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 .
Examiner’s Comments
Claims 1, 4, 7, 14, and 18 have been amended by applicant. Claims 5-6 and 17 have been cancelled by applicant.
The 112b rejections remain for claims 9-11 as claim 9 has not been amended by applicant, and amended claim 1 has not been amended to overcome the 112b rejection.
Upon reconsideration of the patentability of the claims, the examiner has rejected claims 1-4, 7-16, and 18-20. This is a second action Non-Final Rejection.
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 9-11 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 9 recites ‘wherein one or more of the slats include a coupling block having an electrical contact that forms an electrical connection with the power rail as the coupling block rides along the rail of the first upright’. Claim 1 also recites ‘each slat including one or more coupling blocks corresponding to the one or more uprights’. This claim is considered indefinite because it is unclear if the coupling block recited in claim 9 is different from or part of the one or more coupling blocks recited in claim 1. The examiner suggests replacing ‘wherein one or more of the slats include a coupling block having an electrical contact that forms an electrical connection with the power rail as the coupling block rides along the rail of the first upright’ with ‘wherein a coupling block of the one or more coupling blocks having an electrical contact that forms an electrical connection with the power rail as the coupling block rides along the rail of the first upright’
Claims 10-11 are also rejected due to each of their dependencies on claim 9.
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 1-4, 7, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon (Korean Patent Publication No. KR102249103B1), in view of Thompson (U.S. Patent No. US6231482B1).
Regarding claim 1, Moon shows a rotating climbing wall (Moon, “A treadmill type rock climbing simulator… includes: a base part configured to be supported on the ground; a treadmill assembly part configured to rotate a segment unit provided with a hold; an angle adjustment part disposed on the base part and coupled to the treadmill assembly part to adjust the inclination of the treadmill assembly part”, page 1) comprising: a board assembly (Moon, treadmill frame unit 121, page 4) comprising: a frame assembly (Moon, plurality of guide units, page ) that includes one or more uprights (Moon, guide unit 124, page 4), each upright forming opposing rails (Moon, “For example, an accommodation space in which the second coupling part 123D is accommodated is provided inside the guide unit 124, and one side of the second coupling part 123D is supported by supporting the outer surface of the second coupling part 123D. A guide groove for guiding the movement may be provided. However, the guide unit 124 is not necessarily limited thereto, and may have various structures and shapes”, page 9; See FIGS. 3 and 6 below), the frame assembly also including one or more upper sprockets and one or more lower sprockets (Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”, page 5; The first driving pulleys 123, labeled in FIG. 4 below, shows at least one upper sprocket and at least one lower sprocket of the claimed invention); and a slat assembly (Moon, plurality of segment units 123, page 4) that includes a looped arrangement of slats (Moon, “a plurality of segment units 123 with various holds 123B attached to a vertical treadmill structure, and rotates in a loop structure to form a plurality of The segment unit 123 is continuously moved along a predetermined path”, page 4) that is coupled around the one or more upper sprockets and the one or more lower sprockets such that rotation of the one or more upper sprockets and the one or more lower sprockets cause the slat assembly to rotate (Moon, Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”), each slat including one or more coupling blocks (Moon, plurality of second coupling portions 123D, page 8, see FIG. 6 below) for coupling the slat to the one or more uprights (Moon, “the second coupling portion 123D may be coupled to the guide unit 124 disposed on the treadmill frame portion 121 to move along the inner surface of the guide unit 124 when the driving unit 122 is driven”, page 4).
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Although Moon discloses, in pages 5-6, ‘For example, the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12’ and ‘For example, the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the second driving pulley 122B22’, Moon fails to explicitly show the frame assembly further comprises one or more actuators for selectively increasing a distance between the respective one or more upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly, wherein the one or more actuators are coupled to the respective one or more lower sprockets and move the respective one or more lower sprockets relative to the respective one or more upper sprockets.
