DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informality:
The acronym HDPE should be replaced with high density polyethylene (as defined in the Specification) and then followed by the acronym in parentheses, i.e., (HDPE), if the acronym is to be later used in any dependent claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
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.
5. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor, regards as the invention.
6. The claimed feature limitations: the mat, the flotation mat, the first laterally extending edge, the span, the plurality of through holes, the plurality of holes, the plurality of aligned holes, the aligned plurality of through holes, the binding plates, the at least two tow rope holes, the aligned holes, the two rope holes, the aligned holes, the range, the two rope through hole, the through holes, the upper and lower cover layers, the cover layers, the top and bottom surfaces and their respective cutouts lack sufficient antecedent basis as recited in independent claims 1, 8, 11, 12 and 17, and subsequent dependent claims.
7. Use of pronouns such as “their” does not make clear the feature(s) being referred to.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 8, 11, 12 and 17 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-7, 9-10, 13-16 and 18-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
10. The prior art cited and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The prior art references disclose two different kinds of towable mats with towing assemblies.
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL V VENNE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7947. The examiner can normally be reached between M-F, 7am-3:30pm Flex. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel J. Morano can be reached on (571) 272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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/Daniel V Venne/
Senior Examiner, Art Unit 3615
10/29/2025