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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-5, 7-10, 13-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Noh (7,331,687).
With respect to claim 1, Noh teaches a light fixture (Fig. 3) comprising: a first housing (100) configured to support a first light source (105) and having a first end (131); a second housing (100) configured to support a second light source (105) and having a second end (130); a male connector (134) extending from one of the first or second end and corresponding in shape to an inner perimeter profile of the one of the first or second end of the first or second housing (Figs. 2-4), the male connector having an outer surface defining at least one groove or rib (Fig. 4) substantially parallel to the one of the first or second end (Fig. 4); and a female connector (135) defined in the other of the first or second end (Figs. 2-4), the female connector having an inner surface defining the other of the at least one groove or rib substantially parallel to the other of the first or second end (Figs. 2-4), wherein when the male connector is received by the female connector, the at least one rib slidingly engages at least partially within the at least one groove such that the outer surface of the male connector overlaps and is directly adjacent the inner surface of the female connector coupling the first end of the first housing to the second end of the second housing (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 2, Noh teaches wherein the at least one groove and the at least one rib include corresponding detents (136).
As for claim 3, Noh teaches wherein the male connector has a substantially U-shaped body, the at least one groove or rib disposed on all three sides of the outer surface of the substantially U-shaped body (Fig. 4).
As for claim 4, Noh teaches wherein the detents are disposed on opposing side members of the substantially U-shaped body (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 5, Noh teaches wherein the male connector defines a longitudinal axis (long axis along 132a), the female connector transversely slidable relative to the longitudinal axis to engage the male connector (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 7, Noh teaches wherein the male connector includes the at least one groove disposed proximate an end of the male connector, the end of the male connector including a reduced outer profile section configured to allow a portion of the at least one rib of the female connector to axially slide relative to the end of the male connector so as to at least partially receive the at least one rib within the at least one groove (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 8, Noh teaches wherein the male connector is a discrete component and is coupled to the first or second end of the first or second housing (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 9, Noh teaches a light fixture (Fig. 3) comprising: two or more housings (100) configured to support a light source (105), a first housing and a second housing of the two or more housings each having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end defining a female (135) connector having an inner surface including at least one rib (136) substantially parallel to the first end and the second end (Figs. 2-4); and at least one male (134) connector having a body corresponding in shape to an inner perimeter profile of the two or more housings with a first end and an opposite second end defining a longitudinal axis (Figs. 2-4), the first end and the second end of the body symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis and the first end and the second end of the body having an outer surface defining at least one groove (inside 132a is reasonably interpreted as a groove) extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (Figs. 2-4), wherein the at least one male connector is configured to couple the first housing and the second housing together along the longitudinal axis such that an outer perimeter profile of the two or more housings align (Figs. 2-4), and wherein when the first end of the body is received by the second end of the first housing, the at least one rib of the second end of the first housing slidingly engages at least partially within the at least one groove of the first end of the body such that the outer surface of the first end of the body overlaps and is directly adjacent the inner surface of the second end of the first housing (Figs. 2-4), and when the second end of the body is received by the first end of the second housing, the at least one rib of the first end of the second housing slidingly engages at least at least partially within the at least one groove of the second end of the body such that the outer surface of the second end of the body overlaps and is directly adjacent the inner surface of the first end of the second housing (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 10, Noh teaches wherein the at least one groove and the at least one rib include corresponding detents (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 13, Noh teaches further comprising an end cap, the end cap including a second male connector having an outer surface defining at least one groove extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, wherein when the second male connector is received by the first end of the first housing, the at least one rib of the first end of the first housing slidingly engages at least partially within the at least one groove of the second male connector such that the outer surface of the second male connector overlaps and is directly adjacent the inner surface of the first end of the first housing (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 14, Noh teaches wherein at least one of the first end or second end of the body includes an axial recess disposed partially around the outer surface, the axial recess in communication with the at least one groove such that at least a portion of the at least one rib of the female connector is configured to axially slide along the longitudinal axis through the axial recess when being received within the at least one groove (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 15, Noh teaches wherein the second end of the first housing and the first end of the second housing abut each other at a joint disposed at a longitudinal midpoint of the at least one male connector, the male at least one connector extending completely around the joint at the inner surface (Figs. 2-4).
As for claim 16, Noh teaches further comprising a substrate (110) having the light source (105), wherein the substrate is disposed within the first housing and elongated along the longitudinal axis, the substrate extending at least partially within the at least one male connector (Fig. 4).
As for claims 17 and 20, Noh teaches all of the claimed elements, which are assembled as claimed, thus the method is inherently taught.
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 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noh in view of Lavin et al. (2023/0051946).
With respect to claim 19, Noh teaches all of the claimed elements, as is discussed above, except for explicitly teaching wherein the sliding engagement of the first housing and the second housing occurs in an orthogonal transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis (claim 19).
As for claim 19, Lavin also drawn to light fixtures, teaches wherein the sliding engagement of the first housing and the second housing occurs in an orthogonal transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis (Figs. 9-11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to use the directional engagement of Lavin in the light fixture of Noh, in order to provide greater freedom during assembly (Figs. 9-11 of Lavin).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 11, 12, and 18 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.
With respect to claim 6, the prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the male connector defines a longitudinal axis, the male connector axially extending from the one of the first or second end of the first or second housing a distance that is at least three times greater than an axial width of the at least one groove or rib; along with the other limiting elements of claims 1 and 6.
As for claims 11 and 12, the prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the at least one male connector includes at least one spring pin extending from the first end of the body, the at least one spring pin engaging an inner extrusion profile feature of the first housing; along with the other limiting elements of claims 9 and 11.
As for claim 18, the prior art does not teach or suggest further comprising securing the male connector to the second end of the first housing via engaging at least one spring pin with an inner extrusion profile feature of the first housing; along with the other limiting elements of claims 17 and 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Verdes et al. (9,028,096); see: Figs. 1-2
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/WILLIAM J CARTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 6/27/2026
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