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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 2010/0302762) in view of Lan (US 11,648,871).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a lighting device comprising: a housing (at least 10,20) having a base wall 21, a side wall 10 extended frontward from a periphery of the base wall, and a mounting port formed at a front end of the side wall, the housing having a tilt fixing structure 23 (in particular the middle tilt fixture structure 23, see Fig. 4) extended from a front surface of the base wall, and the tilt fixing structure being extended towards the mounting port; a light cover 40 made of a light permeable material, the light cover sealing up the mounting port, a flat light area being formed at a center of the light cover; and a lighting unit 31 fixed to a front of the tilt fixing structure 23, and the lighting unit being aligned with the flat light area, wherein an inclination angle is formed between a front surface of the tilt fixing structure 23 and the base wall 21 of the housing, after the lighting unit 31 is fixed to the front of the tilt fixing structure, the lighting unit projects light beams obliquely downward (see at least Figures 1-5 and paragraphs [0012]-[0019]).
Liu does not specifically teach that several portions of an inner surface of the light cover 40 protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones, the plurality of the refracting cones being arranged side by side to form a refraction area. However, forming portions of an inner surface of a light cover to protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones is common in the art and taught in Lan (see Lan, at least Figure 15 and column 5, lines 10-16). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to form the light cover 40 in Liu to have portions of an inner surface that protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones as taught by Lan in order to scatter the light from one or more lighting units 31 to achieve a broader emission pattern for illuminating a greater surface area.
Regarding claim 3, Liu and Lan disclose the limitations of claim 1, and Liu further discloses wherein the lighting unit 31 includes a circuit board 3102, a lighting element (at least one of 3101 in middle lighting unit, see Fig. 4) arranged on the circuit board, and a light cup 313 fixed on the circuit board, the circuit board is combined with the tilt fixing structure 23, a bottom of the light cup is aligned with the lighting element 3101 and a top of the light cup is aligned with the flat light area (see at least Figures 1-5 and paragraphs [0012]-[0019]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-18 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the collective limitations of the claim, including a lighting basket with a lighting device comprising: a basket, a lower portion of a front end of the basket being recessed inward to form an accommodating groove, at least one portion of a rear wall of the accommodating groove being recessed rearward to form at least one positioning hole, the rear wall of the accommodating groove being equipped with at least one locking unit; and a lighting device accommodated in the accommodating groove of the basket, the lighting device including a housing which has a base wall, the housing having at least one positioning unit protruded outward from a rear surface of the base wall, and at least one locking part embedded in the base wall through the rear surface of the base wall, the at least one positioning unit being positioned in the at least one positioning hole, the at least one locking unit being locked with the at least one locking part.
The best prior art of record, Sun (CN 210653465, cited below), generally discloses a lighting basket with a lighting device comprising: a basket 101, a lower portion of a front end of the basket being recessed inward to form an accommodating groove 110, at least one portion of a rear wall of the accommodating groove being recessed rearward to form at least one positioning hole 111; and a lighting device 103 accommodated in the accommodating groove 110 of the basket, the lighting device 103 including a housing which has a base wall (see at least Figures 1-5). However, Sun does not teach that the rear wall of the accommodating groove be equipped with at least one locking unit, the lighting device housing having at least one positioning unit protruded outward from a rear surface of the base wall, and at least one locking part embedded in the base wall through the rear surface of the base wall, the at least one positioning unit being positioned in the at least one positioning hole, the at least one locking unit being locked with the at least one locking part. Accordingly, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record. Claims 9-17 are allowable in that they are dependent on, and further limit claim 8.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the collective limitations of the claim, including a lighting basket with a lighting device comprising: a basket, a lower portion of a front end of the basket being recessed inward to form an accommodating groove; and a lighting device accommodated in the accommodating groove, the lighting device including a housing having a base wall, a side wall extended frontward from a periphery of the base wall, and a mounting port formed at a front end of the side wall, the housing having a tilt fixing structure extended from a front surface of the base wall, and the tilt fixing structure being extended towards the mounting port, a light cover sealing up the mounting port, several portions of an inner surface of the light cover protruding inward to form a plurality of refracting cones, the plurality of the refracting cones being arranged side by side to form a refraction area, a flat light area being formed at a center of the light cover, and a lighting unit fixed to a front of the tilt fixing structure, and the lighting unit being aligned with the flat light area, the lighting unit including a circuit board, and a light cup fixed on the circuit board, the light cup being combined with the light cover.
The best prior arts of record, Liu and Lan, disclose a lighting device comprising: a housing (at least 10,20) having a base wall 21, a side wall 10 extended frontward from a periphery of the base wall, and a mounting port formed at a front end of the side wall, the housing having a tilt fixing structure 23 (in particular the middle tilt fixture structure 23, see Fig. 4) extended from a front surface of the base wall, and the tilt fixing structure being extended towards the mounting port; a light cover 40 sealing up the mounting port, a flat light area being formed at a center of the light cover; and a lighting unit 31 fixed to a front of the tilt fixing structure 23, and the lighting unit being aligned with the flat light area, the lighting unit 31 including a circuit board 3102, and a light cup 313 fixed on the circuit board, the light cup being combined with the light cover 40 (see at least Figures 1-5 and paragraphs [0012]-[0019]). Liu does not specifically teach that several portions of an inner surface of the light cover 40 protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones, the plurality of the refracting cones being arranged side by side to form a refraction area. However, forming portions of an inner surface of a light cover to protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones is common in the art and taught in Lan (see Lan, at least Figure 15 and column 5, lines 10-16). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to form the light cover 40 in Liu to have portions of an inner surface that protrude inward to form a plurality of refracting cones as taught by Lan in order to scatter the light from one or more lighting units 31 to achieve a broader emission pattern for illuminating a greater surface area. However, Liu and Lan do not teach a basket, a lower portion of a front end of the basket being recessed inward to form an accommodating groove; and a lighting device accommodated in the accommodating groove. The lighting device in Liu is intended for use in an overhead street lamp, thus there is no teaching or suggesting to incorporate the lighting device into an accommodating groove of a basket. Accordingly, the claim is deemed patentable over the prior art of record.
Claims 2 and 4-7 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.
Regarding claim 2, Liu and Lan do not teach wherein the tilt fixing structure includes at least one first pillar and at least one second pillar, a length of the at least one first pillar is longer than a length of the at least one second pillar, a front surface of the at least one first pillar and a front surface of the at least one second pillar are inclined downward and rearward to form at least two bevels with the same slope, the lighting unit is slantwise disposed at the at least two bevels.
Regarding claim 4, Liu and Lan do not teach wherein the flat light area has a through hole recessed inward in a middle of a front surface of the light cover, and a securing hole recessed in a middle of a rear surface of the light cover, a diameter of the securing hole is larger than a diameter of the through hole, the through hole and the securing hole are connected, and the through hole is communicated with the securing hole. Claims 5-7 are allowable in that they are dependent on, and further limit claim 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sun CN 210653465 (bicycle with basket including lighting device)
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/SEAN P GRAMLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875