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 .
Preliminary amendments
The preliminary amendment filed 02/21/2025 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/21/2025 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 § 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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grandi (EP 3428360 A1 Hereinafter Grandi) in view of Bergman et al. (US 9,927,081 Hereinafter Bergman).
Regarding claim 1, Grandi discloses a track-lighting system comprising:
(i) an elongated power track (10, Fig. 1D, Paragraph 0032) extending in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis (X, Paragraph 0032, Fig. 1D), wherein the elongated power track comprises:
a tubular profile (C-shaped beam 10, Fig. 1D, Paragraph 0033) extending in said longitudinal direction, wherein the tubular profile comprises an inner surface (110', 120', 140', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0037, 0050), an outer surface (110", 120", Fig. 2, Paragraph 0037), and a slot (bottom opening of compartment 14, Fig. 2, Paragraph 0035) extending in said longitudinal direction, wherein the inner surface is accessible through said slot (Paragraph 0035);
an inner track (conductive guide rail 41', Fig. 3A-B, Paragraph 0068) arranged on said inner surface (upper wall 13 of compartment 14, Paragraph 0093) and extending in said longitudinal direction;
an outer track (connection elements 16 / female seats 16', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038) arranged on said outer surface (110", 120", Fig. 2) and extending in said longitudinal direction;
(ii) a lighting device (40, Fig. 1E, Paragraph 0035);
wherein the lighting device comprises an inner track-connector (adapter 43, Fig. 3, Paragraph 0088) configured to connect the lighting device mechanically and electrically to said inner track (Paragraph 0068, 0090, 0096), and wherein said inner track is configured to connect said lighting device mechanically and electrically to said elongated power track (Paragraph 0068, 0093, and 0096);
(iii) a panel (20, Fig. 2, Paragraph 0030);
wherein the panel comprises an outer track-connector (male elements 26', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038) configured to connect the panel mechanically to said outer track (Paragraph 0042), and wherein said outer track is configured to connect said panel mechanically and electrically to said elongated power track.
Grandi fails to teach that the outer track is configured to connect said panel electrically to said elongated power track.
Bergman teaches a panel (lighting module 17, Fig. 1) comprising an outer track-connector (grooves 33 and electrical contacts 25, 27, Fig. 10) configured to connect the panel mechanically and electrically to the track (conductive strips 13, 15, Fig. 1), wherein the track is configured to connect said panel mechanically and electrically to the elongated power track (Fig. 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the electrical outer-track connection of Grandi as taught by Bergman, in order to power a lighting or other electrical panel hung on the outer grooves of the beam rather than only supporting a passive ceiling tile.
Regarding claim 2, Grandi fails to teach the outer track-connector is configured to connect the panel mechanically and electrically to said outer track.
Bergman teaches the outer track-connector is configured to connect the panel mechanically and electrically to said outer track (grooves 33 and contacts 25, 27, Fig. 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the electrically contacting outer track-connector of Grandi as taught by Bergman, in order to feed power into the panel through the same mechanical grip that holds it on the beam.
Regarding claim 3, Grandi discloses the lighting device and the panel are located within a same plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when connected to the elongated power track (panels 20 flushed with lower edges 1100", 1200" of the beam, Paragraph 0024, 0047, claim 15; lighting device 40 in compartment 14 in that same plane, Fig. 2 and 3A).
Regarding claim 4, Grandi discloses the outer track comprises a groove embedded in the outer surface (female seats / guide rail 16' on outer surfaces 110", 120", Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038); and wherein the outer track-connector comprises a protrusion adapted to couple to the groove of the outer track (male elements 26', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038).
Bergman further teaches the outer track comprises a ridge protruding from the outer surface (ridges / U-legs / slider profile 34, Fig. 10); and wherein the outer track-connector comprises a guide adapted to couple to the ridge of the outer track (grooves 33, Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 5, Grandi discloses the outer track comprises a first outer track portion arranged along a first line on the outer surface (guide rail 16' on outer surface 110", Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038);
wherein the outer track comprises a second outer track portion arranged along a second line on the outer surface (guide rail 16' on outer surface 120", Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038);
wherein the first line and the second line are arranged on the outer surface on opposing sides of the tubular profile (outer surfaces 110", 120" of lateral walls 11, 12, Fig. 2, Paragraph 0037, 0038).
Regarding claim 6, Grandi discloses the first line and the second line are arranged on the same plane (main extension plane π of the false ceiling, Paragraph 0031, Fig. 2);
wherein said plane is perpendicular to the direction of gravity (false ceiling plane, Paragraph 0031, 0033).
Regarding claim 7, Grandi teaches the panel comprises at least one aperture (the void between 20 where 40 and 50 are located, Fig. 3A); wherein each aperture of the at least one aperture is aligned with at least part of the slot and configured to enable the inner track-connector of the lighting device to access the inner track (Fig. 3A and 3B).
