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 .
This is a final Office action responsive to the reply filed on 11/25/2025.
Claims 1-10 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, line 16 “the knob being operated without operating” for clarification it should be - - the knob is pulled up without operating - -.
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.
Claims 1-9 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 original disclosure does not describe how the knob is rotated in the releasing direction without operating the swinging arm first, therefore is not clear and will be inoperable. Figure 6B from the invention depict the swinging arm (1630) disengage the ratchet arm (1611) from the ratchet teeth (1410) in order the knob (1700) can rotate in the releasing direction. It is suggested to amend to - - the knob is pulled up without operating the swinging arm first - - in order to overcome the 112-2nd rejections.
Claims 2-9 are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 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.
Upon overcoming the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112, 2nd paragraph indicate herein to claim 1, claims 1-9 would be in condition for allowance.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record fails to anticipate or render obvious the presently claimed subject matter, when viewed as a whole, requiring the structural combination, or claimed combination of elements defining the invention(s), requiring a fastening device with an incremental releasing set and knob being pulled up allowing the lace to be fully released, without operating a swinging arm.
REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
Claim 10 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record fails to anticipate or render obvious the presently claimed subject matter, when viewed as a whole, requiring the structural combination, or claimed combination of elements defining the invention(s), requiring a fastening device with an incremental releasing set and knob being pulled up allowing the lace to be fully released, without operating a swinging arm.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-9, filled 11/25/2025 with respect to claims 1-10 have been fully considered and are persuasive.
The claim rejections under 35 USC § 112, first paragraph of claims 1-10 has been withdrawn.
The claim rejections under 35 USC § 103 of claims 1-10 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments, see page 8 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding claim rejections under 35 USC § 112, second paragraph,
Claim 1 recites "[the knob is pulled up] or [rotated in the releasing direction without operating the swinging arm first], the ratchet arm does not prohibit the spool from rotating in the releasing direction, thereby allowing the lace to be fully released",
Condition 1 [the knob is pulled up]: in order to allow the lace to be fully releases the knob has to be pulled up, the examiner agree.
Condition 2 [rotated in the releasing direction without operating the swinging arm first]: is not understood how the lace can be fully releases only by rotated in the releasing direction without operating the swinging arm first, and without the knob being pulled up.
Examiner’s Comment
In view of applicant’s amendments to the claims submitted in the reply filed on 11/25/2025, the claim rejections under 35 USC § 103 indicated in the prior Office action have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS A MERCADO whose telephone number is (571)270-5388. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/LOUIS A. MERCADO/
Examiner
Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677