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 § 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.
Claims 1-12 are 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 1 recites the limitation "the puzzle" in lines 7-8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is “the puzzle” meant to be “the puzzle notch”?
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the puzzle" in lines 7-8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is “the puzzle” meant to be “the puzzle notch”?
All remaining claims are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being dependent from a rejected base claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HO et al. (US 2022/0304490 A1).
Regarding claim 1, HO discloses a hanger assembly (10) comprising: a hanger body (12) including a receiver having a puzzle notch (16), and a puzzle hook (20) having a hook member (24), a hook stand platform (36), and a puzzle base portion (30; specifically note collar 40 on surface 32), wherein the hook member (24) extends upwardly from the hook stand platform (36) and the puzzle base portion (30) extends downwardly from the hook stand platform (36), and wherein the puzzle base portion (30; specifically 40 thereof) comprises a shape and dimensions complementary to the puzzle notch (16) of the receiver such that the puzzle base portion (30; specifically 40 thereof) is configured to interlock with the puzzle notch (16) to secure the puzzle hook (20) to the hanger body (12) (Figures 1-12).
Regarding claim 3, HO discloses wherein the puzzle base portion (30; specifically note collar 40 on surface 32) is sized and shaped to form- fit within the puzzle notch (16) of the receiver to establish a snap-fit engagement (note snap-fit engagement between tab 50 and opening 48 when collar 40 is within notch 16) (Figures 1-12).
Regarding claim 4, HO discloses a locking crown (22) comprising a sleeve-like body (42) having a continuous peripheral wall structure formed by opposed longitudinal and lateral walls, the locking crown (22) configured to secure the puzzle base portion (30) to the receiver (16) to prevent detachment therebetween, and wherein the continuous peripheral wall structure (specifically, note 44, 48) is configured to snap-fit over an interface (note 50) defined by the receiver (16) and the puzzle base portion (30; note collar 40) (Figures 1-12).
Claim(s) 1, 3 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FILDAN (US 5,573,151).
Regarding claim 1, FILDAN discloses a hanger assembly comprising: a hanger body (206) (406) including a receiver having a puzzle notch (240) (440), and a puzzle hook (500) (500’) (500’’) having a hook member (503) (503’) (503’’), a hook stand platform (506; noting bottom edge 506a thereof), and a puzzle base portion (502), wherein the hook member (503) (503’) (503’’) extends upwardly from the hook stand platform (506) and the puzzle base portion (502) extends downwardly from the hook stand platform (506), and wherein the puzzle base portion (502) comprises a shape and dimensions complementary to the puzzle notch (240) (440) of the receiver such that the puzzle base portion (502) is configured to interlock with the puzzle notch (240) (440) to secure the puzzle hook to the hanger body (Figures 1-16c).
Regarding claim 3, FILDAN discloses wherein the puzzle base portion (502) is sized and shaped to form-fit within the puzzle notch (240) (440) of the receiver to establish a snap-fit engagement (specifically note elements 470, 471 and 462) (Figures 7, 8, 13, 14 and 16a-16c).
Regarding claim 7, FILDAN discloses wherein the hanger body (206) (406) includes a crossbar (200) having a first end that includers a first clip (207) and an opposite second end that includes a second clip (208) (Fig. 1).
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BARKER et al. (US 2024/0148175 A1). Please note that the effective filing date for the claimed invention is 5/11/2026, the filling date of this application, because the features that the applicant is claiming are not disclosed within 18/785,427 nor 63/637,131.
Regarding claim 1, BARKER discloses a hanger assembly (200) comprising: a hanger body (210) including a receiver (214) having a puzzle notch (212), and a puzzle hook (101) having a hook member (103), a hook stand platform (105E), and a puzzle base portion (105C, 105G), wherein the hook member (103) extends upwardly from the hook stand platform (105E) and the puzzle base portion (105C, 105G) extends downwardly from the hook stand platform (105E), and wherein the puzzle base portion (specifically note 105G thereof) comprises a shape and dimensions complementary to the puzzle notch (212) of the receiver (214) such that the puzzle base portion (105G thereof) is configured to interlock with the puzzle notch (212) to secure the puzzle hook (101) to the hanger body (210) (Figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 2, BARKER discloses wherein the receiver (214) includes at least one recess (215) disposed along an upper edge thereof, wherein the at least one recess and the hook stand platform (105E) cooperatively define an aperture (note the additional aperture below the recess as shown in figure 2A) when the upper edge of the receiver (214) is engaged with a bottom surface of the hook stand platform (105E) (Figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 3, BARKER discloses wherein the puzzle base portion (specifically note 105G thereof) is sized and shaped to functionally form-fit within the puzzle notch (212) of the receiver (214) to establish a snap-fit engagement (Figures 1-3).