However, Thompson from the same field of endeavor, teaches one or more actuators for selectively increasing a distance between the respective one or more upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly (Thompson, “Horizontal axles 68, 70 are rotatabley supported by the side members adjacent the outer ends thereof. Axal 68 is driven by a drive motor 67 and gear assembly 69, while axal 70 is freely rotatable. Octagonal spindles 72, 74, 76, 78 disposed on the axles engage rotatably linked aluminum extruded panels 14 comprising a rotatable climbing surface 12… The distance between axles 70 and 68 is adjustable by means of adjustability in the location of bearings 80 supporting axle 70”, col. 5, lines 27-36, “Adjustment bolts 104 allow adjustment of the tension of the continuous belt-like rotating wall 106 formed by the rotatably linked panels 14”, col. 6, lines 18-20; The adjustment bolts of Thompson teach the one or more actuators of the claimed invention. The spindles of Thompson are comparable to the upper and lower sprockets to the identified sprockets of Moon in FIG. 4 of Moon above, and the rotatable climbing surface of Thompson is comparable to the plurality of segment units of Moon).
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It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the treadmill type rock climbing simulator of Moon to include the adjustment bolts and bearings of Thompson with the lower sprockets of Moon so that the identified lower sprockets of Thompson may adjusted in position relative to the identified upper sprockets of Thompson to adjust the tension of the rotating climbing surface of Thompson. This modification is obvious as Moon already discloses “the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12”, but fails to explicitly disclose components required to do so. Moreover, it would be obvious to incorporate the bearings and the adjustment bolts with the identified lower sprockets of Moon as the bearings and the adjustment bolts of Thompson is with the lowest spindle 72 of Thompson, which corresponds to the lower sprockets of Moon.
Regarding claim 2, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly includes at least three uprights (Moon, FIG. 3; Moon discloses 4 guide units thereby showing at least three uprights).
Regarding claim 3, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, wherein the frame assembly includes an upper tube and a lower tube to which the one or more uprights are coupled (Moon, “the second coupling portion 123D may be coupled to the guide unit 124 disposed on the treadmill frame portion 121 to move along the inner surface of the guide unit 124 when the driving unit 122 is driven”, page 8, “The drive unit 122 may include a motor 122A and a power transmission unit 122B… The power transmission unit 122B may include a first power transmission unit 122B1 and a second power transmission unit 122B2… The first power transmission unit 122B1 may include a first drive shaft 122B11, a first drive pulley 122B12, a first driven pulley 122B13, and a first chain unit 122B14”, pages 4-5, see FIGS. 3 and 4 below; In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the one or more uprights being coupled with an inner tube and a lower tube, Moon shows the drive unit, specifically the first drive pulley 122B12, attached to the frame, as well as each of the guide units 124 being attached to the frame. Therefore, the guide units are coupled to the first drive pulley with the frame. Each of the pulleys annotated below requires a shaft in order to rotate. The shaft of the pulley along the top of the frame therefore shows the upper tube of the claimed invention, and the shaft of the pulley along the bottom of the frame therefore shows the lower tube of the claimed invention).
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Regarding claim 4, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper sprockets comprise opposing upper sprockets (Moon, see annotated FIG. 4 below), the one or more lower sprockets comprise opposing lower sprockets (Moon, see annotated FIG. 4 below) and the one or more actuators comprise opposing actuators (Thompson, see annotated FIG. 9 below; In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim, the identified adjustment bolts teach the opposing actuators of the claimed invention).
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Regarding claim 7, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, wherein each coupling block has a channel (Moon, see FIG. 6 below) that rides along each rail of the opposing rails of the respective upright (Moon, “an accommodation space in which the second coupling part 123D is accommodated is provided inside the guide unit 124, and one side of the second coupling part 123D is supported by supporting the outer surface of the second coupling part 123D. A guide groove for guiding the movement may be provided”, page 9), and wherein each coupling block includes one or more retaining members (Moon, see FIG. 6 below) that overlap the rail when the channel rides along the rail (Moon, “the second coupling portion 123D may be coupled to the guide unit 124 disposed on the treadmill frame portion 121 to move along the inner surface of the guide unit 124 when the driving unit 122 is driven”, page 4, and “an accommodation space in which the second coupling part 123D is accommodated is provided inside the guide unit 124, and one side of the second coupling part 123D is supported by supporting the outer surface of the second coupling part 123D. A guide groove for guiding the movement may be provided. However, the guide unit 124 is not necessarily limited thereto, and may have various structures and shapes”, page 9).
