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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II, Figs. 7-11 and claims 1-16, and 18, in the reply filed on 5/29/2026 is acknowledged.
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, 8-11, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Butcher (US 20080105490).
Regarding claim 1, Butcher teaches of (fig. 2) a ladder arrangement (ladder 11) for an elevated hunting platform arrangement of an elevated hunting platform system (standing platform 12, seating platform 21), the ladder arrangement comprising:
a plurality of vertical ladder segments (fig. 1, segments 32, 34, 36) including a first vertical ladder segment and a second vertical ladder segment (left and right vertical segments of segments 32, 34, 36); and
an interconnection device (fig. 5, ladder extension member 54) joining the first vertical ladder segment and the second vertical ladder segment together (seen in fig. 5).
Regarding claim 2, Butcher teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 1) wherein the first vertical ladder segment includes a first longitudinal end (seen in fig. 1), the second vertical ladder segment including a second longitudinal end (seen in fig. 1), the interconnection device (54) being positioned substantially within the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end (fig. 5, ¶0040, top left and top right tip portions 56, 58 of the extension member side portions 80, 82 is formed as a rectangular block-shaped peg having a square cross-sectional shape, which is configured and dimensioned to fit snugly inside of a respective square socket 39 of a square female connection member 38. Top left and top right tip portions 56, 58 of the extension member 54 are positioned substantially within the sockets 39 of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end).
Regarding claim 8. Butcher teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 1) wherein the ladder arrangement (11) is a stick ladder or a two-leg ladder (ladder 11 is a two-leg ladder).
Regarding claim 9, Butcher teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 1) wherein the ladder arrangement (11) is a two-leg ladder (ladder 11 is a two-leg ladder).
Regarding claim 10, Butcher teaches of (fig. 2) a method of using a ladder arrangement (ladder 11) for an elevated hunting platform arrangement of an elevated hunting platform system (standing platform 12, seating platform 21), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of vertical ladder segments (fig. 1, segments 32, 34, 36) including a first vertical ladder segment and a second vertical ladder segment (left and right vertical segments of segments 32, 34, 36); and
joining the first vertical ladder segment and the second vertical ladder segment together by way of an interconnection device (fig. 5, ladder extension member 54) (seen in fig. 5).
Regarding claim 11, Butcher teaches of claim 10, and (fig. 1) wherein the first vertical ladder segment includes a first longitudinal end (seen in fig. 1), the second vertical ladder segment including a second longitudinal end (seen in fig. 1), the interconnection device (54) being positioned substantially within the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end (fig. 5, ¶0040, top left and top right tip portions 56, 58 of the extension member side portions 80, 82 is formed as a rectangular block-shaped peg having a square cross-sectional shape, which is configured and dimensioned to fit snugly inside of a respective square socket 39 of a square female connection member 38. Top left and top right tip portions 56, 58 of the extension member 54 are positioned substantially within the sockets 39 of the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end).
Regarding claim 18, Butcher teaches of claim 10, and (fig. 1) wherein the ladder arrangement (11) is a two-leg ladder (ladder 11 is a two-leg ladder).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Butcher (US 20080105490) in view of Inoue (US 5400870).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Butcher teaches of claims 2 and 11, and (fig. 5) wherein the first longitudinal end of the first vertical ladder segment defines a first hole (socket 39), the second longitudinal end of the second vertical ladder segment defining a second hole (another socket 39), the interconnection device (54) including a first body portion (side portion 80) and a second body portion (cylindrical connection member 60) coupled with the first body portion (seen in fig. 5).
Butcher does not appear to teach of the first body portion including a first depressible portion including a first protrusion, the second body portion including a second depressible portion including a second protrusion, the first protrusion being configured for seating within the first hole, and the second protrusion being configured for seating within the second hole.
Inoue is in the field of connecting vertical segments and teaches of (fig. 2) the interconnection device (vertical linkage pins 2, linking member 8) including a first body portion (fig. 4, lower part 2c of the vertical linking pin 2) and a second body portion (fig. 4, upper part 2b of the vertical linking pin 2) coupled with the first body portion (seen in figs. 2 and 4),
the first body portion (2c) including a first depressible portion including a first protrusion (fig. 4, col. 2 lines 24-29, locking projection 8a can be depressed inwards), the second body portion (2b) including a second depressible portion including a second protrusion (figs. 4 and 8, actuating lever 14 is depressed inwards for disengagement), the first protrusion being (8a) configured for seating within the first hole (fig. 4, upper engaging hole), and the second protrusion (14) being configured for seating within the second hole (hole 17).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Butcher to incorporate the teachings of Inoue of the first body portion including a first depressible portion including a first protrusion, the second body portion including a second depressible portion including a second protrusion, the first protrusion being configured for seating within the first hole, and the second protrusion being configured for seating within the second hole in order to use a mechanism that can easily snap in and pushed out of alignment for attaching and detaching connecting components.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, and 13-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The cited references made of record in the contemporaneously filed PTO-892 form and not relied upon in the instant office action are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and may have one or more of the elements in Applicant’s disclosure and at least claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZOE TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8530. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am-6pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kimberly Berona can be reached at 571-272-6909. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ZOE TAM TRAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3647
Prosecution Insights