DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a first office action on the merits. Claims 1-7, as originally filed are currently pending and have been considered below.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, all the listed features must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s): Shoelace. No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to because :
The inner housing should be labeled in Fig. 3 to more clearly identify the structures that correspond with the structures in Fig. 2 shown in cross section.
The cross-section shown in Fig. 2 is not presented in a manner consistent with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.84. The plane upon which the sectional view is taken should be indicated on the view from which the section is cut by a broken line.
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.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(b) because they are incomplete. 37 CFR 1.83(b) reads as follows:
When the invention consists of an improvement on an old machine the drawing must when possible exhibit, in one or more views, the improved portion itself, disconnected from the old structure, and also in another view, so much only of the old structure as will suffice to show the connection of the invention therewith.
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. The details of the interior of the structures are not shown. For instance:
The mounting part is not clearly shown or how its snap-fit part is attached to the mounting block.
The lug boss and base are not shown sufficiently to convey how it snaps with the base.
How are the convex grooves arranged on the winder to interact with the slots?
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 4 the phrase “on outside” should be replaced by --on an outside--.
In claim 1, line 10 the phrase “on outside” should be replaced by --on an outside--.
In claim 2, line 6 the phrase “wherein bottom” should be replaced by --wherein the bottom--.
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 1-7 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. As noted above, the Figures do not appear to completely convey the structures of the invention. The Figures have made vague how the device operates as noted above and further leaves answerable: In what manner and what specific structure is the end face to be aligned with the serrations? The claims have been interpreted as best understood as shown below.
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(s) 1 and 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2021/0269275).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an apparatus comprising a clamping piece (30), a base (5), a shoelace winding member (20), an upper connector (60, 40) and a lower connector (10), wherein all of them have a cylindrical geometry (Fig. 2 as shown); and
wherein the clamping piece is configured to be mounted on outside of the upper connector (Fig. 7 as shown), and the upper connector is configured to be fixedly connected to the shoelace winding member (31 and 25 are affixed during clockwise rotation of the clamping piece) and also be rotationally connected to the lower connector via the shoelace winding member (rotatable about 13); wherein the shoelace winding member is configured to be provided inside of the upper connector and the lower connector (Fig. 2 shows wherein the winder is sandwiched inside the connectors), and the base is configured to be mounted on outside of the lower connector (Fig. 7 as shown);
wherein a shoelace is connected between the lower connector and the shoelace winding member, the clamping piece is rotated to drive rotations of the upper connector and the shoelace winding member and also control the shoelace winding member to be coiled around the shoelace winding member or be loosened from the shoelace winding member (the device as shown in Fig. 2 operates in this manner).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further discloses wherein the lower connector is configured with a lug boss (Fig. 2 as annotated below) disposed around bottom thereon and the base is configured to be snapped onto the lug boss.
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Figure 2 as reproduced from Kim
Regarding claim 6, Kim further discloses wherein a top periphery of the upper connector is configured with a number of mounting grooves arranged in a circular pattern, and the clamping piece is configured to be snapped into the mounting grooves.
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Figure 2 as reproduced from Kim
Regarding claim 7, The tightening buckle for stabilizing shoelaces according to claim 1, wherein the lower connector is further configured with a limiting portion (124) disposed around an inner wall thereon, and a bottom of the shoelace winding member is located below the limiting portion (Figs. 4A and 4B as shown).
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2024/0032654).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses an apparatus comprising a clamping piece (1400), a base (1110), a shoelace winding member (1200, 1520), an upper connector (1300) and a lower connector (1120), wherein all of them have a cylindrical geometry (Fig. 2 as shown); and
wherein the clamping piece is configured to be mounted on outside of the upper connector (Fig. 6 as shown), and the upper connector is configured to be fixedly connected to the shoelace winding member (1360 and 1230 are affixed during clockwise rotation of the clamping piece) and also be rotationally connected to the lower connector via the shoelace winding member (Fig. 7 shows at least one arrangement with rotational connection); wherein the shoelace winding member is configured to be provided inside of the upper connector and the lower connector (Fig. 6 as shown), and the base is configured to be mounted on outside of the lower connector (Fig. 6 as shown);
wherein a shoelace is connected between the lower connector and the shoelace winding member, the clamping piece is rotated to drive rotations of the upper connector and the shoelace winding member and also control the shoelace winding member to be coiled around the shoelace winding member or be loosened from the shoelace winding member (the device as shown in Fig. 2 operates in this manner).
Regarding claim 2, Chen further discloses wherein the upper connector comprises an outer housing (1310) and an inner housing (1320), the outer housing is configured to be mounted on outside of the inner housing, and the inner housing comprises a mounting part (central hub of 1320 as shown in Fig. 2) disposed around a central axis of the inner housing and a mounting hole (Figs. 2 and 3 as shown) formed by the mounting part; and wherein bottom of the mounting part is configured with a snap-fit part (Fig. 7 as annotated below) projecting inwardly, the shoelace winding member is configured with a mounting block (central hub of 1200 and 1510 as shown in Figs. 2 and 7) corresponding to the mounting hole and the snap-fit part, and the mounting block is configured to be snapped into the mounting hole (Figs. 6 and 7 as shown).
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Regarding claim 3, Chen further discloses wherein the bottom of the mounting part is further configured with a plurality of slots (between the teeth of 1360), and the shoelace winding member is configured with convex grooves (1230) corresponding in shape and size to the slots.
Regarding claim 4, Chen further discloses wherein the lower connector comprises a hollow portion (Figs. 2 as shown) for providing space to mount the shoelace winding member, the hollow portion is configured with serrations (1140) equally spaced around periphery thereof, and the serrations is configured to be aligned with an end face of the shoelace winding member (Fig. 7 as shown).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL S LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5735. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at (571) 272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.S.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677