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Regarding claim 12, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, further comprising: an upper sensor for detecting a position of a climber on the board assembly (Moon, “the motion detection unit 140 is disposed above the treadmill assembly unit 120 along the vertical direction of the treadmill type rock climbing simulation device 100, and the treadmill assembly unit 120 from the upper side to the lower side… the motion detection unit 140 detects the position, posture, and movement speed of the user moving on the treadmill assembly unit 120 from the upper side of the treadmill assembly unit 120 in real time, and transmits the signal to the control unit 150”, page 9; The motion detection unit of Moon shows the upper sensor of the claimed invention); and a power and control assembly for rotating the slat assembly based on the position of the climber (Moon, “That is, the treadmill type rock climbing simulation device 100 senses the user's position and speed through the motion detection unit 140 and controls the driving of the treadmill assembly unit 120 through the control unit 150, Users can always experience at a certain location. For example, the treadmill type rock climbing simulation apparatus 100 may control the driving of the treadmill assembly unit 120 so that the user can experience while always being located at the center of the treadmill assembly unit 120… the control unit 150 may control the operation, speed control, and emergency stop of the treadmill assembly unit 120”, pages 10-11; The control unit of Moon shows the power and control assembly of the claimed invention).
Regarding claim 13, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, further comprising: a support assembly (Moon, angle adjustment unit 130, page 3) by which the board assembly is supported off the ground at a desired angle (Moon, “The base 110 is supported on the ground and supports the treadmill assembly 120 rotatably coupled to the angle adjustment unit 130 and the angle adjustment unit 130. The base part 110 may include a base frame part 111 and a weight part 112. The base frame part 111 has an angle adjusting part 130 installed, and supporting the angle adjusting part 130 and the treadmill assembling part 120, and the treadmill assembling part transmitted through the angle adjusting part 130 and the angle adjusting part 130 The load of 120 can be distributed to the ground”, page 3, FIG. 2).
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon (Korean Patent Publication No. KR102249103B1), in view of Thompson (U.S. Patent No. US6231482B1).
Regarding claim 14, Moon shows a rotating climbing wall (Moon, “A treadmill type rock climbing simulator… includes: a base part configured to be supported on the ground; a treadmill assembly part configured to rotate a segment unit provided with a hold; an angle adjustment part disposed on the base part and coupled to the treadmill assembly part to adjust the inclination of the treadmill assembly part”, page 1) comprising: a frame assembly (Moon, treadmill frame unit 121, page 4) that includes opposing uprights (Moon, guide unit 124, page 4, see annotated FIG. 3 below), opposing upper sprockets, and opposing lower sprockets (Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction… The second chain unit 122B24 may be coupled to the circumference of the second driving pulley 122B22 and the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the second chain unit 122B24 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 when the second driving pulley 122B22 rotates, and thus the second driving pulley 122B22 and the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”, pages 5-6; The first driving pulleys 123B13 and the second driven pulleys 122B23, labeled in FIG. 4 below, show opposing upper and opposing lower sprockets of the claimed invention); and a slat assembly (Moon, plurality of segment units 123, page 4) that includes a looped arrangement of slats (Moon, “a plurality of segment units 123 with various holds 123B attached to a vertical treadmill structure, and rotates in a loop structure to form a plurality of The segment unit 123 is continuously moved along a predetermined path”, page 4) that is coupled around the respective opposing upper and lower sprockets such that rotation of the opposing upper and lower sprockets cause the slat assembly to rotate (Moon, Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”).
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Although Moon discloses, in pages 5-6, ‘For example, the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12’ and ‘For example, the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the second driving pulley 122B22’, Moon fails to explicitly show the frame assembly further comprises opposing actuators for selectively increasing a distance between the respective upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly, wherein the opposing actuators are coupled to the opposing lower sprockets and move the opposing lower sprockets relative to the opposing upper sprockets.