Claim(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MACKENZIE (US 11,134,804 B2).
Regarding claim 1, MACKENZIE discloses a hanger assembly comprising: a hanger body (1) including a receiver (center portion of body 1) having a puzzle notch (5), and a puzzle hook (2, 4) having a hook member (portion of 2 above “A” of bracket 4; Fig. 6), a hook stand platform (“A” of bracket 4), and a puzzle base portion (portion of 2, including 6, below “A” of bracket 4; Figures 5 and 6), wherein the hook member extends upwardly from the hook stand platform (“A” of bracket 4) and the puzzle base portion extends downwardly from the hook stand platform, and wherein the puzzle base portion comprises a shape and dimensions complementary to the puzzle notch (5) of the receiver such that the puzzle base portion is configured to interlock with the puzzle to secure the puzzle hook (2, 4) to the hanger body (1) (Figures 1-11).
Regarding claim 6, MACKENZIE discloses wherein the puzzle base portion (portion of 2, including 6, below “A” of bracket 4; Figures 5 and 6) comprises a widened distal end (6) that is wider than a neck portion (above 6), and wherein the puzzle notch (5) comprises an interior cavity that is wider than an opening thereof (shown in figure 2), such that the puzzle base portion is captured within the puzzle notch to prevent vertical withdrawal of the puzzle hook from the receiver (Figures 1-11).
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(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHONG (US 2014/0246464 A1) in view of HO et al. (US 2022/0304490 A1).
Regarding claim 1, ZHONG discloses a hanger assembly (10) comprising: a hanger body (1) including a receiver (11) having a puzzle notch (“wedging groove”), and a puzzle hook (2) having a hook member (upper portion of 2) and a puzzle base portion (21), and wherein the puzzle base portion (21) comprises a shape and dimensions complementary to the puzzle notch ( “wedging groove”) of the receiver (11) such that the puzzle base portion is configured to interlock with the puzzle notch to secure the puzzle hook (2) to the hanger body (1) (Figures 1 and 3). However, ZHONG fails to disclose the puzzle hook comprising a hook stand platform.
HO discloses a hanger assembly (10) comprising a puzzle hook (20) having a hook member (24), a hook stand platform (36), and a puzzle base portion (30), wherein the hook member (24) extends upwardly from the hook stand platform (36) and the puzzle base portion (30) extends downwardly from the hook stand platform (36) in order to help stabilize the hook when connected with the hanger body (Figures 3-10). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have provided the puzzle hook of ZHONG with a hook stand platform, in light of the teachings of HO, in order to help stabilize the hook when connected with the hanger body.
Regarding claim 6, ZHONG discloses wherein the puzzle base portion (21) comprises a widened distal end that is wider than a neck portion, and wherein the puzzle notch (“wedging groove” of 11) comprises an interior cavity that is wider than an opening thereof, such that the puzzle base portion (21) is captured within the puzzle notch (“wedging groove” of 11) to prevent vertical withdrawal of the puzzle hook from the receiver (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 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.
Claims 8-12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record, as cited on attached PTO-892, and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note that GOULDSON (US 2010/0019002 A1) discloses a hanger assembly (100) wherein an indicator (110) fits over a connection (132, bottom of hook 124) between a hanger body (140) and hook (124) wherein the indicator (110) comprises features (122, 122) that snap-fit into recesses (145, 145) of the hanger body (Figures 1-3B)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN E DURHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8642. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alissa J Tompkins can be reached at 571-272-3425. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
NED
/NATHAN E DURHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3732
Prosecution Insights