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 .
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 November 14 of 2025, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's preliminary amendment, filed concurrently with the instant application on November 14 of 2025, has been entered. Claims 1, 3-, 13 and 14 have been amended. Claims 2 and 12 have been cancelled. No claim has been added. Claims 1, 3-11, 13 and 14 are still pending in this application, with only claims 1 and 11 being independent.
Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. If a satisfactory title is not supplied by the applicant, the examiner may, at the time of allowance, change the title by an examiner’s amendment, per MPEP 606.01. Any changes to claim scope at time of allowance may also result in an additional title amendment.
At this time, the following title is suggested: Luminaire having Light Engine with Quick-Disconnect Structure
Abstract
Applicant is reminded of the proper content, language and format of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. In certain patents, particularly those for compounds and compositions, wherein the process for making and/or the use thereof are not obvious, the abstract should set forth a process for making and/or use thereof. If the new technical disclosure involves modifications or alternatives, the abstract should mention by way of example the preferred modification or alternative.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words. The form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as "means" and "said," should be avoided. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, "The disclosure concerns," "The disclosure defined by this invention," "The disclosure describes," etc.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following:
(1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation;
(2) if an article, its method of making;
(3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use;
(4) if a mixture, its ingredients;
(5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of apparatus should not be given.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it uses phrases which could be implied, uses form or legal phraseology often found in patent claims, and fails to concisely describe the subject matter of applicant’s invention. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The Examiner respectfully suggests amending the originally filed abstract as indicated below.
ABSTRACT. An apparatus includes a driver with a light engine interface disposed on a surface of a printed circuit board (PCB)defining a hole[[; and]], and having a retaining ledge disposed at a periphery, a light engine connector a top surface of the substrate[[;]], and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on [[the]a rear surface of the substratea side surface of the substrate. The plurality of LEDs is electrically connected to the light engine connector, and to the driver when the light engine connector is coupled to the light engine interface through the hole. The[[, the]] plurality of clips are configured to by resisting an inward lateral force
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “205b” has been used to designate both a clip having a protruding distal square portion (see Figure 2A), and a lower portion of substrate 205 (see Figure 2B). In addition, note reference character “207”, used to designate both a clip having a protruding distal square portion (see Figure 2A) and having a distal end not having a protruding portion (see Figure 2C).
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "205b" and "207" have both been used to designate a clip having a protruding distal square portion (see Figure 2A).
The applicant is advised that the reference characters must be properly applied, with no single reference character being used for two different parts or for a given part and a modification of such part. See MPEP §608.01(g).
Applicant is further advised that this action only exemplifies the objections to the drawings, applicant' s cooperation is requested in correcting all the occurrences of the cited, or any other errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because it includes grammatical, syntax, and/or typographical errors. Appropriate correction is required to place the claims in proper form for allowance (see proposed claim amendment, below).
Proposed Claim Amendments
The Examiner respectfully suggests amending the claims as indicated below. The applicant is advised that, if the proposed amendments are accepted, all claims must be carefully reviewed to reflect and/or accommodate the new language.
CLAIM 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tip is configured to exert an outward lateral force resisting the inward lateral force.
Claim Rejections Based on Prior Art
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SKERGETH et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,378,746) in view of QUE et al (U.S. Pat. 8,882,332).
Regarding independent claim 1, SKERGETH et al. discloses an apparatus (as seen in Figure 4) including a driver 6 (as seen in Figure 4) having a printed circuit board (PCB) 61 (as seen in Figure 4) with top and rear surfaces (as seen in Figure 4), and a light engine interface 62 (as seen in Figure 4) disposed on the rear surface of the PCB 61 (as seen in Figure 4); a housing 2 (as seen in Figure 4) having a hole 34 (as seen in Figure 8), and a retaining ledge 221/222 (as seen in Figure 4) disposed at a periphery of the housing 2 (as seen in Figure 4); a light engine 4 (as seen in Figure 4) having a substrate 43 (as seen in Figure 4) with top, rear and a side surfaces (as seen in Figure 4), a light engine connector 42 (as seen in Figure 4) disposed on the top surface of the substrate 43 (as seen in Figure 4), a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 5 (as seen in Figure 4) disposed on the rear surface of the substrate 43 (as seen in Figure 4), wherein the plurality of LEDs 5 is electrically connected to the light engine connector 42 (as seen in Figure 4), and wherein the light engine connector 42 and/or the light engine interface 62 protrude through the hole 34 and are electrically connected to each other (see lines 38-43 of column 4, as evidenced by Figure 4). SKERGERTH et al. further discloses the light engine 4 held in the housing 2 by mechanical fastening means 45 (as seen in Figure 4), such as magnets, springs, or latches (see lines 44-52 of column 4).
SKERGETH et al. fails to explicitly disclose the mechanical fastening means 45 being a plurality of clips disposed on the side surface of the substrate 43, the plurality of clips configured to resist an inward lateral force.
