DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/01/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 6-12, 14, 16-18 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Antunovic (US 9,386,863) in view of Gravett (US 2014/0013509) and Bergkvist et al. (US 8,752,739).
Regarding claims 1, 4, and 6-12, 14, 16, 17, Antunovic discloses an infant carrier 200 (Figures 7-11) substantially as claimed, including: a back bag 210; a head-neck support 282/286 attached to an upper end of the back bag (Figures 7 and 8, col. 6 lines 39-55); a shoulder belt 205 connected to two opposite ends of the back bag along a longitudinal direction of the back bag; an awning 155 (col. 7 lines 27-36) connected to the back bag, wherein the awning comprises: a body portion 155; a connection portion (col. 7 lines 27-36) connected to an end of the body portion along a longitudinal direction of the body portion and connected to an upper end of the back bag (col. 7 lines 27-36); a hanging belt 165 connected to an end of the body portion and a wearing space being formed between the hanging belt and body portion, wherein the head-neck support 282/286 comprises a storage space 286, the awning 155 being storable in a storage space 286 (col. 7 lines 27-36), and the connection portion being detachably connected within the storage space 286 (col. 7 line 32-36), the storage space having a closable top opening (col. 6 lines 35-38) with a zipper; and wherein the hanging belt comprising two connection belts 165 being arranged at intervals along a transverse direction of the body portion, each of the two connection belts being provided with a connection member 170, and the connection member being any one of a fixing button and hole matched detachably, a drawstring, a buckle, and a Velcro, wherein an adjusting member 170 is provided on the two connection belts along the longitudinal direction of the body portion, the adjusting member has at least one adjusting section, so that the body portion has different use heights based on different connection positions of the two connection belts (col 4. Lines 55-60), and the adjusting member comprises a plurality of connection members 170 arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the body portion.
Antunovic does not disclose the two connection belts 165 being detachably connected to each other. Antunovic also discloses awning member 155 being adaptable to being used as a nursing cover. Gravett teaches a related awning for nursing wherein the awning comprises a body portion 32 and an upper side having two connection belts 20 detachably connected to each other via connection members 56. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to make the connecting members 170 of Antunovic attachable to one another in order to create more space there under when using the awning as a nursing cover. Furthermore, connecting members 170 would form an adjusting member as claimed – see col. 4 lines 55-60.
Antunovic modified with Gravett discloses the invention substantially as claimed but does not disclose a fixing ring and a fixing button disposed on an inner wall of the storage space 286 and on the connection portion of the awning 155 as claimed (snaps are disclosed instead – col. 7 line 33). Bergkvist teaches that fixing rings and fixing buttons 10/11 are known connection means between two portions of a baby carrier. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to replace the snaps with fixing rings and buttons to substitute one known fastener with another well-known fastener that is used in the art.
Regarding claim 18, a width of the body portion 155 becomes wider in the claimed direction – see Figure 1.
Regarding claim 23, the modified Antunovic device discloses the connection portion is detachably connected within the storage space (see Antunovic col. 7 line 32-36) and the disclosed snaps would be replaced with fixing rings and buttons as disclosed by Bergkvist.
Regarding claim 24, modified Antunovic does not disclose the connection belts being detachably engaged with a male and female buckle as claimed. However, Antunovic already discloses that male and female buckles are known connectors/fasteners used in the art to connect two belts together – see buckles 125 and 150. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to use male and female buckles to connect the belts 165 of Antunovic together in order to substitute a different well-known fastener that is used in the art.
Regarding claim 25, the hanging belt 165 of Antunovic is flexible and therefore foldable toward the storage space.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 9/1/26 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new rejection. Bergkvist discloses the now claimed ring and button and has been relied on in the rejection as applied above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COREY NELSON SKURDAL whose telephone number is (571)272-9588. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-4pm EST.
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/COREY N SKURDAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3734
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