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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 June 15, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Inukai, US 2017/0280834.
Regarding claim 1, Inukai discloses a decoration bearing element [configured to be fitted on a slider body of a slider of a slide fastener and providing a top surface or a decoration bearing surface-onto which a perceivable decoration can be applied], the decoration bearing element comprising: a plurality of oppositely facing cooperating surfaces (see figures 2 and 6) [configured for engaging with and receiving at least a portion of the slider body and restraining the decoration bearing element onto the slider body in at least three non-identical directions of a first direction, a second direction and a third direction], wherein the decoration bearing element has a base plate (5) and a cover portion (4) vertically spaced above the base plate (5) and connected to the base plate (5) by a post (66), and wherein the cover portion (4) has a length (of element 65; figure 3) in the third direction (the length direction) that is shorter than a length of the base plate (5) in the third direction (see figures 3 and 4), [and wherein when attached to the slider (2) the cover portion (4) is configured to cover at least a part of a puller mounting section (27a) of the slider (2) from an upper side (having the upper blade 22) thereof].
Claim language set in brackets [] set forth above and below in this office action are considered by the examiner to be intended use that fails to further limit the structure of the claimed invention. Since the claimed invention is directed solely to that of the decoration bearing element, the prior art must only be capable of performing the functional recitations in order to be applicable, and in the instant case, the examiner maintains that the slider cover disclosed by Inukai (US 2017/0280834) or Kojima et al. (US 9,763,498), is indeed capable of the intended use statements. Note that it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations.
Regarding claim 2, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion (4) provides the top surface (41) or the decoration bearing surface (41), and wherein the base plate (5) and the cover portion (4) provide a first pair of opposite and spaced apart surfaces (7a, 7b) in the first direction, [configured to engage with a lower wing and a vertically and upwardly protruding portion of the slider body, respectively, thereby restraining the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the first direction of the three directions].
Regarding claim 3, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 2, wherein the cover portion (4) is located at front end of the decoration bearing element (figure 6).
Regarding claim 4, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 2, comprising: a pair of transversally oppositely facing side walls (7b1) extending upwardly from two transversally opposite sides of the base plate (5), wherein the side walls (7b1) provide a second pair of opposite and spaced apart surfaces in the second direction (figure 2), [thereby restraining the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the second direction of the three directions].
Regarding claim 5, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 4, wherein the transversally oppositely facing side walls (7b1) comprise a pair of rearwardly converging portions (53a) together providing a rear abutment [for the slider body in the third direction of the three directions].
Regarding claim 6, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 2, comprising: the post (66) connecting the base plate (5) and the cover portion (4) and located at a front end of the decoration bearing element (3) in a transversally central position, wherein the post (66) provides a front abutment [for the slider body in the third direction of the three directions].
Regarding claim 7, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 2, wherein the cover portion (4) forms a groove (below 46) facing the base plate (5) and defining transversally oppositely facing edges (see figure 2) downwardly protruding from transversally opposite sides of the cover portion (4), and wherein the transversally oppositely facing edges (figure 2) provide one of the oppositely facing cooperating surfaces (see figure 6), [configured for engaging with and receiving a vertically and upwardly protruding portion of the slider body so as to restrain the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the second direction of the three directions].
Regarding claim 8, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according claim 2, wherein a width (see element 46) of the cover portion (4) measured in the second direction, is shorter than a width (see the front portion have the post 66) of the base plate (5).
Regarding claim 9, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element (3) according to claim 1, comprising: a central plate portion (41, 41) providing the top surface or the decoration bearing surface; two transversally oppositely facing edges (43) downwardly protruding from opposite left and right sides of the central plate portion and defining a groove (below 46) on a lower side of the central plate portion (41, 41) opposite to the decoration bearing surface; two transversally and mutually facing recesses (part of 4a) which are parts of the groove and are respectively formed in the oppositely facing edges (43) [and are configured to receive top shelf portions of a vertically protruding guide post of the slider body]; a front edge (7a, 7a) downwardly protruding from a front side of the central plate portion and delimiting the recesses at a front side; and a vertically and transversally extending surface (65) opposite to and longitudinally spaced from the front edge, delimiting the recesses at a rear side, wherein the recesses provide two first pairs of surfaces (43a) mutually facing and spaced apart in the first direction of the three directions, [for restraining the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the first direction], wherein the recesses further provide a second pair of surfaces (inner surfaces of the hole 4a) mutually facing one another in the second direction of the three directions, [for restraining the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the second direction], and wherein the front edge and the vertically and transversally extending surface provide a third pair of opposite and spaced apart surfaces (of the hole 65a) in the third direction, [restraining the slider body from moving with respect to the decoration bearing element in the third direction of the three non-identical directions].
Regarding claim 10, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 9, wherein the transversally oppositely facing edges (43) have lower ends with rims (7a1) whose one side protrudes transversally toward the other side (figure 2), and wherein the rims (7a1) each have a respective one of two downwardly diverging (tapering) facing surfaces.