However, QUE et al. an apparatus 1 (as seen in Figure 1) including a driver circuit board 30 (as seen in Figure 1) having a light engine interface 31 (as seen in Figure 1); a light engine 20 having a substrate (as seen in Figure 4) with a top surface (top surface of element 20, as seen in Figure 4), a rear surface (surface of element 20 opposite element 21, as seen in Figure 4), a side surface 22 (as seen in Figure 4), a plurality of clips 24 disposed on the side surface 22 (as seen in Figure 4), a plurality of light emitting diodes 21 (as seen in Figure 4), and a light engine connector 25 (as seen in Figure 4); and a housing 10 (as seen in Figure 1) configured to receive the light engine 20 (as seen in Figure 1). The plurality of clips 24 are configured to resist an inward lateral force to fasten the light engine 20 to the housing 10 (as seen in Figure 3). The housing 10 further includes a retaining ledge 12 (as seen in Figure 1) disposed at a periphery of the housing 10 (as seen in Figure 1), and an opening 11 (as seen in Figure 1) configured to allow the light engine interface 31 to electrically connect to the light engine connector 25 (as seen in Figure 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to simply substitute the known clips 24 of QUE et al. for the mechanical fastening means 45 in the patented apparatus of SKERGETH et al., to obtain the predictable result of toollessly reversibly releasably fasten the substrate 43 to the housing 2 (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Regarding dependent claim 3, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with QUE et al. further disclosing at least one of the plurality of clips 24 including a curved portion 242 (as seen in Figure 4) and a tip 244 (as seen in Figure 4).
Regarding dependent claim 4, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with QUE et al. further disclosing the tip 244 configured to exert an outward lateral resisting the inward lateral force (as evidenced by Figure 3).
Regarding dependent claim 5, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with SKERGERTH et al. further disclosing the retaining ledge 12 includes protrusions 124 (as seen in Figure 3), and wherein the plurality of clips 24 is engaged with the protrusions 124 (as seen in Figure 3).
Regarding dependent claim 6, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with QUE et al. further disclosing the plurality of clips 24 provides an outward force (as evidenced by Figure 3), and the protrusions 124 provide an inward force (as evidenced by Figure 3), and the protrusions 124 are below the plurality of clips 24 (as evidenced by Figure 3).
Regarding dependent claim 7, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with SKERGETH et al. further disclosing the driver 6 further including connection means on the PCB 61 configured to receive power and to provide at least some of the power to the plurality of LEDs 5 through the light engine interface 62 and the light engine connector 42 (inherent, as such connections means are required to provide power to the disclosed device).
SKERGETH et al. fails to disclose the connection means being specifically a block connector.
However, the examiner takes Official Notice of the use and advantages of block connectors, specifically for connecting illumination devices to power sources, are old and well known in the illumination art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to simply include a known block connector in the patented apparatus of SKERGETH et al., as previously modified by QUE et al., to obtain the predictable result of enabling the apparatus to be connected to a power source. (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Regarding dependent claim 8, SKERGETH et al. discloses, or suggests in combination with QUE et al., all the limitations of the claim (as previously detailed), with SKERGETH et al. further disclosing interconnecting illumination apparatuses together.
SKERGETH et al. fails to explicitly disclose the driver 6 including a socket disposed on the PCB 61, the socket configured to electrically connect the apparatus with another electronic device.
However, the examiner takes Official Notice of the use and advantages of sockets, specifically for interconnecting electronic devices, are old and well known in the illumination art.
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to simply include a known socket in the PCB 61 in the patented apparatus of SKERGETH et al., as previously modified by QUE et al., to obtain the predictable result of enabling the apparatus to be connected to additional electronic devices. (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bailey (U.S. Pat. 6,764,196), McKechnie et al. (U.S. Pat. 7,614,771), Malstrom et al. (U.S. Pat. 7,682,043), Sivertsen (U.S. Pat. 8,011,794), Kim et al. (U.S. Pat. 8,231,258), Fukushima et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2013/0229802), Wasserman et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,018,343), Lauck et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2020/0232613), Hou et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2020/0400297), Budavari et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,876,716), and May (U.S. Pat. 11,441,758) disclose illumination devices including a driver module with a first connector, a light emitting element having a second connector configured to be coupled to the first connector to electrically interconnect the driver module with the light emitting element, and a housing member including means for securely receiving the light emitting element. Some devices further disclose additional connection means for connecting the devices to other electronic devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 10 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.
Claims 11, 13 and 14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Applicant teaches an illumination apparatus including a driver having a printed circuit board (PCB) and a light engine interface; a housing having a hole and a retaining ledge; a light engine having a plurality of clips and a light engine connector; and a surge protector electrically coupled to the driver and light engine, wherein the light engine connector and/or the light engine interface protrude through the hole and are electrically connected to each other, and the plurality of clips fasten the light engine to the housing. A method of assembling the illumination apparatus into a luminaire is also taught.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ISMAEL NEGRON whose telephone number is (571)272-2376. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk Lee, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/ISMAEL NEGRON/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights