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 .
Specification
The specification is objected to because of the following issues:
On page 4, line 101, “one ‘middle’ plate of Fig. 10” should read, “one ‘middle’ plate of Fig. 13.”
On page 5, line 106, “handle from Fig. 1” should read, “handle from Fig. 11.”
The abstract of the disclosure does not commence on a separate sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.52(b)(4) and 1.72(b). A new abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
The claim is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim appears to consist of two claims, but they are not numbered. Please see MPEP § 608.01(i) for instructions on constructing claims. Please see MPEP § 608.01(j) for instructions on numbering claims. The claim should be cancelled, and an amended claim sheet should be submitted with claims numbered. Please see MPEP § 714 for instructions regarding making amendments in an application. Each claim should be numbered, and headings should not precede the preambles of the claims.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The claim is 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.
The claim is rejected as failing to define the invention in the manner required by 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
The claim is narrative in form and replete with indefinite language. The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operative device. The claim must be in one sentence form only. Note the format of the claims in the patent(s) cited.
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
The claim is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Calder (US 10380984 B1, August 13, 2019), hereinafter Calder, in view of JulisDee (https://guitarworldblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-pod-x3-live.html, December 28, 2007, retrieved February 19, 2026), hereinafter JulisDee, and further in view of Trifilio (US 20170243572 A1, August 24, 2017), hereinafter Trifilio.
Regarding the claim, Calder teaches a method for joining two or more effects pedals together, comprising of:(a) providing said two or more effects pedals and positioning them side-by-side (Calder teaches two effects pedals side by side in fig. 3, ref. no 118) so their bottoms can be mounted together with two or more mounting plates (Calder col. 4, lines 28-31: "Each of the pods comprises a base 112 and a wedge 114 to form a pod. A pod plate 116 is either integrated (top) into the wedge 114 or separately attachable (cover) to the wedge 114.") that mate together utilizing a mounting method such as screws or hook and loop (Calder col. 4, lines 41-45: "The effect pedal 118 may be connected using an adhesive, a hook and loop fastener, pins, screws, or the like. Because the pods are releasably coupled themselves, the effect pedal 118 may be permanently coupled to a pod plate 116."). Unlike an existing effects pedalboard which is a singular physically fixed-size board to mount multiple pedals to it, the use of two more mounting plates allows the system to scale as more pedals are mounted to the system (Calder col. 4, lines 22-24: "While five (5) effect pedal pods 104 are shown in the exemplary pedalboard 100, more (or less) can be attached."). (b) at later points of time, more effects can be mounted together by using one or more of the mounting plates whereby said two or more effects will be mounted together at the bottom using multiple mounting plates to make them easy to carry together (Calder col. 4, lines 22-24: "While five (5) effect pedal pods 104 are shown in the exemplary pedalboard 100, more (or less) can be attached." Note pod plates 116 in Calder figs. 3 and 4.).
Calder does not explicitly disclose:
A hand-held device mounted directly on one or more effects pedals for the purposes of carrying one or more pedals: (a) Singular Pedal use: a handle screwed directly to an effects pedal allows for carrying said pedal (b) Multiple Pedal use: a handle screwed directly to one or more effects pedals in conjunction with the mounting plates detailed above provide a holistic solution for carrying two or more pedals together.
However, JulisDee teaches or suggests a hand-held device mounted directly on one or more effects pedals for the purposes of carrying one or more pedals: (a) Singular Pedal use: a handle screwed directly to an effects pedal allows for carrying said pedal (JulisDee: Technical Features, "2 chrome handlebars") (b) Multiple Pedal use: a handle screwed directly to one or more effects pedals (JulisDee: Technical Features, "2 chrome handlebars").
Furthermore, Trifilio teaches or suggests a handle in conjunction with the mounting plates detailed above provide[s] a holistic solution for carrying two or more pedals together (Trifilio ¶0076: "In addition to the holes used to secure effects pedals to the pedalboard 100, the pedalboard 100 can also contain larger, oblong holes to be used as handles 110." Trifilio ¶0082: "use the handles 110… to easily carry the pedalboard 100.").
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Calder by adding the handles of JulisDee and Trifilio to easily carry the pedals (Trifilio ¶0082).
