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 .
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed December 12, 2025. The application has been updated accordingly.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 23, 2025 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 4-16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hetrich (2017/0252591).
Hetrich discloses:
Claim 1: A self-retracting device comprising:
a housing assembly (Fig. 1; 12) comprising a first housing cover (Fig. 5; 30) removably connectable to a second housing cover (Fig. 5; 28);
a rotatable hub (Fig. 5; 14) received within the interior of the housing assembly and having a line (Fig. 5; 46) associated therewith;
a retraction member (Fig. 5; 20) received within the interior of the housing assembly between the rotatable hub and the first housing cover; and
an axle (Fig. 5; 16) having a first end (Fig. 17; 60) fixedly but removably connected to the first housing cover (Para. [0068]), a body extending through the retraction member and the rotatable hub (Fig. 4; 16 is depicted as extending through 20 and 14), and a second end (Fig. 17; see detail),
wherein the second end of the axle has a diameter greater than an adjacent diameter of the body of the axle (Fig. 17; 16 is depicted as having an end with a diameter greater than the body of the axle – see detail), thereby forming a shoulder on the second end (Fig. 17; see detail), the shoulder configured to engage with the rotatable hub (Fig. 4; the shoulder is in engagement with 14 via 76 depicted in Fig. 14).
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Claim 4: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder is configured (Fig. 17; see detail) for engaging an outer surface of the rotatable hub (Para. [0068]).
Claim 5: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the axle is contained entirely within the interior of the housing assembly when the first housing cover is connected to the second housing cover such that the axle is not accessible from the outside of the housing assembly (Fig. 4; 16 is depicted as contained within the interior of 28 and 30).
Claim 6: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the axle is received within a pocket (Fig. 4; see detail) of the second housing cover (Fig. 4; 28) when the second housing cover is connected to the first housing cover (Fig. 4; 30).
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Claim 7: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the first housing cover is removably connectable to the second housing cover by one or more fasteners (Fig. 4; 32, Para. [0066]), clips, adhesive, or any combination thereof.
Claim 8: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the line has a first end directly or indirectly connected to the rotatable hub (Fig. 5; Para. [0067]) and a second end opposite the first end and extending out of the housing assembly (Fig. 5; 48, Para. [0067]).
Claim 9: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the retraction member biases the rotatable hub in a first rotational direction (Para. [0065]).
Claim 10: The self-retracting device according to claim 9, wherein the rotatable hub is configured to:
retract the line into the interior of the housing assembly by winding the line onto the rotatable hub when the rotatable hub moves in the first rotational direction (Para. [0065]); and
(ii) pay out the line from the interior of the housing assembly by unwinding from the rotatable hub when the rotatable hub moves in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction (Para. [0065]).
Claim 11: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the retraction member is a power spring (Para. [0074]).
Claim 12: The self-retracting device according to claim 11, wherein the power spring comprises a first end fixed relative to the housing assembly (Fig. 5; 120, Para. [0074]) and a second end secured directly or indirectly to the rotatable hub (Fig. 5; 122, Para. [0074]).
Claim 13: The self-retracting device according to claim 1, further comprising a brake assembly (Fig. 5; 18) configured to prevent rotation of the rotatable hub upon activation of the brake assembly (Fig. 5; 18, Para. [0069]).
Claim 14: The self-retracting device according to claim 13, wherein the brake assembly comprises a speed-sensitive mechanism having an activated position and a non-activated position (Fig. 5; 80, Para. [0069]).
Claim 15: The self-retracting device according to claim 14, wherein the speed-sensitive mechanism is rotatable in conjunction with the rotatable hub and is configured to transition from the non-activated position to the activated position upon a predetermined rotation speed of the rotatable hub (Fig. 5; 80, Para. [0069]).
Claim 16: A self-retracting device comprising:
a housing assembly (Fig. 1; 12) comprising a first housing cover (Fig. 5; 30) removably connectable to a second housing cover (Fig. 5; 28);
a rotatable hub (Fig. 5; 14) and a retraction member (Fig. 5; 20) received within an interior of the housing assembly (Fig. 5; 14 and 20 are depicted within 28 and 30); and
an axle (Fig. 5; 16) having a first end (Fig. 17; 60) fixedly but removably connected to the first housing cover (Para. [0068]) and a second end (Fig. 17; see detail),
wherein the second end of the axle has a diameter greater than an adjacent diameter of the body of the axle (Fig. 17; 16 is depicted as having an end with a diameter greater than the body of the axle – see detail), thereby forming a shoulder on the second end, the shoulder configured to engage with the rotatable hub (Fig. 4; the shoulder is in engagement with 14 via 76 depicted in Fig. 14),
wherein the rotatable hub and the retraction member are captured between the second end of the axle and the first housing cover (Fig. 4; 14 and 20 are depicted as captured between 62 and 30).
Claim 18: The self-retracting device according to claim 16, wherein the shoulder is configured for engaging an outer surface of the rotatable hub (Fig. 17; see detail).
Claim 19: The self-retracting device according to claim 16, wherein the second end of the axle is received within a pocket (Fig. 4; see detail) of the second housing cover (Fig. 4; 28) when the second housing cover is connected to the first housing cover (Fig. 4; 30).
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 2-3, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hetrich (2017/0252591) in view of Wang (5,074,483).
Claim 2: Hetrich discloses the self-retracting device according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the axle has first threads at the first end configured for threadably engaging with second threads on the first housing cover.
However, Wang discloses first (Fig. 4; 23) and second (Fig. 4; 15) threads.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Hetrich to include the threaded axle and receiving threaded housing, as taught by Wang, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow the axle to be integrally connected to the housing, providing additional stability.
Claim 3: Wang discloses the self-retracting device according to claim 2, wherein the second threads are defined on an insert non-removably connected to the first housing cover (Col. 1, Lines 64-68).
Claim 17: Hetrich discloses the self-retracting device according to claim 16, but fails to disclose wherein the first end of the axle is threadably connected to the first housing cover.
However, Wang discloses an axle first end (Fig. 4; end of 23 nearest 5) threadably engaged with a cover (Fig. 4; at 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Hetrich to include the threaded axle and receiving threaded housing, as taught by Wang, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow the axle to be integrally connected to the housing, providing additional stability.
Claim 20: Hetrich discloses the self-retracting device according to claim 16, but fails to disclose wherein the first end of the axle is connected to the first housing cover by one of a threaded connection, a rivet head on a terminal end of the first end, a cap threadably connected to the first end, a locking clip connected to a recess or an opening in the first end, or a movable locking tab on the first end in engagement with a locking lip on the first housing cover.
However, Wang discloses an axle first end (Fig. 4; end of 23 nearest 5) threadably engaged with a cover (Fig. 4; at 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Hetrich to include the threaded axle and receiving threaded housing, as taught by Wang, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow the axle to be integrally connected to the housing, providing additional stability.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's remarks filed December 12, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The amended claims on December 12, 2025 do not get around the current rejection of independent claims 1 and 16. During the interview on December 11, 2025 it was suggested that the applicant clarify the amended language from July 11, 2025 and provide more structure in defining the shoulder and the diameter of the axle. The current amendments are lacking in sufficient additional structure; therefore, the claim language is still considered broad.
In considering potential amendments the applicant should keep in mind that language like “an end” and “an adjacent diameter” can be broadly interpreted.
For at least these reasons applicant’s remarks are not found persuasive and the claims remain rejected as advanced above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kathleen M. McFarland whose telephone number is (571)272-9139. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kathleen M. McFarland/Examiner, Art Unit 3635
Kathleen M. McFarland
Examiner
Art Unit 3635
/BRIAN D MATTEI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3635