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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 09/22/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 08/25/2025 has been entered. In the present application, claims 46-64 are currently pending. Claims 1-45 and 65 have been canceled. Claims 46-64 are examined below. Claims 46, 52, and 61-62 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, dated 08/25/2025, regarding the pending claims have been considered. Applicant has amended the independent claims with newly added limitations. Such newly added limitations change the scope of the claims and renders the rejections previously identified in the final office action dated 06/20/2025 moot. Therefore, the rejections within the final office action dated 06/20/2025 have been withdrawn.
However, upon further search and consideration, a new ground of rejection is made below. Please see section 35 U.S.C. §103 below for further explanation.
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 46-49 and 51-64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beaupre et al. (US12004799) hereinafter Beaupre, in view of Irion et al. (US8613699) hereinafter Irion.
Regarding Claim 46, Beaupre discloses a surgical device comprising:
an elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) configured to be guided via an access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86);
a housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94) mechanically coupled to the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92), the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) extending distal from the housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94);
an electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) having an opening (Beaupre: Fig. 3 center opening of instrument connector 50 where elongated shaft 92 resides) wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) is configured to at least partially surround the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92),
wherein the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) is configured to extend through and longitudinally translate through the opening (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 center opening of instrument connector 50 where elongated shaft 92 resides) in the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50);
wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) is configured to transition between a connected state (Beaupre: Fig. 2 mated engagement [col. 2 lines 50-57] “In FIG. 2 , the signal interface adapter and instrument connector are in mating engagement, with the shaft of the surgical instrument fully extended into the trocar cannula.”) and a disconnected state (Fig. 1 unmated engagement), the connected state (Beaupre: Fig. 2 mated engagement [col. 2 lines 50-57]) including the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) electrically and mechanically connected (Beaupre: [col. 6 lines 13-33]) to a complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) of the access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86), the disconnected state (Beaupre: Fig. 1 unmated engagement) including the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) electrically and mechanically disconnected (Beaupre: Fig. 3, [col. 6 lines 13-33]) from the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12);
one or more electrical interconnects (Beaupre: Figs. 1-5 instrument cable 52) electrically and mechanically attached to the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) and within the housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94, [col. 11 lines 29-57]), the one or more electrical interconnects (Beaupre: Figs. 1-5 instrument cable 52) configured to transmit or receive an electrical signal (Beaupre: [col. 10 line 38 -col. 11 line7) from or provide the electrical signal to the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50); and
Beaupre is silent whether further comprising a shroud having a proximal end and an opposing distal end and configured to transition the electrical port between the connected state and the disconnected state as the elongated shaft longitudinally translates out of the opening, the shroud situated around the elongated shaft, the shroud configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects, the proximal end of the shroud attached to the housing outside of the one or more electrical interconnects, and the distal end of the shroud attached to the electrical port outside of the one or more electrical interconnects.
However Irion, in the same field of endeavor teaches, a shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) having a proximal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 26 and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 22) and an opposing distal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 16, and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 48) and configured to transition the electrical port (Irion: Fig. 5 near handle 50) between the connected state (Irion: Figs. 4-5, when handling element 12 is mated to transfer station 18) and the disconnected state (Irion: Fig. 1, when handling element 12 is NOT mated to transfer station 18) as the elongated shaft (Irion: Fig. 5 cable 52) longitudinally translates out of the opening (Irion: Fig. 1 opening near operating par 20), the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) situated around the elongated shaft (Irion: Fig. 5 cable 52), the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”), the proximal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 26 and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 22) of the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) attached to the housing (Irion: Fig. 1 near operating part 20) outside of the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 is designed in this exemplary embodiment as a handle 50, connected to a cable 52. The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”), and the distal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 16, and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 48) of the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) attached to the electrical port (Irion: Fig. 5 near handle 50) outside of the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Beaupre with the teachings of Irion to further comprising a shroud having a proximal end and an opposing distal end and configured to transition the electrical port between the connected state and the disconnected state as the elongated shaft longitudinally translates out of the opening, the shroud situated around the elongated shaft, the shroud configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects, the proximal end of the shroud attached to the housing outside of the one or more electrical interconnects, and the distal end of the shroud attached to the electrical port outside of the one or more electrical interconnects for the benefit of having “a device for the sterile sheathing of a sterilization-sensitive operating part of the abovementioned type to the effect that connecting the medical instrument to the sterilization-sensitive operating part and sheathing the sterilization-sensitive operating part can be done easily by one person, one-handed if possible, without any danger of a contamination of the sterilization-sensitive operating part” (Irion: [col. 2 lines 16-23]).