Regarding claim 11, Inukai discloses the decoration bearing element according to claim 1, wherein the three non-identical directions are each perpendicular to each other (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 12, Inukai discloses a slider (2 )for a slide fastener, and the decoration bearing element according to claim 1, wherein the slider (2) comprises: the slider body (21) with a lower wing (23); two lateral flanges (25) on both transversally opposite sides of the lower wing (23), the lateral flanges (25) forming a pair of vertical walls (23a) built on transversally opposite left and right sides of the lower wing (23) and horizontal extensions (portions) extending horizontally inwardly from tops of the vertical walls (see figure 2); and a guide post (24) vertically protruding in a central position from a front end of the lower wing (23) and forming at least a portion of a puller connecting seat (26) for connecting a puller (not shown) to the slider body (21), and wherein the decoration bearing element has a cover portion (41, 41) arranged above at least a portion of the guide post (24) and having a rear end located more headward than the puller connecting seat (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 13, Inukai discloses the slider and the decoration bearing element according to claim 12, wherein the guide post (24) forms a front side protrusion and a rear side protrusion, and a puller insert location recess (26h) formed between the front side protrusion and the rear side protrusion to provide space for the puller connecting seat (26), and wherein only the front side protrusion of the guide post is covered by the cover portion (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 14, Inukai discloses the slider and the decoration bearing element according to claim 12, wherein the cover portion of the decoration bearing element (41, 41) has a transversal width that is greater that a transversal width of the guide post of the slider body (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 15, Inukai discloses the slider and the decoration bearing element according to claim 12, wherein the decoration bearing element comprises: a pair of transversally oppositely facing side walls (7b1) extending upwardly from two transversally opposite sides of the base plate, and wherein the side walls (7b1) of the decoration bearing element have respective front ends located to rear of front ends of the lateral flanges of the slider body (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 16, Inukai discloses the slider and the decoration bearing element according to claim 12, wherein the decoration bearing element comprises: a pair of transversally oppositely facing side walls (7b1) extending upwardly from two transversally opposite sides of the base plate, and wherein the side walls of the decoration bearing element have respective top surfaces (52) that do not protrude vertically above the lateral flanges (25).
Regarding claim 17, Inukai discloses a concealed slide fastener, comprising: a slide fastener chain, comprised of a first stringer (1) comprising a first fastener tape (11) with a first row of fastener teeth (13) fixed to the first fastener tape, and a second stringer (1) comprising a second fastener tape (11) with a second row of fastener teeth (13) fixed to the second fastener tape (see figure 1); and the slider (2) and the decoration bearing element according to claim 12, wherein the slider (2) is movable along the slide fastener chain to open or close the slide fastener (figure 1), and wherein the decoration bearing element is restrained to the slider body (21).
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima et al., US 9,763,498 in view of Takazawa, US 2005/0246872.
Regarding claim 1, Kojima discloses a decoration bearing element [configured to be fitted on a slider body of a slider of a slide fastener and providing a top surface or a decoration bearing surface-onto which a perceivable decoration can be applied], the decoration bearing element comprising: a plurality of oppositely facing cooperating surfaces (see figures 12-14) [configured for engaging with and receiving at least a portion of the slider body and restraining the decoration bearing element onto the slider body in at least three non-identical directions of a first direction, a second direction and a third direction], wherein the decoration bearing element has a base plate (62) and a cover portion (61) vertically spaced above the base plate (62) and connected to the base plate (62) by a post (63), and wherein the cover portion (61) has a length (its longest dimension) in the third direction (the length direction; figure 13) that is shorter than a length of the base plate (62) in the third direction (see figure 13).
Kojima does not explicitly disclose [wherein when attached to the slider the cover portion is configured to cover at least a part of a puller mounting section of the slider from an upper side thereof]. Takasawa teaches a cover portion (11) wherein when attached to the slider (1) the cover portion (11) is configured to cover at least a part of a puller mounting section (5) of the slider (1) from an upper side (see figure 3) thereof. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cover portion of Kojima to include an extension to cover at least a part of the puller mounting section as taught by Takasawa in order to provide aesthetic concealment of the pull tab.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed June 15, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has argued that Inukai does not describe the amended limitation in which the cover portion is configured to cover at least a part of a puller mounting section of the slider from an upper side thereof in claim 1. The argument is found not persuasive in view of the rejection of the claim 1 above wherein the cover portion (4) is configured to cover a puller mounting section (27a) of the slider (2) from an upper side (viewing down on the cover portion 4, the upper blade 22 covers the puller mounting section 27a when the slider is attached to said cover portion).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROWLAND DO whose telephone number is (571)270-5737. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30 - 7:00 PT.
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/R.D./ Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/ SPE, Art Unit 3677
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