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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/14/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the positioning slots provided in bottoms of the two outer sides of the light cylinder and the positioning slots provided in a top of the fastening component of Claim 1, the bolt connecting the bottom of the mounting plate with the connecting plate of Claim 1, the positioning latches used in conjunction with the positioning slots of Claim 1, the lens inlaid at an inner wall of the clamping ring of Claim 3, the socket used in conjunction with the luminous body provided in one end of an inner wall of the light reflection cup of Claim 3, and the two gaps used in conjunction with the positioning clamping blocks formed between sides of the locking edge and sides of the progressive edge must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 2 recites the phrasing “a drive”. The drive is understood by the examiner to be a driver. Appropriate correction is required.
Applications filed after March 15th 2013
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 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.
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 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bailey et al. (US 2016/0348861) in view of Xu et al. (CN 220038386; please see attached translation for reference to pages).
With regards to Claim 1, Bailey et al. discloses a recessed downlight with a modular design, comprising a light cylinder [2], wherein an inner wall of the light cylinder [2] is connected with a mounting plate [10] (see paragraph 13 and Figure 1); a drive [3] is mounted at a top of the mounting plate [10] (see paragraph 18 and Figures 1 and 2); a top of the inner wall of the light cylinder [2] is clamped with a sealing plate [8] (see paragraph 14 and Figures 1 and 2); a conductive cable [13] is mounted at a top of the drive [3] (see paragraph 11 and Figures 1 and 2); a top of the conductive cable [13] penetrates through the sealing plate [8] (see paragraph 14 and Figures 1 and 2); bottoms of two outer sides of the light cylinder [2] are jointly connected with a fastening component (comprising the component including portion [24], see paragraph 6 and Figure 1); positioning slots (comprising the slots [29] and slots associated with portion [30], see paragraphs 26 and 30 and Figures 1-3) are provided in bottoms of the two outer sides of the light cylinder [2] and a top of the fastening component [24] (see paragraphs 26 and 30 and Figures 1 and 3); a bottom of the mounting plate [10] is connected with a connecting plate [5] (see paragraph 25); a luminous body [4] is mounted in a center of a top of the connecting plate [5] in a penetrating manner (see paragraph 25 and Figures 1 and 2; the luminous body [4] is a light source, thereby substantially being luminous, and is disposed in an indented region of the top of the connecting plate [5], thereby substantially being mounted in a center of a top of the connecting plate [5] in a penetrating manner); a clamping ring [7] is arranged at a bottom of the inner wall of the light cylinder [2] (see paragraphs 28 and 30 and Figures 1 and 2; the ring [7] is a twist and lock mechanism for secure retention of the reflection cup [6] on the light cylinder [2], thereby ring [7] substantially clamp the reflection cup [6] with the light cylinder [2]), an outer side of the clamping ring [7] is connected with a positioning latch [30] used in conjunction with the positioning slots (see paragraph 30 and Figures 1-3); a top of the clamping ring [7] is connected with a light reflection cup [6] (see paragraphs 28 and 30 and Figures 1 and 2); a lampshade [35] (see paragraph 11 and Figure 4).
Bailey et al. does not explicitly disclose a top of the conductive cable is connected with a conductive plug. However, Bailey et al. does disclose the conductive cable [13] bring mains electricity power into the light cylinder [2] (see Bailey et al. paragraph 11), and the conductive cable [13] is routed through opening [14] penetrating the sealing plate [8] to electrically connect with the drive [3] (see Bailey et al. paragraph 14 and Figures 1 and 2) for powering the light source (see Bailey et al. paragraph 18). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to form the conductive cable of Bailey et al. to include a plug at a top thereof in order to electrically connect the drive with a mains electrical power supply such as a building electrical grid, to power the light source. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the top of the conductive cable of Bailey et al. to be connected with a conductive plug. One would have been motivated to do so in order to electrically connect the drive with a mains electrical power supply such as a building electrical grid, to power the light source (see Bailey et al. paragraphs 11, 14, and 18).
Bailey et al. does not explicitly disclose two outer sides of the clamping ring are connected with positioning latches used in conjunction with the positioning slots. However, Bailey et al. does disclose an outer side of the clamping ring [7] has connected with a positioning latch [30] (see Bailey et al. paragraph 30 and Figure 1), and the positioning latch [30] is used as part of a twist and lock mechanism in conjunction with at least one positioning slot (see Bailey et al. paragraph 30 and Figures 1-3). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to provide a plurality of the positioning latches such that the latches are disposed on two outer sides of the clamping ring in order to provide a more secure attachment. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the clamping ring of Bailey et al. such that two outer sides of the clamping ring are connected with positioning latches used in conjunction with the positioning slots. One would have been motivated to do so in order to provide a more secure attachment between the clamping ring and light cylinder.