Regarding Claim 47, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 46, wherein the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) is rotatable (Irion: Fig. 4 arrow) around the elongated shaft (Irion: Fig. 5 cable 52).
Regarding Claim 48, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 46, wherein the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) is collapsible (Irion: Figs. 1-5)
Regarding Claim 49, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 48, wherein the one or more electrical interconnects include electrical wires (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 is designed in this exemplary embodiment as a handle 50, connected to a cable 52. The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”) and the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) completely surrounds a portion of the electrical wires (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59]) and outside of the housing (Irion: Fig. 1 near operating part 20)
Regarding Claim 51, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 46, wherein the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) is attached to the electrical port (Irion: Fig. 5 near handle 50) outside of the electrical interconnects (Irion: Fig. 5 [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 is designed in this exemplary embodiment as a handle 50, connected to a cable 52. The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”).
Regarding Claim 52, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 46, wherein the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) is mechanically coupled to or integrally formed with the access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86).
Regarding Claim 53, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 52, wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) is configured to break an electrical and mechanical contact with the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) during removal of (Beaupre: [col. 10 lines 1-13] “The instrument connector (50) is slidingly mounted on the elongate shaft (92) of a powered surgical instrument (90) that extends distally away from the instrument body (94) (also commonly referred to as the instrument handle).”) the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) from the opening (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 opening within instrument connector 50).
Regarding Claim 54, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 52, wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) has a keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5) configured to mate with the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12).
Regarding Claim 55, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 54, wherein the keyed surface includes at least one of a magnet or a contoured surface configured to align the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) with the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12, [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8] “As also seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 , a pair of opposite polarity magnetic regions, e.g., from magnets (20N, 20S), are provided on signal interface adapter (12) adjacent the proximal face (18) thereof. Similarly, a pair of opposite polarity magnetic regions, e.g., from magnets (58N, 58S), are provided on instrument connector (50) adjacent the distal face (56) thereof. Although the opposite polarity magnetic regions can be arranged at any of a variety of circumferentially spaced-apart locations on the interface adapter (12) and instrument connector (50), in the embodiment shown the magnets of each component (12, 50) of the interface system are located 180 degrees apart (i.e., on opposite sides of the central aperture), with the orientation of their polarities reversed. Such an arrangement maximizes magnetically induced rotational torque on the instrument connector (50) during mating engagement of the two components (12, 50). Although a single magnet can be used on each component (12, 50), with the magnets arranged to provide magnetic fields of opposite polarity, the use of two magnets arranged to provide magnetic fields of opposite polarity adjacent the mating face of each component not only increases the magnetic forces that pull the components into alignment, but also helps to ensure that the instrument connector (50) cannot be advanced towards the interface adapter (12) in such a way that the magnetic forces are unable to pull the components (12, 50) into proper, mating engagement.”).
Regarding Claim 56, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 55, wherein the keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) includes the contoured surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5) and the contoured surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5) includes one or more bumps (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 pogo pins 26A-C), depressions, grooves (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 islands 64A-B, or a combination thereof.
Regarding Claim 57, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 55, wherein the keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) includes the contoured surface and the contoured surface reduces a number of orientations in which the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) and the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) can mate (Beaupre: [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8]).
Regarding Claim 58, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 57, wherein the number of orientations in which the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) and the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) can mate is two (Beaupre: [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8]).
Regarding Claim 59, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 58, wherein the keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) further includes the magnet (Beaupre: [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8]).
Regarding Claim 60, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 59, wherein the magnet further reduces the number of orientations in which the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) and the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) can mate to one (Beaupre: [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8]).
