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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 April 22, 2026 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 16-26 stand withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on October 11, 2024.
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 28-30 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.
In claim 28 applicant now recites that the crown, the two sidewalls, and the two beads delimit a toric interior cavity but later this is contradicted by reciting that the second fabric at least partially delimits a radially interior part of the toric interior cavity. Also in claim 28 applicant now recites a first subset of load-bearing filamentary elements connected to a portion of the tire in contact with the ground and a second subset of load-bearing filamentary elements connected to a portion of the tire not in contact with the ground, but it appears from the specification that in fact it is the same load-bearing filamentary elements 91 each having one end connected to a portion of the tire in contact with the ground and the other end connected to a portion of the tire not in contact with the ground.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 27 and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Published PCT Application WO 2017/103491 A1 cited by applicant (equivalent to US Patent Application Publication 2018/0361791 A1 cited by applicant).
See paragraph 7 of the Office action mailed October 22, 2025: exemplary count 55 tex within the claimed range of 8-210 tex, paragraph 0177.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Published PCT Application WO 2017/103491 A1 cited by applicant (equivalent to US Patent Application Publication 2018/0361791 A1 cited by applicant) in view of Published PCT Application WO 2019/092343 A1 cited by applicant.
These references are combined for the same reasons as set forth in paragraph 11 of the Office action mailed October 22, 2025 and in paragraph 8 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Adrienne C. Johnstone whose telephone number is (571)272-1218. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 1PM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Katelyn Smith can be reached at 571-270-5545. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ADRIENNE C. JOHNSTONE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1749
Adrienne Johnstone /ADRIENNE C. JOHNSTONE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1749 June 26, 2026
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