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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-14 and 21-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/06/2026.
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 15-20 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 15 recites the limitation "the tube" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the bendable core" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 11298600 (hereinafter “Hobbs”).
Regarding claim 15, Hobbs discloses a golf club shaft that has a shaft tube (Figs. 11 and 12, 125) formed of a shaft material that includes a composite material and/or a polymer material (Col. 2, lines 32-35), the tube having a channel (Fig. 12, 124) and first and second sections (Fig. 11, S1 and S2); and a polymer-coated core insert (Figs. 11 and 12, 321 and Col. 2, lines 32-35)(Under broadest reasonable interpretation, polymer material being present on the exterior of the core insert) in the channel of the first section, the polymer-coated core insert extending along a length of the first segment (Fig. 11, S2), wherein the second section is hollow (Fig. 11, S1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art, Hobbs teaches a golf club shaft that has a polymer core insert as explained above. However, the insert from the prior art Hobbs does not have the particular components of coupling tubes attached to a relief tube, nor explicitly states that it is bendable. Other related prior art, which is cited below in the conclusion, also do not contain the specific claim limitations. Therefore, the combination of features is considered to be allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20030079839 discloses an apparatus for making a bent composite shaft golf club.
US 5465959 discloses a bent shaft golf club made with composite material.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANTHA M BERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-0925. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-5.
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/S.M.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3711 /EUGENE L KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3711