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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 19/085,792 CLIP MEMBER AND INSTALLATION STRUCTURE INCLUDING SAME filed on 3/20/2025. Claims 1-15 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 3/20/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3, 8 and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent No. 9,458,952 to Zhang et al.
With regards to claim 1, Zhang et al. teaches a device having a supporting member (8) comprising an end portion fixed to a ceiling wall (See Col. 1, lines 17-19 “threaded rods depending from a ceiling”) and configured to pass through a hanger bar (10) connected to the indoor unit (See Col. 1, lines 14-16, “used to support one or more pipes and/or electrical cables (or other components) within a building”); and a clip (11) member having a body (68a, 68b) comprising a penetration portion (66a, 66b) in which the supporting member is configured to pass through (See Figure 17), an extension (64a, 64b) extending along a length of the supporting member from the body, and an engaging portion (70a, 70b) extending from an end portion of the extension and configured to be locked to the hanger bar (10).
With regards to claim 2, Zhang et al. teaches wherein the clip member is configured to be rotated about the supporting member to be selectively locked to and unlocked from the hanger bar. (See Figures 19 and 21)
With regards to claim 3, Zhang et al. also teaches wherein the body further comprises a protrusion (78a, 78b) protruding horizontally outward from the penetration portion.
With regards to claim 8, Zhang et al. teaches, wherein the body is configured to support a lower surface of the hanger bar, and wherein the engaging portion extends along a plane parallel to an upper surface of the hanger bar and is configured to engage with the upper surface of the hanger bar. (See Figure 12)
With regards to claim 10, Zhang et al. teaches a device having a body comprising a penetration portion (66a, 66b) having a throughhole; an extension extending (64a, 64b) from the body in a direction perpendicular to the body; and an engaging portion (70a, 70b) extending from an end portion of the extension and configured to lock to the hanger bar (10).
With regards to claim 11, Zhang et al. teaches wherein the engaging portion (70a, 70b) extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension. (See Figure 12)
With regards to claim 12, Zhang et al. teaches wherein the body is configured to support a lower portion of the hanger bar, and the engaging portion is configured to engage with an upper surface of the hanger bar. (See Figure 12)
With regards to claim 13, Zhang et al. teaches wherein the engaging portion is configured to be selectively locked to and unlocked from the hanger bar by rotation about the through hole. (See figure 21)
With regards to claim 14, Zhang et al. teaches wherein a lower edge of the engaging portion is inclined or rounded. (See Figure 12)
With regards to claim 15, Zhang et al. teaches wherein the extension comprises a first extension (64a), and a second extension (64b) symmetrical to the first extension with respect to the through hole, wherein the engaging portion comprises a first engaging portion (70a) extending in a direction perpendicular to the first extension, and a second engaging portion (70b) extending in a direction perpendicular to the second extension, and wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion extend from respective end portions of the first extension and the second extension along a rotation direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 9 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.
With regards to claim 4, the prior art does not teach wherein the extension extends from an edge of the protrusion along an outside of a side surface that connects a lower surface and an upper surface of the hanger bar.
With regards to claim 5, the prior art does not teach wherein the protrusion comprises an opening.
With regards to claim 6, the prior art does not teach wherein the protrusion comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding symmetrically from opposite sides of the penetration portion, wherein the extension comprises a first extension extending from an edge of the first protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the first protrusion, and a second extension extending from an edge of the second protrusion in a direction perpendicular to the second protrusion, and wherein the engaging portion comprises a first engaging portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the first extension, and a second engaging portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the second extension.
With regards to claim 9, the prior art does not teach a first fastening member fastened to a lower side of the hanger bar and configured to support the hanger bar; and a second fastening member fastened to a lower side of the clip member and configured to support the clip member, wherein the body of the clip member is between the first fastening member and the second fastening member, and wherein the body further comprises an accommodation space configured to accommodate at least a portion of the first fastening member.
Cited References
PN 9,841,043 to Tally et al. shows a hanger
PN 9,447,914 to Neace shows a hanger
PN 9,200,729 to Hobbs shows a hanger
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 8/3/26
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