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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the Hand-written annotations – making it difficult to read, interpret & examine the case due to poor legibility of these drawings (see Figure-1 through Figure-15, all are handwritten annotations for different Items). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 informalities:
Regarding, Items 160 & 116 – they are referred as sidewalls & wire management posts respectively. However, in one of the paragraphs in the specification wire management posts was called out as 116, thus creating conflict with the sidewall item number designation.
Appropriate correction is required before any further consideration for office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim-1 and 17- state- “extending substantially perpendicularly”- to define the angular position of these two-component here in this specification or claim- “having a planar surface and a wall structure extending substantially perpendicularly from the planar surface away from the mounting surface to enclose an interior region of the junction box”- to define the angular position. Further amendment is required to determine the comparison intended, and
to further examine these claims.
Claim 6- rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, as based on a disclosure which is not enabling. The disclosure does not enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention without- clips integrally molded into a sidewall of the housing and one or more hook structures integrally molded in the planar surface of the housing, which is/are critical or essential to the practice of the invention but not included in the specification and drawings. See In re Mayhew, 527 F.2d 1229, 188 USPQ 356 (CCPA 1976). This, clips integrally molded into a sidewall of the housing and one or more hook structures integrally molded in the planar surface of the housing- are not labeled and referenced in the specification / drawing, thus making it challenging for the examiner to examine these claims for patentability.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims-1-2, 4-5, 7-15, 18-20 - are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] :
Regarding Claim-1, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented below- that a junction box (103, Paragraph [0037-0043]) for attaching to a mounting surface (500-00), the junction box (500)
comprising: a housing formed of molded composite material (500) and having a planar surface (541) and a wall structure (210 a, b, c, d) extending substantially perpendicularly from the planar surface (541) away from the mounting surface to enclose an interior region of the junction box (206), wherein the housing further comprises a first joining member integrally formed with the wall structure of the housing (520 and 524); and a lid formed of the molded composite material (709), wherein the lid is shaped and sized to mate with the wall structure of the housing (522 and 500), the lid comprising an integrally- formed second joining member (522) configured to interface with the first joining member (524) of the housing to thereby maintain the housing (106) and lid (709) in rigid proximity to each other and thereby fully enclose the interior region of the junction box (500).
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Regarding Claim-2, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box (500), wherein the first joining member (536, and 524) comprises a tab (in Paragraph [0052]:
The flashings 200, 501 may include one or more tabs (not illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 ))- integrally molded with an exterior surface of the wall structure and wherein the second joining member (522) comprises a loop structure integrally molded to project from an outer surface of the lid (709), wherein the loop structure is configured to receive the tab of the wall structure (annotated Fig. 6E), and thereby maintain the housing and lid in rigid proximity to each other (annotated Fig. 6E).
Regarding Claim-4, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6C, & 7 as presented below- that the junction box (500) further comprising at least one boss integrally molded in the planar surface (541) of the housing to guide placement of a fastener connecting (534 a,b,c,d) the junction box (500) to the mounting surface, wherein at least one boss does not extend completely though the planar surface to form a hole therein (543 a,b,c,d).
Regarding Claim-5, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures-2, 6C, & 7 as presented below- that the junction box (500) wherein the at least one boss (lower boss 543 & upper boss 575) comprises first and second sets of teeth for receiving threads of the fastener (535, Fig-6C- Fastener to hold the parts, doing the same functional performance) , wherein the first set of teeth is oriented to above the second set of the teeth in a recessed area of the boss, and wherein the first and second sets of teeth are oriented orthogonally from each other within the recessed area of the boss (Paragraph [0066] : The boss holes 534 may permit a din rail and/or terminal blocks to be attached to the bottom portion 541 without having to use a self-tap fastener. The boss holes 534 may include a raised portion to accept a fastener to attach the housing box 500 to the sub-tile surface. The boss holes 534 may be omitted and the lower bosses 543 may define a recess for receiving fasteners).
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Regarding Claim-7, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2 presented above-, that the junction box, wherein the housing is integrally molded with a flashing that comprises one or more raised ridges angled to divert water away from the housing (204, Fig-2, and Paragraph [0045] and [0045]).
Regarding Claim-8, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, as presented above- that the junction box, wherein at least one of the one or more raised ridges is tapered toward a center of the junction box (500, 204, Fig-2, and Paragraph [0045] and [0045]).
Regarding Claim-9, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box, wherein the one or more raised ridges is set back from an upslope edge of the flashing to thereby permit at least a portion of the flashing upslope from the one or more raised ridges to be slid beneath a portion of the mounting surface (204, Fig-2, and Paragraph [0045] and [0045]).