However, Thompson, from the same field of endeavor, teaches the frame assembly further comprises opposing actuators (Thompson, see annotated FIG. 9 below; In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim, the identified adjustment bolts teach the opposing actuators of the claimed invention) for selectively increasing a distance between the respective upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly, wherein the opposing actuators move the opposing lower sprockets relative to the opposing upper sprockets (Thompson, “Horizontal axles 68, 70 are rotatabley supported by the side members adjacent the outer ends thereof. Axal 68 is driven by a drive motor 67 and gear assembly 69, while axal 70 is freely rotatable. Octagonal spindles 72, 74, 76, 78 disposed on the axles engage rotatably linked aluminum extruded panels 14 comprising a rotatable climbing surface 12… The distance between axles 70 and 68 is adjustable by means of adjustability in the location of bearings 80 supporting axle 70”, col. 5, lines 27-36, “Adjustment bolts 104 allow adjustment of the tension of the continuous belt-like rotating wall 106 formed by the rotatably linked panels 14”, col. 6, lines 18-20; The adjustment bolts of Thompson teach the opposing actuators of the claimed invention. The spindles of Thompson are comparable to the upper and lower sprockets to the identified sprockets of Moon in FIG. 4 of Moon above, and the rotatable climbing surface of Thompson is comparable to the plurality of segment units of Moon).
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It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the treadmill type rock climbing simulator of Moon to include the adjustment bolts and bearings of Thompson with the lower sprockets of Moon so that the identified lower sprockets of Thompson may adjusted in position relative to the identified upper sprockets of Thompson to adjust the tension of the rotating climbing surface of Thompson. This modification is obvious as Moon already discloses “the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12”, but fails to explicitly disclose components required to do so. Moreover, it would be obvious to incorporate the bearings and the adjustment bolts, identified above in FIG. 9 of Thompson, with the identified lower sprockets of Moon, as the bearings and the adjustment bolts of Thompson is with the lowest spindle 72 of Thompson, which corresponds to the lower sprockets of Moon.
Regarding claim 15, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 14, wherein the frame assembly also includes a center upright (Moon, see annotated FIG. 3 below), the opposing uprights and the center upright being coupled together via an upper tube and a lower tube (Moon, “the second coupling portion 123D may be coupled to the guide unit 124 disposed on the treadmill frame portion 121 to move along the inner surface of the guide unit 124 when the driving unit 122 is driven”, page 8, “The drive unit 122 may include a motor 122A and a power transmission unit 122B… The power transmission unit 122B may include a first power transmission unit 122B1 and a second power transmission unit 122B2… The first power transmission unit 122B1 may include a first drive shaft 122B11, a first drive pulley 122B12, a first driven pulley 122B13, and a first chain unit 122B14”, pages 4-5, see FIGS. 3 and 4 below; In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the opposing uprights and the center upright being coupled with an inner tube and a lower tube, Moon shows the drive unit, specifically the first drive pulley 122B12, attached to the frame, as well as each of the guide units 124 being attached to the frame. Therefore, the guide units are coupled to the first drive pulley with the frame. Each of the pulleys annotated below requires a shaft in order to rotate. The shaft of the pulley along the top of the frame therefore shows the upper tube of the claimed invention, and the shaft of the pulley along the bottom of the frame therefore shows the lower tube of the claimed invention).
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Regarding claim 16, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 15, wherein the frame assembly also includes a shaft (Moon, first driving shaft 122B11, page 5) and a motor (Moon, motor 122A, page 4) for driving the opposing upper sprockets or the opposing lower sprockets (Moon, “The first driving shaft 122B11 may be coupled to the motor 122A and the first driving pulley 122B12, and may generate a rotational force when the motor 122A is driven to transmit a rotational force to the first driving pulley 122B12… The second power transmission unit 122B2 may be coupled to the first power transmission unit 122B1 to indirectly receive the driving force of the motor 122A to rotate the segment unit 123. The second power transmission unit 122B2 may include a second drive shaft 122B21, a second drive pulley 122B22, a second driven pulley 122B23, and a second chain unit 122B24. The second driving shaft 122B21 may be coupled to the first driving pulley 122B12 and may generate a rotational force when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates to transmit the rotational force to the second driving pulley 122B22”, page 5).
