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 filed July 31, 2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. There is no copy provided for Cite No. A114: Exhibit 1022. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 2-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 2 recites “the second coupler of the top panel” in line 1. However, claim 1 recites “the top panel comprising a first coupler” and “the housing comprising a second coupler.” It is unclear whether “the second coupler of the top panel” is referring to the first coupler of the top panel, the second coupler of the housing, or is adding a new second coupler to the top panel in addition to the first coupler.
Claims 2-7 recite “The storage unit of claim 1” in line 1. However, claim 1 is directed to “a method of using a storage unit.” Thus, it is unclear if claims 2-7 are method claims or apparatus claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 8-20 are allowed. Claims 2-7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the closest art of record, WO 2019/150370 to Brunner et al. discloses a method of using a storage unit comprising securing a panel to a structure, and coupling a coupler of the housing on a lateral surface to a coupler of the top panel such that the storage unit is supported from the structure (see Figs. 4A-4B). However, Brunner does not disclose reversibly mechanically coupling a top panel to a housing, the top panel defining a top surface that faces away from the storage compartment when the top panel is in a closed position, reversibly mechanically decoupling the top panel from the housing, and securing that same top panel to a structure as claimed. It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brunner to perform these steps without hindsight.
Regarding claim 8, Brunner discloses a method of using a storage unit comprising: reversibly mechanically coupling a lid (plate 130, Fig. 5) to a housing of a storage unit (crate 20, Fig. 1A; p. 12, ll. 25-30), wherein the housing (crate 20) and the lid (plate 130) collectively define a storage compartment (p. 12, ll. 25-30), the lid (plate 130) defining an upper surface (top surface of plate 130 when mounted to a ceiling, see p. 12, ll. 25-30) that faces away from the storage compartment (see p. 12, ll. 25-30) when the lid (plate 130) is coupled to the housing (crate 20) in a closed position (see p. 12, ll. 25-30), the lid (plate 130) comprising a first coupler (see Fig. 5), the housing comprising a second coupler (see e.g., p. 9, ll. 11-29). However, Brunner does not disclose securing the lid to a structure surface of a structure such that the upper surface of the lid faces away from the structure surface. It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brunner to perform these steps without hindsight.
Regarding claim 17, Brunner discloses a method of using a storage unit comprising securing a top panel to a structure (see Figs. 4A-4B), the top panel (plate 130, Fig. 5) defining a first surface that defines a first female coupler (female coupling members 122, Fig. 5; p. 12, ll. 4-15), coupling a housing (crate 20) to the top panel (plate 130, see Figs. 4A-4B), the housing (crate 20) defining a lateral surface and a lower surface (see Fig. 1C), the housing comprising a first male coupler (male coupling member 102, Fig. 1D) on the lateral surface (see Fig. 1D) and a second male coupler (male coupling member 112, Fig. 1C) on the lower surface (see Fig. 1C), wherein coupling the housing (crate 20) to the top panel (plate 130) comprises coupling the first female coupler to one of the first or second male couplers (see Figs. 4A-4B). However, Brunner does not disclose decoupling the housing from the top panel, and reversibly mechanically coupling the top panel to the housing such that the first surface of the top panel faces away from the lower surface of the housing to define a storage compartment as claimed. It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brunner to perform these steps without hindsight.
Claims 2-7, 9-16, and 18-20 would be allowable based on their dependence from claims 1, 8, and 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
WO 2019/028041 to Squiers et al. discloses a method of using a storage unit, comprising securing a panel with a first female coupler to a structure, and coupling a male coupler of a housing to the panel (see e.g., Fig. 88; paras. [00173], [00211]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA E. PARKER whose telephone number is (571)272-6014. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST.
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/LAURA E. PARKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733
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