Suggested Claims
The following claims drafted by the examiner and considered to distinguish patentably over the art of record in this application, are presented to applicant for consideration:
1. A method for joining a first effects pedal and a second effects pedal, comprising:
positioning the first and second effects pedals side by side;
securing a first mounting plate to a bottom surface of the first effects pedal and a second mounting plate to a bottom surface of the second effects pedal with fasteners, each mounting plate including a projecting portion and a cutout, the projecting portion having an angled mating profile and the cutout having a complementary angled mating profile, the projecting portion of each mounting plate extending beyond a perimeter of its respective effects pedal and extending under a portion of the other effects pedal along its bottom surface to be received in the cutout of the other mounting plate, mating faces of the projecting portions and mating faces of the cutouts being tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary directions; and
mating the first and second mounting plates by inserting the projecting portion of each mounting plate into the cutout of the other mounting plate such that the projecting portions is received in the cutout.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
positioning a third effects pedal between the first effects pedal and the second effects pedal;
securing a third mounting plate to a bottom surface of the third effects pedal with fasteners, the third mounting plate including a projecting portion and a cutout having complementary angled mating profiles and having mating faces tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary directions; and
mating the third mounting plate to the first mounting plate and to the second mounting plate by inserting the projecting portion of the third mounting plate into the cutout of the first mounting plate and inserting the projecting portion of the second mounting plate into the cutout of the third mounting plate to join the first, second and third effects pedals together.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising joining four or more effects pedals together by repeating, for each additional effects pedal positioned between end effects pedals of an assembled set:
securing an additional mounting plate to a bottom surface of the additional effects pedal with fasteners, each additional mounting plate including a projecting portion and a cutout having complementary angled mating profiles and having mating faces tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary direction; and
mating the additional mounting plate to the mounting plates secured to effects pedals on opposite sides of the additional effects pedal by inserting the projecting portion of one of the mounting plates into the cutout of another of the mounting plates.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting one or more handles to one or more of the effects pedals or to one or more of the mounting plates.
5. An apparatus for joining a first effects pedal and a second effects pedal together, comprising:
a first mounting plate secured to a bottom surface of the first effects pedal with fasteners; and
a second mounting plate secured to a bottom surface of the second effects pedal with fasteners;
wherein each mounting plate includes a projecting portion and a cutout, the projecting portion having an angled mating profile and the cutout having a complementary angled mating profile, the projecting portion of each mounting plate extending beyond a perimeter of its respective effects pedal and extending under a portion of the other effects pedal along its bottom surface, the projecting portion of each mounting plate being insertable into the cutout of the other mounting plate such that the projecting portion is receivable in the cutout, and the mating faces of the projecting portions and mating faces of the cutouts tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary directions.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:
a third effects pedal positioned between the first effects pedal and the second effects pedal; and
a third mounting plate secured to a bottom surface of the third effects pedal with fasteners, the third mounting plate including a projecting portion and a cutout having a complementary angled mating profiles and having mating faces tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary directions;
wherein the projecting portion of the third mounting plate is insertable into the cutout of the first mounting plate such that the projecting portion is receivable in the cutout, and the projecting portion of the second mounting plate is insertable into the cutout of the third mounting plate such that the projecting portion is receivable in the cutout, to join the first, second, and third effects pedals together.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
one or more additional effects pedals and one or more additional mounting plates, each additional mounting plate being secured to a bottom surface of a respective additional effects pedal with fasteners, each additional mounting plate including a projecting portion and a cutout having complementary angled mating profiles and having mating faces tapered at 45-degree angles in complementary directions;
wherein, for each additional effects pedal positioned between end effects pedals of an assembled set, the projecting portion of the additional mounting plate is insertable into a cutout of a mounting plate secured to an effects pedal on a first side of the additional effects pedal such that the projecting portion is receivable in the cutout, and a projecting portion of the mounting plate secured to an effects pedal on a second side of the additional effects pedal is insertable into the cutout of the additional mounting plate such that the projecting portion is receivable into the cutout.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising one or more handles mounted to one or more of the effects pedals or to one or more of the mounting plates.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILIP SCOLES whose telephone number is (703)756-1831. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached on 571-270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PHILIP G SCOLES/
Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/DEDEI K HAMMOND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837