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 § 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) 1-2 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lubera et al (US.20020007537A).
Lubera discloses a nut fastening clip (e.g. 62), comprising a base plate (e.g. base plate having 54), a threaded sleeve (e.g. sleeve having 70 and 72) defining an opening (e.g. see figure) and extending downwardly from the base plate, a clip body (e.g. figure) defining a cavity (cavity between legs of 60), the clip body comprising a pair of first side walls (e.g. side walls connected to the base plate, the side walls on each side of 72) connected to the base plate, each of the first side walls having a window (e.g. window shown in figure 5) thereon, a pair of retaining portions (e.g. 120a) protruding outwardly from an interior of the cavity through the windows and wherein the pair of retaining portions are configured to be resiliently deflectable relative to each other (e.g. see figures 1-5).
Regarding claim 2: Wherein the nut fastening clip further comprises a pair of resilient legs (e.g. legs having 162) connected to the pair of first side walls, respectively, each of the resilient legs comprising a corresponding one of the retaining portions (e.g. 120a), wherein a bottom end of the resilient leg is connected to a corresponding one of the pair of first side walls (e.g. bottom end having 162) and a top end (e.g. top end connected to 120a) of the resilient leg is a free end to enable the pair of retaining portions to be resiliently deflected (e.g. see figures).
Regarding claim 10: A nut fastening clip assembly, comprising a first plate (e.g. 204) having a first assembling hole, a nut fastening clip according to claim 1, a bolt (e.g. 74) having an external thread and wherein the bolt is engageable with a threaded sleeve of the nut fastening clip by means of the external thread thereof so as to pass through the first assembling hole to securely connect the first plate to the nut fastening clip (e.g. see figures 14-15).
Regarding claim 11: A nut fastening clip system, comprising a nut fastening clip assembly according to claim 10, a second plate (e.g. 208) having a second assembling hole (e.g. figures 14-15) and wherein the nut fastening clip is configured to be snap-fitted in the second assembling hole of the second plate.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ammann (US. 20200392973) in view of Murray (US. 20240018983).
Ammann et al discloses a nut fastening clip (e.g. figure 6), comprising a base plate (e.g. base plate of 6), the base plate defining an opening (e.g. opening in base plate), a clip body (e.g. figures) defining a cavity (e.g. cavity defined by four walls that are connected to the base plate), the clip body comprising a pair of first side walls (e.g. side walls adjacent to 19) connected to the base plate, each of the first side walls having a window (e.g. window receiving 4) thereon, a pair of retaining portions (e.g. 4) protruding outwardly from an interior of the cavity through the windows and wherein the pair of retaining portions are configured to be resiliently deflectable relative to each other (e.g. see figures 1-5). Regarding claim 2: Wherein the nut fastening clip further comprises a pair of resilient legs (e.g. portion of 4 and portion adjacent to 7) connected to the pair of first side walls, respectively, each of the resilient legs comprising a corresponding one of the retaining portions (e.g. bent section adjacent to 7), wherein a bottom end of the resilient leg is connected to a corresponding one of the pair of first side walls (e.g. see figure 6) and a top end (e.g. the top end connected to a free end 16) of the resilient leg is a free end to enable the pair of retaining portions to be resiliently deflected (e.g. see figures). Regarding claim 3: Wherein the resilient leg further comprises an upper leg portion (e.g. upper leg portion adjacent to 7) and a lower leg portion (e.g. lower leg portion below the bent portion of 4), the retaining portion connects the upper leg portion and the lower leg portion, wherein a bottom portion (e.g. bottom portion which is another bent portion at the top of figure 6 and adjacent to 17) of the lower leg portion is provided within the cavity (e.g. figure 5) and connected to an inner side of the bottom of the first side wall (e.g. see figures) and the lower leg portion extends obliquely outwardly from the bottom portion to the retaining portion (e.g. figure 6 shows this), so as to allow the lower leg portion to extend obliquely outwardly from an inner side of the first side wall to pass through the window (e.g. see figures 5-6 showing the window and portions outside the window). Regarding claim 4: Wherein the first side wall comprises a stepped support (e.g. steps forming the window), and the stepped support is arranged in the window and is configured such that a width of the window above the stepped support is greater than a width of the window below the stepped support (e.g. figure 5-7 show the window having two size openings, smaller opening and