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 .
This office action is responsive to the application filed 08/28/2025 which claims 1-10 have been presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/28/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “a second elastic member” which renders the claim indefinite because the claim fails to identify “a elastic member”. Therefore, the introduction of “a second elastic member” without the recitation of “a first elastic member” creates ambiguity since there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sui et al. (CN 219063190 U) (hereinafter referred to as Sui). (Note: Referenced will be made to the attached English translation of the Chinese document)
Regarding claim 1, Sui discloses a solar lamp comprising:
a solar module (10) and an illumination module (20) (see figs. 1, 2, and 4),
wherein the solar module (10) comprises a solar module housing (10), a solar panel (12), and a first contact member (30); the solar panel (12) is disposed on the solar module housing (10), the first contact member is disposed in the solar module housing (10), and the first contact member is electrically connected to the solar panel (12) (see figs. 2-5);
wherein the illumination module (20) comprises an illumination module housing (21) and an illumination lamp assembly (22); the illumination lamp assembly (22) is mounted in the illumination module housing (21), a second contact member (24) is provided at a top of the illumination module housing (20), and the second contact member is electrically connected to the illumination lamp assembly (see figs. 2 and 4); and
wherein the illumination module housing (21) and the solar module housing (10) are detachably connected, and when the illumination module housing (21) and the solar module housing (10) are connected, the first contact member (30) and the second contact member (24) abut against each other to form an electrical connection (see figs. 1, 2, and 4). (See also pages 4-6 of the English translated Chinese document)
Regarding claim 2, Sui further discloses wherein the solar module housing (10) comprises a first housing (17) and a second housing (16) snapped together, the solar panel (12) is mounted on an upper surface of the first housing (17), and the first contact member (30) is mounted in the second housing (16) (see figs. 4-6).
Regarding claim 3, Sui further discloses wherein the solar module (10) further comprises a clamping member (32), the second housing (16) is provided with a clamped portion (164) configured to engage the clamping member (32), a sliding slot is formed in the second housing, and an upper part of the clamping member (32) is slidably arranged in the sliding slot (see figs.4 and 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 9-10 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.
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 prior art of record, taken alone or in combination fails to teach, in conjunction with other claim limitations, the features recited in claims 4-10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see attached PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to APRIL A TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-2403. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday between 9am-6pm.
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/APRIL A TAYLOR/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876