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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/12/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (U.S. 11,064,767).
As for Claim 1, Chen discloses fastening device, comprising:
a case (200), comprising an inner space (230);
a spool (300), disposed in the inner space and configured for a lace to be wound therearound; a plurality of ratchet teeth (221), located in the inner space;
an incremental releasing set (400), comprising:
a ratchet arm (420), selectively engaged with at least one of the ratchet teeth; and an operated portion (410), linked with the ratchet arm; and
a knob (500), covering on the case;
wherein, the ratchet arm is engaged with at least one of the ratchet teeth to prohibit the spool from rotating in a releasing direction, and as the knob is rotated in a tightening direction, the ratchet arm is disengaged from at least one of the ratchet teeth to allow the spool to tighten the lace; as the operated portion is operated to swing, the ratchet arm is disengaged from at least one of the ratchet teeth, such that allows the lace to be incrementally released (see Col. 5 lines 22-39).
2. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 1, further comprising: a ratchet gear (310/320), disposed in the inner space and selectively coupled to the spool, the ratchet teeth being located on an outer surface of the ratchet gear (see Figs. 1-5).
3. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 2, wherein the ratchet gear is selectively coupled to the spool (see Fig. 3), and the knob is operated to release a coupling between the ratchet gear and the spool (450 is coupled with 310/320), thereby allowing the lace to be fully released.
4. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 3, wherein the knob comprises at least one guiding track (track of 450), the ratchet gear comprises at least one guiding portion (guiding portion of 310/320) coupled with the at least one guiding track, and the knob is rotated in the releasing direction such that the ratchet gear is guided by the at least one guiding track so as to be lifted, thereby releasing the coupling between the ratchet gear and the spool (see Col. 5 lines 1-39).
5. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 3, wherein the ratchet gear comprises an outer annular portion (320) and an elevating portion (310), the ratchet teeth are located at the outer annular portion (see Figs. 3-5), the elevating portion is engaged with the outer annular portion (see Fig. 3) and comprises a screw hole (hole in 300), the knob comprises a screw bar (440a) coupled to the screw hole, and the knob is rotated in the releasing direction to allow the elevating portion to be lifted, thereby releasing the coupling between the ratchet gear and the spool.
6. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the incremental releasing set further comprises a stopping portion, the stopping portion (430) is arranged with the ratchet arm in an interval, and as the ratchet arm is engaged with at least one of the ratchet teeth, the stopping portion is not engaged with any one of the ratchet teeth; as the operated portion is operated to allow the ratchet arm to disengage from at least one of the ratchet teeth, the stopping portion is engaged with at least another one of the ratchet teeth, thereby stopping the spool.
7. (Currently amended) The fastening device of claim 1, wherein the operated portion exposes from the case (see Fig. 3).
10. (Currently amended) A lace tightening and releasing method, comprising:
a fastening step, a fastening device disposed at an article being operated, the fastening device comprising a case, a spool, a plurality of ratchet teeth, a ratchet arm and a knob, the spool being coupled to a lace and located within the case, wherein as the knob is rotated in a tightening direction, the ratchet arm is disengaged from at least one of the ratchet teeth to allow the spool to fasten the lace;
an incremental releasing step, an operated portion of the fastening device being operated to swing, the ratchet arm being disengaged from at least one of the ratchet teeth to engage with at least another one of the ratchet teeth, thereby allowing the spool to rotate in a releasing direction to release one segment of the lace; and a full releasing step, the knob being operated to allow the ratchet arm of the fastening device not to prohibit the spool from rotating in the releasing direction, thereby allowing the lace to be freely released (see Col. 5 lines 1-39 and Figs. 1-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument that Chen does not disclose each and every feature of Amended Claim 1 and 10, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Chen discloses member 410 which rotates or swings in a rotational direction incrementally by rotating the knob which rotates or swings 410.
In response to Applicant’s argument that Chen does not disclose each and every feature of amended claims, Examiner respectfully discloses the claimed limitation in the rejection provided herein. Chen discloses, as stated by Applicant, having structure to wind (tighten) lace and incrementally release the lace which allows the user to determine lace to unwind from spool and that increment is determined by user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Tang US 2019/0084791.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M UPCHURCH whose telephone number is (571)270-7957. The examiner can normally be reached 6AM-3PM EST M-F.
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/DAVID M UPCHURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677