Regarding claim 8, Grandi teaches the lighting device comprises a body (40, 47-49, and 50, Fig. 3A), wherein the body of the lighting device is at least partly arranged within an aperture of the at least one aperture (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 9, Grandi discloses the lighting device is a spotlight (LED spots 40', Paragraph 0067, 0069, Fig. 1E). Additionally while an individual LED is a spotlight Riesebosch teaches a spot light being used as well.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grandi (EP 3428360 A1 Hereinafter Grandi) in view of Bergman et al. (US 9,927,081 Hereinafter Bergman) and Riesebosch (US 8,858,051 Hereinafter Riesebosch).
Regarding claim 10, Grandi fails to teach the panel is a light guide plate and other limitations.
Bergman teaches the panel is a light guide plate (light guide base 20, Fig. 9, 13, 15), wherein the lighting device is in optical communication with the light guide plate (LEDs 35 in the rails couple into the LGP edge, Fig. 13); wherein the lighting device is configured to emit lighting device light (LEDs 35, Fig. 13); wherein the light guide plate comprises an incoupling surface (side faces 39/41, Fig. 13), an outcoupling surface (first and/or second side of the plate, Fig. 13, 15), and a light guide body (PMMA base 20, Fig. 9); wherein the light guide plate is configured to receive said lighting device light at the incoupling surface, to convey said lighting device light via the light guide body to the outcoupling surface, and to couple said lighting device light out of the outcoupling surface (scattering particles / slits 55, Fig. 15, 19).
Riesebosch also teaches the panel is a light guide plate (light guide 302 enclosing track 304, Fig. 3), wherein the lighting device is in optical communication with the light guide plate (LED 405 injecting into the track's light guide, Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the light guide plate panel of Grandi as taught by Bergman and Riesebosch, in order to turn the outer panel into a large-area luminaire that incouples light from the inner-track lighting device.
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grandi (EP 3428360 A1 Hereinafter Grandi) in view of Bergman et al. (US 9,927,081 Hereinafter Bergman) and Bartella et al. (US 11,536,422 Hereinafter Bartella).
Regarding claim 11, Grandi fails to teach the panel is an acoustic panel.
Bartella teaches the panel is an acoustic panel (810 and 840, Fig. 8; Column 9 lines 38-59).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the acoustic and light panel of Grandi as taught by Bartella, in order to add sound absorption to the same multifunctional beam that carries lighting and outer panels.
Regarding claim 12, Bartella teaches teach the acoustic panel is at least partly transparent for visible light (Column 9 lines 38-59).
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grandi (EP 3428360 A1 Hereinafter Grandi) in view of Bergman et al. (US 9,927,081 Hereinafter Bergman) and Sluis et al. (WO 2022/148665 A1 Hereinafter Sluis).
Regarding claim 13, Grandi fails to teach the panel is a lighting panel.
Sluis teaches the panel is a lighting panel (luminous panel 2 with LEDs 8, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the lighting panel of Grandi as taught by Sluis, in order to hang a large-area luminous panel on the outer track of the multifunctional beam.
Regarding claim 14, Sluis teaches the lighting panel comprises a solid-state light source (LEDs 8, Fig. 1), a reflector, a diffusor, and a lightguide in optical communication with said solid-state light source and arranged between the reflector and the diffuser (optional LGP + diffuser + reflector of luminous panel 2); or wherein the lighting panel comprises a light mixing chamber and a solid-state light source arranged within said light mixing chamber (cavity 107 with spotlight 109 and LEDs, Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the SSL / reflector / diffusor / lightguide lighting panel of Grandi as taught by Sluis, in order to build a conventional edge-lit or mixing-chamber lighting panel onto the outer track.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grandi (EP 3428360 A1 Hereinafter Grandi) in view of Sluis et al. (WO 2022/148665 A1 Hereinafter Sluis).
Regarding claim 15, Grandi discloses a lighting panel (20, Fig. 2) adapted to be connected to a track-lighting system according to claim 1 (beam 10, Fig. 2), wherein the lighting panel comprises:
an outer track-connector (male elements 26', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038) configured to connect the panel mechanically to an outer track of said track-lighting system (female seats 16', Fig. 2, Paragraph 0038);
an aperture (the space between 20s in Figs. 1D or 3);
wherein, when connected to said track-lighting system, the aperture is aligned with at least part of a slot of said track-lighting system (Fig. 1D), and wherein the aperture is configured to enable a lighting device (40 and 50, Fig. 1E) to access an inner track of said track-lighting system (Figs. 3A-3B).
Grandi fails to teach a solid-state light source for emitting lighting panel light.
Sluis teaches a solid-state light source for emitting lighting panel light (LEDs 8, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the lighting panel of Grandi as taught by Sluis, in order to have the hanging panel itself emit light.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Feldman (US 6739740) teaches a spotlight on a track.
Conclusion
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/ERIC T EIDE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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