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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fox et al (US 2017/0136325, hereinafter Fox).
Re claims 1 and 9: Fox discloses a pickleball paddle 10, comprising: a blade 101, spliced by a plurality of blade blocks (210 and 220); wherein each of the blade blocks is provided with a coating layer (102 and 103) along a length direction thereof, the blade has a top side and a bottom side that are opposite to each other; a top layer, disposed on the top side of the blade; and a bottom layer, disposed on the bottom side of the blade (see figs. 1; 2A-E; and 3-5; para. 0030; 0031; 0034 through 0037).
Re claim 2: Fox discloses the blade block (210 and 220) comprises: a skeleton, comprising a plurality of structural units as shown in figures 2D and 2E; the plurality of structural units being closely arranged in an array as shown in figures 1 through 2C, and each of the structural units being provided with an inner cavity as shown in figures 2A through 2E and 3 (also see para. 0034+); and a foam material filled in the inner cavity within the pickleball paddle as shown in figures 6A through 6C and para. 0041.
Re claim 3: Fox teaches wherein a cross-section of each structural unit and each inner cavity both have a shape of hexagonal within the pickleball paddle (see figures 2A and 2D and para. 0034).
Re claim 4: Fox teaches the pickleball paddle wherein the structural units in the blade block are configured as a single layer as shown in figures 1, 2D and 4.
Re claim 5: Fox teaches the pickleball paddle wherein the skeleton is made of at least one of polypropylene or aramid fiber (see para. 0037).
Re claim 6: Fox teaches the pickleball paddle wherein the blade blocks have an elongated shape, and are spliced along a width direction thereof as shown in figure 2D.
Re claim 7: Fox discloses the pickleball paddle wherein the blade comprises a paddle body and a grip connected to the paddle body; the top side of the paddle body and the top side of the grip are both covered with the top layer, and the bottom side of the paddle body and the bottom side of the grip are both covered with the bottom layer; the blade blocks have the length direction parallel or perpendicular to a length direction of the grip as shown in figures 1; 2D-2E and 4.
Re claims 8 and 10: Fox teaches the pickleball paddle wherein the coating layer is made of at least one of carbon fiber and glass fiber, the top layer is made of at least one of carbon fiber and glass fiber, and the bottom layer is made of at least one of carbon fiber and glass fiber (see para. 0035 through para. 0037 wherein the layers comprises of any suitable material or materials including aluminum graphite, composite, polymer… a preferred material being aramid polymer which consists of carbon fiber and/or glass fiber).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Severa et al (US 2025/0312666); Davis et al (US 2015/0328512); Li (US 2025/0312667); Davis et al (US 2024/0189679); and Filippini (US 2016/0193793) discloses a pickleball paddle having specific structure and the method of manufacturing thereafter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL G LEE, SPE AU2876 whose telephone number is (571)272-2398. The examiner can normally be reached (M-F, 430am-330pm).
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/MICHAEL G LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2876