DETAILED ACTION
This is the First Office Action on the Merits based on the 18/400,066 application filed on 12/29/2023 and which claims as originally filed have been considered in the ensuing 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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 11/17/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202323131862.1 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 1-13 are blurry. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 3-5 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.
Regarding claim 3, the limitation “the solidified filling solution” on lines 4-5 lacks antecedent basis and clarity. It is unclear if “the solidified filling solution” is the same as the previously claimed “filling solution”.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ge (CN 211410848).
Regarding claim 1:
Ge a weight box (ball device 3), a connection hole (see annotated Fig. below) provided on one end of the weight box, a holding rod (rod body device 4) detachably received in the connection hole (see Figs. 5-6), and a handle (handle 1) provided on a side surface of the weight box or on an end surface (the handle is provided on an end surface of the weight box, on the opposite side of the connection hole), away from the connection hole, of the weight box (see Fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 2:
Ge discloses that the connection hole is a threaded hole (inner screw threaded column 6), each end of the holding rod is provided with an external threaded connection end configured for threadedly connecting with the connection hole (see Fig. 5-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11, wherein claims 7-11 are dependent upon claim 6, are allowed.
Claims 3-5, wherein claims 4-5 are dependent upon claim 3, 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 prior art of record fails to teach or disclose a multifunctional fitness equipment in combination with the limitations of claim 3.
The prior art of record fails to teach or disclose a multifunctional fitness equipment in combination with the limitations of claim 6, specifically that each end of the holding rod comprises a connection rotary knob connected with a first outer sealing sleeve.
Ge discloses a multifunctional kettlebell having all the limitations of claim 1 but fails to disclose the weight box comprises an outer housing configured for receiving filling solution, one end of the outer housing is provided with an opening, the weight box further comprises an inner sealing sleeve arranged in the opening, the inner sealing sleeve is configured for fixedly connecting to the solidified filling solution, the weight box further comprises a first outer sealing sleeve sleeved on an outside of the inner sealing sleeve, the connection hole is a threaded hole arranged inside the first outer sealing sleeve. Ge further fails to disclose each end of the holding rod comprises a connection rotary knob connected with a first outer sealing sleeve.
Schuetz teaches a kettlebell device with an outer housing (the outside of weight 12) configured for receiving a filling solution (water 20), one end of the outer housing provided with an opening (closed by cap 18), the weight box further comprises an inner sealing sleeve (cap 18) arranged in the opening. Schuetz fails to disclose that the inner sealing sleeve is configured for fixedly connecting to the solidified filling solution, the weight box further comprises a first outer sealing sleeve sleeved on an outside of the inner sealing sleeve, the connection hole is a threaded hole arranged inside the first outer sealing sleeve. Schuetz does not teach a rod or connection rotary knobs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MEGAN M ANDERSON whose telephone number is (313)446-6531. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6 a.m. -4 p.m. (Arizona).
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/Megan Anderson/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3784