DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to applicant’s amendment received on 11/05/2025. Amended claims 1, 4-5 and 9 are acknowledged. Claims 1-5, 7-12, 14, 16-17, 19 and 21-24 are pending. Claims 6, 13, 15, 18 and 20 are cancelled. Claims 10-12, 14, 16-17 and 19 remain withdrawn from consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b).
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first upper stepped surface horizontally aligned with the first lower stepped surface and the second upper stepped surface horizontally aligned with the first lower stepped surface must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 1. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-5, 7-9 and 21-24 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.
Regarding claim 1, in lines 11-16, it is unclear how the first upper stepped surface is horizontally aligned with the first lower stepped surface (of 130) and how the second upper stepped surface is horizontally aligned with the second lower stepped surface (of 135). There is no reference in the instant specification regarding any of the upper (exterior) stepped surfaces being horizontally aligned with the respective lower (interior) stepped surfaces (of 130 and 135). Further, the drawings do not show that the respective first and second upper and lower stepped surfaces are horizontally aligned. See also the Drawings objection above.
For the purpose of this examination, the claim has been interpreted to mean, in lines 11-16:
-a first upper stepped surface arranged horizontally and spaced from the top surface by a third distance; and
a second upper stepped surface arranged horizontally and spaced from the top surface by a fourth distance, the fourth distance being greater than the third distance;--
Regarding claims 2-5, 7-9 and 21-24, the claims are rejected by virtue of their dependency on claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
As best understood, claims 1-5, 7-9 and 21-24 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.
Response to Arguments
The rejection of claims 4-5 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as set forth in the Office Action of 11/19/2025, are withdrawn in light of the amendments.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO A HINCAPIE SERNA whose telephone number is (571)272-6018. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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/GUSTAVO A HINCAPIE SERNA/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JENNA M MARONEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763