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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. DE 20 2024 101 415.4, filed on 03/20/2024 in Germany.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 04/16/2025 has been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 06/05/2025 is acceptable.
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 1, 3-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Van Dijke et al. [US 2017/0255237].
Regarding claim 1, Van Dijke et al. disclose a panel (9, figures 1-11) comprising:
a housing (10, figures 1-8) arranged on a back side of the panel (figures 1-8);
a first fastening claw (11, figures 1-7); and
a second fastening claw (11, figures 1-7),
wherein the first and second fastening claws are arranged on different sides of the housing or opposite each other on the housing (a plurality of fastening claws 11 mounted around the housing 10, figures 1-6),
wherein each of the first and second fastening claws comprise a first section (a portion having an elongated opening 38, figures 7 and 9) having an elongated opening (38, figures 7 and 9) or a slot, into which a fastening element (37, figures 5-7 and 9-10) extending from the housing engages,
wherein each of the first and second fastening claws comprises a second section (another portion which is connected to the first section, figures 7 and 9) which, in a first position (figures 5-6 and 10), rests against the housing and, in a second position (figures 7 and 11), rests against a back side of a structure that surrounds a cutout (figure 3) in which the panel is mounted,
wherein a first surface region (28, figure 8) in the housing is formed around each of the fastening elements with a second surface region (35, figure 8) adjoining the first surface region towards a housing center line (figure 8) or a housing center, and
wherein the second surface region forms a recess (figure 8) into which the first section at least partially dives when the second section, initially being in the first position, is pivoted (figure 8) away from the structure.
Regarding claim 3, Van Dijke et al. further disclose wherein each of the first surface regions comprise a hole (38, figures 8 and 11), wherein the fastening element is a screw (37, figure 11) is adapted to engage in the hole, wherein the screw loosely connects the fastening claw to the housing if the screw is not tightened, and wherein the fastening claw is fastened to the housing if the screw is tightened.
Regarding claim 4, Van Dijke et al. further disclose wherein the first surface region is a plane (figure 8), wherein the first section of the fastening claw has a plane surface segment around the elongated opening facing the housing, and wherein the plane surface segment abuts the first surface region if the fastening claw is fastened to the housing (figures 8 and 10).
Regarding claim 5, Van Dijke et al. further disclose wherein the second surface region is plane (figure 8), and wherein the plane surface segment abuts the second surface region if the fastening claw is loosely connected to the housing and the second section, initially being in the first position, is pivoted away from the structure as far as possible (figure 11).
Regarding claim 8, Van Dijke et al., disclose wherein each of the first and second fastening claws is made in one piece (11, figures 1-7).
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.
Claims 2 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Dijke et al., in view of EZAKI Shinji [WO 2022/153558].
Regarding claim 2, Van Dijke et al., disclose the claimed invention except for a touch-sensitive screen arranged on a front side of the panel.
EZAKI Shinji discloses a panel (2, figures 1-12), comprising a touch-sensitive screen (figure 1, see abstract) arranged on a front side of the panel.
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to set a touch-sensitive screen on a front side of a panel of Van Dijke et al., as suggested by EZAKI Shinji, in order to let users interact directly with a display panel without keyboard or mouse.
Regarding claim 9, Van Dijke et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein each of the first and second fastening claws is a punch-bent part.
EZAKI Shinji discloses a panel fixture (10, figures 1-9) comprising a plurality of claws (14, figures 2 and 7-9), each claw has a first fastening claw (141, figures 2 and 7-9) and a second fastening claw (142, figures 2 and 7-9), wherein each claw is formed a metal (see Docs). Therefore, each claw has a punch-bent part (figures 2 and 7-9).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use metal to make a claw in a panel structure of Van Dijke et al., as suggested by EZAKI Shinji , in order to provide resilient support for fixture brackets and claws.
Regarding claim 10, Van Dijke et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the first and second fastening claws are spring claws.
EZAKI Shinji further discloses each claw has a first fastening claw (141, figures 2 and 7-9) and a second fastening claw (142, figures 2 and 7-9), wherein each claw is formed a metal (see Docs). Therefore, each claw is spring claw(s) (figures 2 and 7-9).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use metal to make a claw in a panel structure of Van Dijke et al., as suggested by EZAKI Shinji , in order to improve resilient support for installation claws or fixture brackets.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Dijke et al., in view of JOO [US 2018/0255654].
Regarding claim 6, Van Dijke et al., disclose the claimed invention except for wherein the first section and the second section are angled to one another and enclose an angle of 90° with one another.
JOO discloses a bracket (300, figures 1-11) for fixing electronic device on a panel, wherein the bracket comprises a first section (311, figures 5-8) and a second section (312, figures 5-8), and wherein the first section and the second section are angled to one another and enclose an angle of 90° with one another.
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to set a second section being angled to a first section of a claw in a panel structure of Van Dijke et al., as suggested by JOO, in order to add extra supports to secure a screen on a panel.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Dijke et al., in view of Crawford et al. [US 2014/0120773].
Regarding claim 11, Van Dijke et al., disclose the claimed invention except for a system comprising a panel according to claim 1, and a wall or a door, wherein a structure is formed by the wall or a door leaf of the door.
Crawford et al., disclose a system (100, figures 1-6) comprising at least one display panel (102, figures 1-4), wherein the display panel is mounted on a door (122, figures 1-4, see abstract).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to mount a panel of Van Dijke et al., as suggested by Crawford et al., in order to save floor and desk space and provide important information at eye level for clear reading on a wall and/or door.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claim 7 discloses the combination features of “wherein the second section is U-shaped, and wherein each of the fastening claws comprises a third section extending between the legs of the U-shaped second section from its base and forming a V-shaped projection configured to snap rearwardly behind an edge of the structure when the panel is inserted into the cutout to temporarily fix the panel in a mounting position.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 6 and 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Grote et al. [US 4,673,149] disclose loudspeaker mounting system; and
Montie et al.[US 8,291,763] disclose push-in-snap mounting bracket for gauge.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
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