Regarding Claim 61, Beaupre discloses a surgical device comprising:
an access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86) including a complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12);
an elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) configured to be guided via the access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86);
a housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94) mechanically coupled to the elongated shaft (Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92), the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) extending distal from the housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94);
an electrical port (Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) including an opening wherein the electrical is configured to at least partially surround the elongated shaft (Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92),
wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) has a keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) configured to mate with a corresponding keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) of the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) and wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) is configured to transition between a connected state (Beaupre: Fig. 2 mated engagement [col. 2 lines 50-57] “In FIG. 2 , the signal interface adapter and instrument connector are in mating engagement, with the shaft of the surgical instrument fully extended into the trocar cannula.”) and a disconnected state (Beaupre: Fig. 1 unmated engagement), the connected state (Beaupre: Fig. 2 mated engagement [col. 2 lines 50-57]) including the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) electrically and mechanically connected to a complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) of the access stabilizer (Beaupre: Fig. 3 trocar cannula housing 86), the disconnected state (Beaupre: Fig. 1 unmated engagement) including the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) electrically and mechanically disconnected from the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12);
wherein the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) is configured to extend through and longitudinally translate through the opening (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 opening within instrument connector 50) in the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50),
one or more electrical interconnects (Beaupre: Figs. 1-5 instrument cable 52) electrically and mechanically attached to the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) and within the housing (Beaupre: Figs. 1-3 instrument body 94, [col. 11 lines 29-57]), the one or more electrical interconnects (Beaupre: Figs. 1-5 instrument cable 52) configured to transmit or receive an electrical signal (Beaupre: [col. 10 line 38 -col. 11 line7) from or provide the electrical signal to the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50); and
Beaupre is silent whether further comprising a shroud having a proximal end and an opposing distal end and configured to transition the electrical port between the connected state and the disconnected state as the elongated shaft longitudinally translates out of the opening, the shroud situated around the elongated shaft, the shroud configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects, the proximal end of the shroud attached to the housing outside of the one or more electrical interconnects, and the distal end of the shroud attached to the electrical port outside of the one or more electrical interconnects.
However Irion, in the same field of endeavor teaches, a shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) having a proximal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 26 and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 22) and an opposing distal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 16, and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 48) and configured to transition the electrical port (Irion: Fig. 5 near handle 50) between the connected state (Irion: Figs. 4-5, when handling element 12 is mated to transfer station 18) and the disconnected state (Irion: Fig. 1, when handling element 12 is NOT mated to transfer station 18) as the elongated shaft (Irion: Fig. 5 cable 52) longitudinally translates out of the opening (Irion: Fig. 1 opening near operating par 20), the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) situated around the elongated shaft (Irion: Fig. 5 cable 52), the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”), the proximal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 26 and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 22) of the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) attached to the housing (Irion: Fig. 1 near operating part 20) outside of the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59] “The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 is designed in this exemplary embodiment as a handle 50, connected to a cable 52. The sterilization-sensitive operating part 20 contains sensitive electronic components and an integrated lighting unit with LEDs or respectively fibre optics, not illustrated here.”), and the distal end (Irion: Fig. 1 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 16, and in Fig. 5 portion of hose 14 near reference numeral 48) of the shroud (Irion: Figs. 1-5 sterile hose 14) attached to the electrical port (Irion: Fig. 5 near handle 50) outside of the one or more electrical interconnects (Irion: [col. 6 lines 54-59]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Beaupre with the teachings of Irion to further comprising a shroud having a proximal end and an opposing distal end and configured to transition the electrical port between the connected state and the disconnected state as the elongated shaft longitudinally translates out of the opening, the shroud situated around the elongated shaft, the shroud configured to surround the one or more electrical interconnects, the proximal end of the shroud attached to the housing outside of the one or more electrical interconnects, and the distal end of the shroud attached to the electrical port outside of the one or more electrical interconnects for the benefit of having “a device for the sterile sheathing of a sterilization-sensitive operating part of the abovementioned type to the effect that connecting the medical instrument to the sterilization-sensitive operating part and sheathing the sterilization-sensitive operating part can be done easily by one person, one-handed if possible, without any danger of a contamination of the sterilization-sensitive operating part” (Irion: [col. 2 lines 16-23]).
