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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/30/2026 has been entered
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/13/2025 and 10/16/2025 are acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provision of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 43-46 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 43 recites “the Y-shaped connector” in claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is suggested that “the Y-shaped connector” should be changed to one of the V-shaped connectors”.
Claim 44 recites “other attachment feature” in line 9. It is unclear which structures to be considered “other attachment feature”. As the specification does not provide structures equivalent to “other attachment feature” and the claim does not define “other attachment feature”, claim 44 is indefinite.
Claim 44 recites “a second end of the continuous chin strap” in line 23. It is unclear “a second end of the continuous chin strap” in line 23 is the same or different from “a second end of the continuous chin strap” in line 16. The limitation “a second end of the continuous chin strap” should be changed to the second end of the continuous chin strap.
Claim 44 recites “while the first end of continuous chin strap and the Y-shaped connector remain attached to the helmet” in lines 32-33. As the continuous chin strap and the Y-shaped connector are structures of the helmet, how can the continuous chin strap and the Y-shaped connector remain attached to the helmet. It is suggested that the limitation “the helmet” should be changed to “the helmet shell”.
Any remaining claims are rejected as depending from a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 26-42 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claims 43-46 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.
Conclusion
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/UYEN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3732