Claims 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon (Korean Patent Publication No. KR102249103B1), Thompson (U.S. Patent No. US6231482B1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Glukhovsky (PG Patent Publication No. US2018/0071159A1).
Regarding claim 8, Moon, in view of Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 1, including one or more uprights. Moon also discloses “The plurality of holds 123B may be disposed at equal intervals on one surface of the support panel 123A exposed to the outside along the length direction of the support panel 123A… In addition, the plurality of holds 123B may emit light with a preset color at at least one position according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 150. That is, the plurality of holds 123B may emit light with a set color according to an input control command to induce a user's grip… In addition, the plurality of holds 123B may sense a user's contact and transmit the signal to the controller 150. That is, the plurality of hold (123B) may be further provided with a pressure detection sensor that senses the pressure applied during the grip and transmits the signal to the control unit 150” (Moon, page 7). Moon continues to disclose “Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of electronic tags 123G may be provided and may be disposed on the other surface of the support panel 123A. Specifically, the electronic tag 123G may be disposed on one side and the other side of the support panel 123A along the longitudinal direction of the support panel 123A” (Moon, pages 8-9).
Moon and Thompson fail to explicitly show a first upright of the one or more uprights includes a power rail.
However, Glukhovsky, a teaching reference which is showing a similar problem of providing power to components moving along a path of a guide or rail, discloses “A body weight support system includes a support track, a trolley, and a power rail. The support track has a first portion and a second portion. The trolley has a support assembly and a drive assembly. The support assembly is configured to support at least a portion of a body weight of a user. The drive assembly is configured to movably suspend the trolley from the first portion of the support track when the user moves along a first surface and is configured to movably suspend the trolley from the second portion of the support track when the user moves along a second surface separate from the first surface. The power rail is coupled to the support track and is configured to be in electrical contact with a portion of the trolley as the trolley moves along the first portion and the second portion of the support track”.
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Glukhovsky teaches a power rail (Glukhovsky, power rail 2620, paragraph 00550). Glukhovsky also discloses in paragraph 0055, “the trolley 2100 is configured to receive electric power and/or electronic signals from the power rail 2620. For example, the trolley 2100 and/or the electronic system of the trolley 2100 includes a collector 2770 (FIG. 3) that is coupled to a portion of the housing 2200 and that is placed in physical and/or electrical contact with the power rail 2620… In some embodiments, for example, the power rail 2620 can be integrated with and/or otherwise formed by at least a portion of the support track 2050 (e.g., at least one conductive surface of the support track 2050) and the collected can be integrated with and/or otherwise formed by or on one or more wheels of the drive system 2300. In this manner, the collector 2770 establishes electrical and/or electronic contact with the power rail 2620 and in turn, delivers electric power from the power rail 2620 to the trolley 2100 (e.g., the electronic system and/or other portion)”.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated the power rail of Glukhovsky with the guide units of Moon so that the lights and sensors of Moon are able to receive the necessary power while simultaneously rotating with each of the segment units of Moon. Moon fails to specifically a supply of power to the electrical components attached to the segment units. This modification is obvious as Moon already discloses a guide that is comparable to the support track 2050 and the trolley of Glukhovsky is comparable to the segment units of Moon. Moreover, a power rail is necessary to provide power to the electrical components of the segment units of Moon so that wires or cables do not get tied or tangled while the segment units rotate as Glukhovsky discloses in paragraph 0042, “Furthermore, the arrangement of the power rail and/or conductor and the trolley 1100 is such that movement of the trolley 1100 along the length of the track 1050 is not hindered or limited by a bundle of cables, as described above with reference to known support systems”.
