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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 07/17/2026 has been entered.
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) 1-7, 12-13, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,499 to Weir in view of U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,877 to Wallman et al.
Claim 1, Weir discloses a hammock stand comprising a connector defined by a ring 19; a horizontal support 5 attached to the connector at a first end; a leg junction attached to the horizontal support at a second end; the leg junction comprising: a plurality of legs 20, and an attachment port defined by a rope 28 being disposed below the horizontal support that is capable of receiving and supporting a side of a hammock (col. 2 lines 41-45). Weir is silent to the legs individually pivoting relative to a horizontal support. Wallman discloses legs 22 capable of being individually pivoted from a vertically perpendicular position to horizontally parallel position to a horizontal support 12 and capable of being selectively locked at the vertically perpendicular position or the horizontally parallel position (col. 3 lines 22-39). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the legs and locks in Wallman with the hammock stand of Weir with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have provided an improved portable hammock assembly extends from a compact collapsible configuration into an extended configuration that prevents their release by locking the legs in either an extended or retracted position (col. 1 lines 40-63).
Claim 2, Weir discloses the hammock stand wherein the plurality of legs are telescoping legs (col. 2 lines 28-31 & 39-40).
Claim 3, Weir discloses the hammock stand wherein the connector further connects to a roof rack of a vehicle defined by a strap 13.
Claims 4-5, Weir discloses the hammock stand wherein the horizontal support is comprised of a plurality of detachably connected sections (5,6,7,8)(col. 1 lines 45-55 & 1-4).
Claim 6, Weir discloses the hammock stand wherein the connector further comprises an attachment point 11 (fig. 2).
Claim 7, Wier discloses the hammock stand wherein a hammock is connectable to the attachment point at a first end and the rope at a second end (fig. 1).
Claim 8, Wier discloses the hammock stand wherein the attachment port is a bar disposed on the leg junction (fig. 5).
Claim 12, Wier, as modified, discloses the hammock stand wherein the leg junction of Brockman further comprises a pivot pin 26.
Claim 13, Wier discloses the hammock stand wherein the plurality of legs have openings capable of pivoting on the pivot (fig. 6).
Claim 20, Wier discloses the hammock stand wherein the connector further comprises a strap 13.
Claims 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,499 to Weir in view of U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,877 to Wallman et al., and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,012 to Westrich.
Claims 8-10, Wier discloses the hammock stand, but is silent to the attachment port is a ring defined by openings disposed on the leg junction. Westrich discloses a shroud 15 defining an attachment port having a plurality of apertures (20A,20AL) and a ring defined by chain (SM)(col. 5 lines 63-68 & 1-22). (fig. 7 & 9). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine shroud in Westrich with the hammock stand of Weir with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have provided an equivalent and alternative to attach the hammock to the horizontal support of Weir.
3. Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,499 to Weir in view of U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,877 to Wallman et al., and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 755,039 to Patten.
Claim 11, Wier discloses the hammock stand, but is silent to the connections system comprising a ball and socket. Patten discloses a hammock stand having a ball and socket connection (page 2 lines 37-91)(fig. 5). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the ball and socket connection disclosed in Yu with the hammock stand of Wier with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed greater freedom to adjust the hammock stand of Wier.
Claim(s) 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,499 to Weir in view of U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,877 to Wallman et al., and further in view of U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,577 to Murphey.
Claims 14-19, Weir discloses the hammock stand of claim 13, wherein the leg junction further comprises a lower lock pin 25 positioned away from the horizontal support, but is silent to a push lock or a plurality of push locks. Murphey discloses an upper and lower push locks 66 (fig. 4) (col. 4 lines 18-38). Selecting from a plethora of known locks is considered an obvious modification and it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the push lock in Murphey with the hammock stand of Wier with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed greater freedom to adjust the hammock stand of Wier.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,895 to Virtue discloses legs capable of being pivoted from parallel to vertical to a horizontal support member and locked.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,966 to Boudreau discloses legs capable of being individually pivoted from parallel to vertical to a horizontal support member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,064 to Coultrup et al. discloses legs capable of being
individually pivoted from parallel to vertical to a horizontal support member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FREDRICK C CONLEY whose telephone number is (571)272-7040. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.
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/FREDRICK C CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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