DETAILED ACTION
Amendment
Acknowledgment is made of Amendment filed January 29, 2026. Claims 18 and 20 are canceled. Claims 16-17 are amended. Claims 16-17, 19 and 21-31 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 16-17, 19, 22-23 and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fisherman et al (US 2008/0049416).
Regarding claim 16, Fisherman discloses a light assembly comprising: a stackable storage case including a housing 2 defining a cavity and including a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side (side on end which receives telescopic mast 5) having an aperture extending therethrough; a mast assembly 5 extending between a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the housing; and a lighting element 4 coupled to the second end of the mast assembly; wherein the mast assembly includes a plurality of telescoping poles and is adjustable between: an operating configuration, in which the mast assembly 5 extends outwardly from the stackable storage case along a vertical axis, and a storage configuration, in which the mast assembly extends along a horizontal axis that is substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis, the mast assembly is at least partially received within the cavity through the aperture and the lighting element 4 is positioned adjacent the fourth side (see at least Figures 1-3 and paras [0018]-[0020]).
Regarding claim 17, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further discloses in the storage configuration, the lighting element 4 is oriented outward and away from the stackable storage case (see at least Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 19, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further discloses the lighting element 4 is able to be illuminated when in the storage configuration (see at least Figs. 3-4 and para [0027]).
Regarding claim 22, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further discloses the mast assembly 5 is attached to the stackable storage case by a hinge (see at least Figure 1 and hinge on telescoping assembly which is attached to storage case 2).
Regarding claim 23, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 23, and further discloses the hinge is configured to lock the mast assembly 5 to inhibit rotation of the mast assembly (see at least Figure 1).
Regarding claim 26, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further discloses the lighting element 4 includes one or more lighting elements (see at least Figs. 1-2 and para [0029]).
Regarding claim 27, Fisherman discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further discloses the lighting element 4 is outside of the housing 2 in the storage configuration (see at least Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21, 24-25 and 28-31 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed January 29, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding claim 16, Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s submission that the housing 2 in Fisherman cannot be designated as “a stackable storage case”. The housing 2 in Fisherman is a case that stores at least a mast assembly and battery component (see at least Figs. 1-2 and para [0018]), hence is a storage case. Moreover, the housing 2 is “stackable” on essentially any object having a flat surface (see Figs. 1-2 and 5) including a second case 2. Accordingly, the housing 2 in Fisherman is properly designated a “stackable storage case”. The rejection of at least claim 16 is therefore maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P GRAMLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9082. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdulmajeed Aziz can be reached at (571) 270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEAN P GRAMLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875