larger opening), wherein the upper leg portion extends transversely from the retaining portion through the window into the cavity (e.g. figure 6), and the upper leg portion has a greater width than the lower leg portion to allow the upper leg portion to be supported on the stepped support (e.g. see figure 6). Regarding claim 5: Wherein the clip body further comprises a pair of second side walls (e.g. side walls having 18 ), the pair of second side walls and the pair of first side walls being each arranged opposite to each other and being connected to each other to form the cavity (e.g. see figures 5-7), wherein a space is provided between the second side wall and the base plate and each of the resilient legs comprises an operating portion (e.g. portion having 16) located within the cavity and connected to the upper leg portion of the resilient leg, wherein the operating portion is exposed through the space (e.g. figures 5-7). Regarding claim 6: Wherein each of the upper leg portions comprises a bent portion (e.g. see bent portion of 4 between 17) arranged in the cavity, wherein the bent portion extends downwardly from the upper leg portion to the inner side of the first side wall below the window (e.g. see figures 5-7); and/or a connecting portion arranged in the cavity, wherein the connecting portion extends upwardly to the inner side of the first side wall above the window and is connected to the operating portion. Regarding claim 7: Wherein the bottom portions of the lower leg portions of the pair of resilient legs abut against each other (e.g. the bottom portions abut, see figure 6). Regarding claim 8: Wherein the retaining portion comprises a resilient tab (e.g. tab having 16), the resilient tab having an outer end connected to the retaining portion and an inner end forming a free end (e.g. see figure 6) and the resilient tab is formed by extending obliquely upwardly and inwardly from an upper surface of the retaining portion (e.g. see 7 and connection portions between the bend section of 4 and 7). Regarding claim 10: A nut fastening clip assembly, comprising a first plate (e.g. plate shown in figure 10) having a first assembling hole, a nut fastening clip according to claim 1, an insertion member (e.g. 14) having an external surface and wherein the insertion member is engageable with the opening of the nut fastening clip by means of the insertion member thereof so as to pass through the first assembling hole to securely connect the first plate to the nut fastening clip (e.g. see figures 14-15). Regarding claim 11: A nut fastening clip system, comprising a nut fastening clip assembly according to claim 10, a second plate (e.g. another plate shown in figures 14-15) having a second assembling hole (e.g. figures 14-15) and wherein the nut fastening clip is configured to be snap-fitted in the second assembling hole of the second plate (e.g. plate contacted by 4).
Ammann discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to disclose a threaded sleeve defining an opening and extending downwardly from the base plate. Murray discloses a fastening clip that is used by an insertion member (40, figures 1-7) and in another embodiment a same or similar of the fastening clip is used by a bolt that is received in an opening of the fastening clip having a threaded sleeve (figures 8-9). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the fastening clip of Ammann to have a threaded sleeve as taught by Murray with reasonable expectation of success, so 1st and 2nd plates are attached by bolt (e.g. function of the clip having bolt, see description of figure 8 in Murray and paragraph 0072) and having different elements to expand the operating element of the clip is considered to be art equivalent (e.g. paragraph 0072, same or similar clip can be operated by bolt figure 8 or an insertion member 40 figure 1 of Murray).
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ammann and Murray as applied to claims above, and further in view of Fisher (US. 5919019).
Ammann discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to disclose the resilient tab comprises a protrusion formed by protruding upwardly from an upper surface of the resilient tab. Fisher discloses a retaining clip having a resilient tab (e.g. tab having 58) and the resilient tab comprises protrusion (e.g. 58) formed by protruding upwardly from an upper surface of the resilient tab (e.g. see figures). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the resilient tab of Ammann to have protrusion as taught by Fisher with reasonable expectation of success to provide securing of the retaining clip to a member (e.g. see description of 50 and column 2, lines 45-50 in Fisher).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant should review documents on form 892, which teach limitation of the claims that are broad. Furthermore applicant should review prior applications and/or patents of assignee.
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/VISHAL A PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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