Regarding claim 9, Moon, in view of Thompson and Glukhovsky, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 8, wherein one or more of the slats include a coupling block having an electrical contact that forms an electrical connection with the power rail as the coupling block rides along the rail of the first upright (In light of the modification of Glukhovsky, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have specifically modified second coupling portion of Moon to be made of “any suitable conductive material, such as, for example, iron, steel, copper, gold, silver, and/or the like” (Glukhovsky, paragraph 0055) since, also in paragraph 0055, “collector 2770 (FIG. 3) that is coupled to a portion of the housing 2200 and that is placed in physical and/or electrical contact with the power rail 2620. The collector 2770 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration and can be formed from any suitable conductive material, such as, for example, iron, steel, copper, gold, silver, and/or the like. In this manner, the collector 2770 can receive a flow of electrical current from the power rail 2620”. It would have been obvious that second coupling portion be made of the conductive material as the collector of Glukhovsky has been disclosed to be any suitable shape, size, or configuration).
Regarding claim 10, Moon, in view of Thompson and Glukhovsky, teaches rotating climbing wall of claim 9, wherein the board assembly comprises a first power bus between the electrical contact and a driver module (Glukhovsky, “The power rail or conductor is further coupled to the power source that is configured to provide a flow of electrical current (e.g., electrical power) thereto… In such embodiments, electric power received via induction can be used to provide electric power for the trolley 1100 and/or can be used to, for example, charge one or more batteries of the trolley 1100”, paragraphs 0042-0043); The one or more batteries of the trolley teaches the drive module. In the specification of the claimed invention, paragraphs 0067-0069, “Power and control assembly 60 can therefore provide power and control signals to driver module 800 via power bus 801. Driver module 800 can be coupled to one of slats 500 and can therefore rotate with power bus 801. Accordingly, cable(s) 62 can provide power to the stationary power rail 301b and rotating electrical contacts 513 can provide a constant electrical connection between stationary power rail 301b and rotating driver module 800… Power bus 802 consists of various cables (or wires) that also form a loop that runs alongside chain 600 and connects lights 520 of each slat 500 to driver module 800. For example, a cable of power bus 802 may extend from driver module 800 and connect to a loop of cables that run alongside chain 600… Power bus 802 can be configured to allow each light 520 to be independently driven. For example, power bus 802 can include wires by which control signals are provided to independently drive lights 520. Alternatively, each light 520 could include logic for detecting control signals that target the light and then may drive the light accordingly. In short, any suitable technique could be used to cause lights 520 to be driven in accordance with a specified climbing route”. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill to provide a battery for the support panels of Moon so that there is a constant power supply/connection with the lights of Moon. Furthermore, it is well known in the art that a power bus is an electrical connection between electronics, and the specification of the claimed invention corresponds the power bus to wires. In order for the conductor to charge one or more of the batteries, there must be an electrical connection via wires or the like).
Regarding claim 11, Moon, in view of Thompson and Glukhovsky, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 10, wherein the board assembly comprises a second power bus between the driver module and lights integrated into the slats (In light of the modification of Glukhovsky, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to electronically connect the lights with the battery of Glukhovsky as explained above in claim 11).
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon (Korean Patent Publication No. KR102249103B1), in view of Glukhovsky (PG Patent Publication No. US2018/0071159A1) and Thompson (U.S. Patent No. US6231482B1).