Bailey et al. does not explicitly disclose the bottom of the mounting plate is connected with the connecting plate through a bolt. However, Bailey et al. does disclose a bottom of the mounting plate [10] is connected with a connecting plate [5] using screws or other fasteners (see Bailey et al. paragraph 25), and acknowledges use of a fastener such as clips, screws, bolts, or clamps to affix components of the downlight (see Bailey et al. paragraph 26). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to utilize a bolt to connect the bottom of the mounting plate with the connecting plate since using a bolt as a secure fastener would have flown naturally to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connection of the mounting plate with the connecting plate of Bailey et al. to such that the bottom of the mounting plate is connected with the connecting plate through a bolt. One would have been motivated to do so in order to utilize a secure fastener.
Bailey et al. does not explicitly disclose the lampshade sleeves the fastening component; and tops of two ends of an inner wall of the lampshade are connected with positioning clamping blocks.
Xu et al. teaches the lampshade [15] sleeves the fastening component [31] (see Figures 5 and 7); and tops of two ends of an inner wall of the lampshade [15] are connected with positioning clamping blocks [153] (see bottom of page 5 and Figure 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the recessed downlight of Bailey et al. such that the lampshade sleeves the fastening component; and tops of two ends of an inner wall of the lampshade are connected with positioning clamping blocks, as taught by Xu et al. One would have been motivated to do so in order to tightly affix the components of the recessed downlight (see Xu et al. bottom of page 5).
With regards to Claim 3, Bailey et al. and Xu et al. disclose the recessed downlight as discussed above with regards to Claim 1.
Bailey et al. further discloses a lens [27] is inlaid at an inner wall of the clamping ring [7] (see paragraph 29 and Figure 2); and a socket used in conjunction with the luminous body [4] is provided in one end of an inner wall of the light reflection cup [6] (see paragraph 28 and Figures 1 and 2; an end of the light reflection cup [6] includes an opening into which the luminous body [4] is disposed to emit light thereinto, thereby substantially being a socket used in conjunction with the luminous body [4]).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bailey et al. (US 2016/0348861) as modified by Xu et al. (CN 220038386; please see attached translation for reference to pages), further in view of Clark (US 2015/0219331).
With regards to Claim 2, Bailey et al. and Xu et al. disclose the recessed downlight as discussed above with regards to Claim 1.
Bailey et al. does not disclose a plurality of heat dissipation slots are provided in two sides of a top of the sealing plate in a penetrating manner; and U-shaped strips are arranged on two sides of a bottom of the sealing plate and are located under the heat dissipation slots.
Clark teaches a plurality of heat dissipation slots (comprising the slots substantially formed by portions [160] protruding at an upper surface of the plate enclosing the downlight at an upper side of the downlight, see paragraph 18 and Figure 1) are provided in two sides of a top of the plate in a penetrating manner (see Figure 1); and U-shaped strips (comprising the strips formed by portions [162], see paragraph 19 and Figure 1) are arranged on two sides of a bottom of the plate and are located under the heat dissipation slots (see Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the sealing plate of Bailey et al. to include a plurality of heat dissipation slots are provided in two sides of a top of the sealing plate in a penetrating manner; and U-shaped strips are arranged on two sides of a bottom of the sealing plate and are located under the heat dissipation slots, as taught by Clark. One would have been motivated to do so in order to aid in heat dissipation from the light source (see Clark paragraph 17).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 5 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regards to Claim 4 and Claim 5, the prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest the fastening component comprises a locking edge and a progressive edge; the locking edge and the progressive edge are respectively located on two sides of the light cylinder; inner walls of both the locking edge and the progressive edge are connected to the light cylinder; and two gaps used in conjunction with the positioning clamping blocks are formed between sides of the locking edge and sides of the progressive edge, and the sides of the locking edge and the sides of the progressive edge are opposite, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim from which Claim 4 depends.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the prior art discussed in this action, the applicant is directed to form 892, and particularly the references Rashidi (US 8,641,243), which discloses at least a downlight including a light cylinder having a mounting plate, a driver disposed on an upper side thereof and a luminous body disposed on a lower plate thereof, a light reflection cup and a lamp shade connected to the light cylinder, and a sealing plate at a top of the light cylinder, and Pickard (US 2013/0010476), which discloses at least a downlight including a light cylinder with light reflection cup and lamp shade, a clamping ring, and a variety of connections therebetween for securely affixing the components of the downlight.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN KRYUKOVA whose telephone number is (571)272-3761. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a.m. - 4p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk (James) Lee can be reached at 5712727044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIN KRYUKOVA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875