Regarding Claim-10, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 6C as presented below- that the junction box, wherein the housing comprises first and second integrally- formed lines in the planar surface (541), wherein the first integrally-formed line indicates a first drill zone for use during micro-flashed installations of the junction box, and wherein the second integrally-formed line indicates a second drill zone that is larger than the first drill zone for use during fully-flashed installations of the junction box (500, 204, Fig-2, and Paragraph [0045] and [0045]).
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Regarding Claim-11, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of bosses integrally formed in the planar surface (543 a,b,c,d), wherein each of the plurality of bosses is configured to receive a fastener (534 a,b,c,d) that passes through the planar surface into the mounting surface (1107, and Paragraph [0091]- Attachment devices 1107 may pass through the boss holes 534), but wherein each of the plurality of bosses extends only partially through the planar surface to thereby permit use of a first plurality of bosses during the micro -flashed installation and a second plurality of bosses different from the first plurality during fully-flashed installation (575 a,b,c,d).
Regarding Claim-12, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box, wherein the planar surface (541) of the junction box (500) is formed with one or more bosses (543 and 575) each configured to receive a fastener for attaching the junction box to the mounting surface (542), and wherein the planar surface (541) is formed with a compression ring interconnecting the one or more bosses to thereby apply additional compressive force against the mounting surface (542) when the faster is tightened into the mounting surface (Paragraph- [0061]- The housing box 500 may include the bottom portion 541 that includes the first surface 542. The bottom portion 541 may be attached to the recess portion).
Regarding Claim-13, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box, wherein the compression ring (Paragraph [0067], attachment devices, here in this reference art) is located on the planar surface in a position that corresponds to a guide on an opposite side of the planar surface that indicates a position to apply an adhesive (sealant, here in this reference art) for further connecting the junction box (500) to the mounting surface. (Paragraph [0067] - The attachment devices may apply a force on the housing box 500 in a direction towards the sub-tile surface to create a compression seal between the sub-tile surface and the housing box 500 using the sealant).
Regarding Claim-14, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures-7 as presented below- that the junction box (500), wherein the lid (exemplary Lid- 709, Fig-7) is integrally formed with one or more protrusions (as annotated Fig.- 7), Inner protrusion an inner surface of the lid, wherein the protrusions are configured to interface with the wall structure of the housing and thereby bias the lid into an open position until closing pressure is applied to the lid (Paragraph [0070]: Discussion of the housing box 500, the flashing 501, and the lid 709 in relation to FIG. 7 may correspond to the housing box 500 mating to the exemplary flashing of 501 and the exemplary lid 709 (e.g., installation of the junction box 500, 106), as shown in Fig.-7).
Regarding Claim-15, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box, wherein the lid (exemplary Lid- 709, Fig-7) comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion overlying the housing, and wherein the protrusions are formed at an intersection of the vertical and horizontal portions of the lid to thereby affect an angle between the vertical and horizontal portions. As BORNEMANN et al. discloses in paragraph- [0075] - The housing box 500 may include brass inserts configured to connect to fasten to selectively attach the lid 709 to the housing box 500. Alternatively, the housing box 500 may include metal screws to selectively attach the lid 709 to the housing box 500. The junction box 500, 106 may include plastic to plastic connections to selectively attach the lid 709 to the housing box 500. The junction box 500, 106 may include plastic to metal connections to selectively attach the lid 709 to the housing box 500. The junction box 106 may include captive screws, captive bolts, or some combination thereof to selectively attach the lid 709 to the housing box 500.
Claims-3, 6, 16, 17, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] in view of Cors et al [US 20250141199 A1] and further in view of Capozzi [US 12683371 B1].
Regarding Claim-3, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] does not disclose that- that the junction box (500), further comprising one or more wire management posts integrally molded with the housing, wherein the one or more wire management posts project upward from the planar surface of the housing into the interior region of the junction box.
However, Cors et al [US 20250141199 A1]- discloses that that the junction box further comprising one or more wire management posts (wire retainer posts) integrally molded with the housing, wherein the one or more wire management posts project upward from the planar surface of the housing into the interior region of the junction box [210, 220, 240 in Fig-2C, and illustrated in Paragraphs [0059], [0060], [0062], [0063]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use one or more - wire management posts (wire retainer posts) in order to retain the cable inside the lock mechanism within the cable organizer box.
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Regarding Claim-6, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] does not disclose- that the junction box further comprising one or more clips integrally molded into a sidewall of the housing and one or more hook structures integrally molded in the planar surface of the housing, wherein the one or more clips and the one or more hook structures are configured to retain a DIN bar in place within the interior region of the junction box.