Regarding claim 18, Moon shows rotating climbing wall (Moon, “A treadmill type rock climbing simulator… includes: a base part configured to be supported on the ground; a treadmill assembly part configured to rotate a segment unit provided with a hold; an angle adjustment part disposed on the base part and coupled to the treadmill assembly part to adjust the inclination of the treadmill assembly part”, page 1) comprising: a frame assembly (Moon, treadmill frame unit 121, page 4) that includes opposing uprights (Moon, guide unit 124, page 4, see annotated FIG. 3 below), opposing upper sprockets, and opposing lower sprockets (Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction… The second chain unit 122B24 may be coupled to the circumference of the second driving pulley 122B22 and the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the second chain unit 122B24 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 when the second driving pulley 122B22 rotates, and thus the second driving pulley 122B22 and the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”, pages 5-6; The first driving pulleys 123B13 and the second driven pulleys 122B23, labeled in FIG. 4 below, show opposing upper and opposing lower sprockets of the claimed invention); and a slat assembly (Moon, plurality of segment units 123, page 4) that includes a looped arrangement of slats (Moon, “a plurality of segment units 123 with various holds 123B attached to a vertical treadmill structure, and rotates in a loop structure to form a plurality of The segment unit 123 is continuously moved along a predetermined path”, page 4) that are configured to be rotated by the opposing upper sprockets and the opposing lower sprockets (Moon, Moon, “The first chain unit 122B14 may be coupled to the circumference of the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 and disposed in a loop shape… Therefore, the first chain unit 122B14 transmits a rotational force to the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 when the first driving pulley 122B12 rotates, so that the first driving pulley 122B12 and the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 The circumference of is rotated, and through this, the segment unit 123 coupled to one side may be continuously moved along the rotation direction”), each slat including one or more coupling blocks (Moon, plurality of second coupling portions 123D, page 8, see FIG. 6 below) for securing the slat to the opposing uprights (Moon, “the second coupling portion 123D may be coupled to the guide unit 124 disposed on the treadmill frame portion 121 to move along the inner surface of the guide unit 124 when the driving unit 122 is driven”, page 4).
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Moon also discloses, in pages 5-6, ‘For example, the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12’ and ‘For example, the plurality of second driven pulleys 122B23 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the second driving pulley 122B22’. Moon continues to disclose “The plurality of holds 123B may be disposed at equal intervals on one surface of the support panel 123A exposed to the outside along the length direction of the support panel 123A… In addition, the plurality of holds 123B may emit light with a preset color at at least one position according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 150. That is, the plurality of holds 123B may emit light with a set color according to an input control command to induce a user's grip… In addition, the plurality of holds 123B may sense a user's contact and transmit the signal to the controller 150. That is, the plurality of hold (123B) may be further provided with a pressure detection sensor that senses the pressure applied during the grip and transmits the signal to the control unit 150” (Moon, page 7). Moon continues to disclose “Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of electronic tags 123G may be provided and may be disposed on the other surface of the support panel 123A. Specifically, the electronic tag 123G may be disposed on one side and the other side of the support panel 123A along the longitudinal direction of the support panel 123A” (Moon, pages 8-9).
Moon fails to show at least one of the slats includes a coupling block having an electrical contact for forming an electrical connection with a power rail on a first upright of the one or more uprights while the coupling block rides along the first upright; wherein the frame assembly further comprises opposing actuators for selectively increasing a distance between the respective upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly, wherein the opposing actuators are coupled to the opposing lower sprockets and move the opposing lower sprockets relative to the opposing upper sprockets.
However, Glukhovsky, a teaching reference which is showing a similar problem of providing power to components moving along a path of a guide or rail, discloses “A body weight support system includes a support track, a trolley, and a power rail. The support track has a first portion and a second portion. The trolley has a support assembly and a drive assembly. The support assembly is configured to support at least a portion of a body weight of a user. The drive assembly is configured to movably suspend the trolley from the first portion of the support track when the user moves along a first surface and is configured to movably suspend the trolley from the second portion of the support track when the user moves along a second surface separate from the first surface. The power rail is coupled to the support track and is configured to be in electrical contact with a portion of the trolley as the trolley moves along the first portion and the second portion of the support track”.
