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 .
Response to Amendment
Examiner acknowledges the reply filed on 4/04/2026 in which claims 1-6, 8-12 and 15-16 have been amended. Claims 17-18 have been added. Currently claims 1-18 are pending for examination in this application.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 3 recites “each bed”. This should read “each bed of the at least three beds”.
Claim 9 recites “support member can stand stable”. This should read “support member are configured to stand stable”.
Claim 10 recites “with circular circumference”. This should read “with a circular circumference”.
Claim 16 recites “the at least one of two support members”. This should read “the at least one of the two support members”.
Claim 17 recites “each support member” in line 3. This should read “each support member of the at least three support members”.
Claim 17 recites “for each of the support members” in line 6. This should read “for each of the at least three support members”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: The specification fails to provide proper antecedent basis for “support member”.
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 1-18 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.
Claim 1 recites “a respective support member” and subsequently recites “at least one of support members”, making it unclear if a respective support member is part of the two support members.
Claims 2-16 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 1.
Claim 4 recites “the support member” in the last part of the claim. It is unclear which support member applicant is referring to.
Claim 5 refers to “the first and second support member”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for this claimed limitation.
Claim 6 recites “the at least two holder arms”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for this claimed limitation. Claim 4 is where at least two holder arms are introduced, however claim 5 from which claim 6 depends does not have antecedent basis for this claimed limitation.
Claims 7-8 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 6.
Claim 9 refers to “the first and second support member”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for this claimed limitation.
Claim 10 refers to “the first and second support member”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for this claimed limitation.
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected as being. In claim 11 and 12 the third holder element/support member comprises two beds or one bed making it unclear if these are additional beds to those recited in claim 1.
Claim 16 recites “attached to the support members”. It is unclear if applicant is referring to all of the support members or just a subset.
Claim 17 recites “a first and a second support member” and “a third support member”. It is unclear if these members are additional support members or if the at least three support members previously recited in the claim comprise the first, second and third support members.
Claim 17 refers to “the beds” in line 12, line 13 and line 14. It is unclear if this is referring to all of the beds, or just a subset.
Claim 18 refers to “the beds” in line 6, line 7 and lines 12-14. It is unclear if this is referring to all of the beds, or just a subset.
Claim 18 states that “each bed configured to…and extending along a longitudinal axis”. It is unclear if each bed extends along the same longitudinal axis or if each bed has its own longitudinal axis.
Claim 18 recites “a first and a second support member” and “a third support member”. It is unclear if these are in addition to the previously recited “at least three support members”.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 17 recites “the bed and the support member are formed as a single integral structure”. There is no support for this in the originally filed disclosure.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/04/2026 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s representative asserts that “support member” does not invoke 112f. The examiner agrees and the 112f interpretation is not invoked in the instant claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Cannon (US 4721060).
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/VICTORIA MURPHY/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3785
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