Regarding Claim 62, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical system of claim 61, wherein the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) is configured to break an electrical and mechanical contact with the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12) during removal of (Beaupre: [col. 10 lines 1-13] “The instrument connector (50) is slidingly mounted on the elongate shaft (92) of a powered surgical instrument (90) that extends distally away from the instrument body (94) (also commonly referred to as the instrument handle).”) the elongated shaft (Beaupre: Fig. 1 elongated shaft 92) from the opening (Figs. 1-2 opening within instrument connector 50).
Regarding Claim 63, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical system of claim 61, wherein the keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) includes at least one of a magnet or a contoured surface configured to align the electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 1-2 instrument connector 50) with the complementary electrical port (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 signal interface adapter 12, [col. 12 line 39 – col. 13 line 8] “As also seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 , a pair of opposite polarity magnetic regions, e.g., from magnets (20N, 20S), are provided on signal interface adapter (12) adjacent the proximal face (18) thereof. Similarly, a pair of opposite polarity magnetic regions, e.g., from magnets (58N, 58S), are provided on instrument connector (50) adjacent the distal face (56) thereof. Although the opposite polarity magnetic regions can be arranged at any of a variety of circumferentially spaced-apart locations on the interface adapter (12) and instrument connector (50), in the embodiment shown the magnets of each component (12, 50) of the interface system are located 180 degrees apart (i.e., on opposite sides of the central aperture), with the orientation of their polarities reversed. Such an arrangement maximizes magnetically induced rotational torque on the instrument connector (50) during mating engagement of the two components (12, 50). Although a single magnet can be used on each component (12, 50), with the magnets arranged to provide magnetic fields of opposite polarity, the use of two magnets arranged to provide magnetic fields of opposite polarity adjacent the mating face of each component not only increases the magnetic forces that pull the components into alignment, but also helps to ensure that the instrument connector (50) cannot be advanced towards the interface adapter (12) in such a way that the magnetic forces are unable to pull the components (12, 50) into proper, mating engagement.”).
Regarding Claim 64, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical system of claim 61, Beaupre continues to disclose wherein the keyed surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 the surface between components 12 and 50) includes the contoured surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5) and the contoured surface (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5) includes one or more bumps (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 pogo pins 26A-C), depressions, grooves (Beaupre: Figs. 3-5 islands 64A-B), or a combination thereof.
Claim 50 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beaupre et al. (US12004799) hereinafter Beaupre, in view of Irion et al. (US8613699) hereinafter Irion, in view of Yabe et al. (US5924977) hereinafter Yabe.
Regarding Claim 50, Beaupre in view of Irion teach the surgical device of claim 46 but are silent as to wherein the shroud includes fabric, polymer, wire, fiber, or a combination thereof.
However Yabe in the same field of endeavor, teach wherein the shroud (Yabe: over cover 149) includes fabric, polymer, wire, fiber, or a combination thereof (Yabe: [col. 15 lines 1-23] “…The outer cover 149 is made of a transparent Synthetic resin sheet having a thickness Smaller than 0.5 mm and having good water proof and expansion properties. For instance, the Outer cover 149 may be made of inexpensive PVC.”) (Yabe: [col. 15 lines 1-23] “…The outer cover 149 is made of a transparent Synthetic resin sheet having a thickness Smaller than 0.5 mm and having good water proof and expansion properties. For instance, the Outer cover 149 may be made of inexpensive PVC.”)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Beaupre in view of Irion with the teachings of Yabe wherein the shroud includes fabric, polymer, wire, fiber, or a combination thereof for the benefit of the shroud being water proof (Yabe: [col. 15 lines 1-23]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Jaworek et al. (US8647261);
Hershey et al. (US2008/0145815);
Perkins (US5496259);
Lafferty et al. (5301657); and
Steve Livneh (US2015/0100053)
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