure the mounting bracket to a corresponding support structure (104), and wherein a mounting tab (148) extends from each of structure mounts, opposite the respective distal direction, to receive a fastener (153) to further secure the structure mount to a closed side of the corresponding structural support.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mounting bracket in Houghton to have included a structure mount as taught by Wronski for the purpose of securing the mounting bracket to a support to prevent unwanted shifting or dislodgement of the mounting bracket and a support structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 17-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the limitations of an electrical box that includes a rear wall, the electrical box being secured at the front side of the first support rail with the rear wall of the box deformed into the first and second recessed channels, essentially cited in independent claims 1 and 17 and in combination with the other elements recited in the claims, respectively, which is not found in the prior art.
Claims 12, 14, and 16 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Patent No. 8,939,418 to Green et al. is directed to a hanger bar assembly having first and second hanger bar members including rail segments with channels. U.S. Patent No. 7,673,841 to Wronski is directed to a hanger bar assembly for recessed luminaire. U.S. Patent No. 6,484,979 to Medlin, Jr. is directed to an electrical box support having a set of struts telescoping one within the other to accommodate the length for attachment to studs. U.S. Patent No. 5,934,631 to Becker et al. is directed to a hanger bar assembly supports on outlet box between spaced apart support elements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANITA M KING whose telephone number is (571)272-6817. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-4:00pm.
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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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/ANITA M KING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 March 21, 2026