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Glukhovsky teaches an electrical contact for forming an electrical connection with a power rail (Glukhovsky, “the trolley 2100 is configured to receive electric power and/or electronic signals from the power rail 2620. For example, the trolley 2100 and/or the electronic system of the trolley 2100 includes a collector 2770 (FIG. 3) that is coupled to a portion of the housing 2200 and that is placed in physical and/or electrical contact with the power rail 2620… The collector 2770 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration and can be formed from any suitable conductive material, such as, for example, iron, steel, copper, gold, silver, and/or the like. In this manner, the collector 2770 can receive a flow of electrical current from the power rail 2620… In some embodiments, for example, the power rail 2620 can be integrated with and/or otherwise formed by at least a portion of the support track 2050 (e.g., at least one conductive surface of the support track 2050) and the collected can be integrated with and/or otherwise formed by or on one or more wheels of the drive system 2300. In this manner, the collector 2770 establishes electrical and/or electronic contact with the power rail 2620 and in turn, delivers electric power from the power rail 2620 to the trolley 2100 (e.g., the electronic system and/or other portion)”, paragraph 0055; The collector 2770 teaches the electrical contact of the claimed invention, and the power rail 2620 teaches the power rail of the claimed invention).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated the power rail of Glukhovsky with the guide units of Moon so that the lights and sensors of Moon are able to receive the necessary power while simultaneously rotating with each of the support panels of Moon. Moon fails to specifically a supply of power to the electrical components attached to the support panels. This modification is obvious as Moon already discloses a guide that is comparable to the support track 2050 and the trolley of Glukhovsky is comparable to the support panels of Moon. Moreover, a power rail is necessary to provide power to the electrical components of the support panels of Moon so that wires or cables do not get tied or tangled while the support panels rotate as Glukhovsky discloses in paragraph 0042, “Furthermore, the arrangement of the power rail and/or conductor and the trolley 1100 is such that movement of the trolley 1100 along the length of the track 1050 is not hindered or limited by a bundle of cables, as described above with reference to known support systems”. It also would have been obvious that second coupling portion be made of the conductive material as the collector of Glukhovsky has been disclosed to be any suitable shape, size, or configuration.
Furthermore, Thompson, from the same field of endeavor, teaches opposing actuators (Thompson, see annotated FIG. 9 below; In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim, the identified adjustment bolts teach the opposing actuators of the claimed invention) for selectively increasing a distance between the respective upper and lower sprockets to thereby tension the slat assembly, wherein the opposing actuators move the opposing lower sprockets relative to the opposing upper sprockets (Thompson, “Horizontal axles 68, 70 are rotatabley supported by the side members adjacent the outer ends thereof. Axal 68 is driven by a drive motor 67 and gear assembly 69, while axal 70 is freely rotatable. Octagonal spindles 72, 74, 76, 78 disposed on the axles engage rotatably linked aluminum extruded panels 14 comprising a rotatable climbing surface 12… The distance between axles 70 and 68 is adjustable by means of adjustability in the location of bearings 80 supporting axle 70”, col. 5, lines 27-36, “Adjustment bolts 104 allow adjustment of the tension of the continuous belt-like rotating wall 106 formed by the rotatably linked panels 14”, col. 6, lines 18-20; The adjustment bolts of Thompson teach the opposing actuators of the claimed invention. The spindles of Thompson are comparable to the upper and lower sprockets to the identified sprockets of Moon in FIG. 4 of Moon above, and the rotatable climbing surface of Thompson is comparable to the plurality of segment units of Moon).
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It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the treadmill type rock climbing simulator of Moon to include the adjustment bolts and bearings of Thompson with the lower sprockets of Moon so that the identified lower sprockets of Thompson may adjusted in position relative to the identified upper sprockets of Thompson to adjust the tension of the rotating climbing surface of Thompson. This modification is obvious as Moon already discloses “the plurality of first driven pulleys 122B13 may be configured to adjust a separation distance from the first driving pulley 122B12”, but fails to explicitly disclose components required to do so. Moreover, it would be obvious to incorporate the bearings and the adjustment bolts, identified above in FIG. 9 of Thompson, with the identified lower sprockets of Moon, as the bearings and the adjustment bolts of Thompson is with the lowest spindle 72 of Thompson, which corresponds to the lower sprockets of Moon.
Regarding claim 19, Moon, in view of Glukhovsky and Thompson, teaches the rotating climbing wall of claim 18, wherein the first upright forms opposing rails and the power rail extends along a first rail of the opposing rails (Moon, “For example, an accommodation space in which the second coupling part 123D is accommodated is provided inside the guide unit 124, and one side of the second coupling part 123D is suppo