However, Capozzi (US 12683371 B1)- discloses that the junction box further comprising one or more clips (66, Fig.-16, 19, 21, 22) integrally molded into a sidewall of the housing and one or more hook structures integrally molded in the planar surface of the housing, wherein the one or more clips and the one or more hook structures are configured to retain a DIN bar in place within the interior region of the junction box (as illustrated in the Picture below, and Paragraph [0046]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use one or more clips in these junction boxes- in order to bent or formed into position having generally planar and opposing panels configured to abut against opposing sides of panel 54- within the Junction Box device (as illustrated in the Picture below, and Paragraph [0046]).
Regarding Claim-16, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] does not disclose- that the junction box, wherein the one or more protrusions comprise a spring member that applies a force against the housing that is overcome through tightening of a fastener that joins the lid to the housing.
However, Capozzi (US 12683371 B1)- discloses that the junction box, wherein the one or more protrusions comprise a spring member (66, Fig. 6, 19, 21, 22) that applies a force against the housing that is overcome through tightening of a fastener that joins the lid to the housing (as illustrated in the Picture below, and Paragraph [0046]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use one or more springs in order to have resilience to also friction fit into position upon lid of the junction box assembly (as illustrated in the Picture below, and Paragraph [0046]).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims-3, 6, 16, 17-20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] in view of Cors et al [US 20250141199 A1], in view of Capozzi [US 12683371 B1], and further in view of Matteson et al. [US 20250226644 A1]:
Regarding Claim-17, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box (500) for attaching to a mounting surface, the junction box comprising: a housing (110), and a wall structure extending substantially perpendicularly from the planar surface (541) away from the mounting surface; a lid (709) formed of the molded composite material, wherein the lid is shaped and sized to mate (709) with the wall structure of the housing to enclose an interior region of the junction box (535, Fig. 6E); and a flashing integrally formed of the molded composite material with the housing (110). BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1]- does not disclose that the cable box housing is formed of molded composite material.
However, Matteson et al. [US 20250226644 A1]- discloses that the that junction box (two-piece flange body) body made out of molded composite materials (like, here in different paragraphs- composites in [0084], in molded [0067], materials in [0072]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use molded composite materials in order to have the slots to align the two pieces for box assembly, and other mating connection features may also be used for the same objective.
Regarding Claim-18, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above-that the junction box (500), wherein the housing comprises first and second integrally- formed lines in the planar surface (541), wherein the first integrally-formed line indicates a first drill zone for use during micro-flashed installations of the junction box, and wherein the second integrally-formed line indicates a second drill zone that is larger than the first drill zone for use during fully-flashed installations of the junction box. (204, Fig-2, and annotated Fig.-6C, and Paragraph [0045] and [0045]).
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BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] – does not disclose that the flashing comprises at least one ridge molded into the flashing that is oriented away from a center of the junction box to thereby divert water flowing toward the junction box toward an edge of the flashing.
However, Capozzi (US 12683371)- disclose that the flashing comprises at least one ridge molded into the flashing that is oriented away from a center of the junction box to thereby divert water flowing toward the junction box toward an edge of the flashing (Capozzi, US 12683371 B1)- Sides 38 and 39 are generally angled with respect to third side 37 and encourage water to run off sides 38 and 39 (37, 38, 39 in Fig.-2, and [Column 4, Line 64-65]).
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Regarding Claim-19, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box (100), wherein the housing comprises one or more weep holes (532a -532b, Fig. 6B, and in Paragraph [0069])- in the wall structure (Paragraph [0069])- extending above the planar surface (541) to thereby drain moisture from the interior region of the junction box (Paragraph [0034]- The junction box may also be configured to shed moisture to prevent or reduce an amount of moisture that accesses a volume between the tiles and the sub-tile surface).
Regarding Claim-20, BORNEMANN et al. [US 20250273943 A1] discloses the following claim limitations in the Figures- 2, 6E, & 7 as presented above- that the junction box (100), wherein the flashing further comprises a side ridge proximate an exterior side of the housing, wherein the side ridge is a raised portion of the flashing configured to divert water flowing toward the junction box (204, as disclosed in Paragraph [0046]- The raised portion 204 may include a first sidewall 210 a, a second sidewall 210 b, a third sidewall 210 c, a fourth sidewall 210 d, or a fifth sidewall 210 e (generally, sidewalls 210 or sidewall 210).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OBAIDUL GANI whose telephone number is (571)272-8665. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 7:30 - 5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OBAIDUL GANI/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/STANLEY TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
