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 .
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 1/9/26. Accordingly the application has been amended.
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 5-7 and all claims depending therefrom 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.
Claims 5-6 recites the limitation "the first gear” and “the second gear". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-3,8,14,15,19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Hoberman (20060159868).
Claim 1. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising:
a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in the figures and noted in the disclosure);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure); and
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels.
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels.
Hoberman discloses a linkage system including a set of gear systems (as seen in the various embodiments and figures).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system including a set of gear systems as taught by Hoberman, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Claim 2. The expandable structure of claim 1, further comprising a second expansion section (a second 50 as seen in figures 7 and noted in the disclosure) expandable outward in a second direction, different from the first direction, from the main structure, the second expansion section including a second set of side walls (54) formed from a plurality of second wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration.
Claim 3. Lindholm discloses the expandable structure of claim 2, further comprising a second linkage system (50) interconnecting the plurality of second wall panels,
Lindholm does not disclose the second linkage system including a second set of gear systems, each gear system of the second set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels.
Hoberman discloses a linkage system including a set of gear systems (as seen in the various embodiments and figures).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the second linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system including a set of gear systems as taught by Hoberman, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Claim 8. The expandable structure of claim 1, further comprising linkages extending between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems (as noted in Hoberman where linkages extend between adjacent set of gear systems).
Claim 14. The expandable structure of claim 1, further comprising a cover (51) operable to cover a push arm disposed in a storage region of the expandable structure, the storage region receiving the plurality of wall panels in the retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), the cover operable to cover the push arm when the plurality of wall panels are in a fully opened configuration to form the side walls of the first expansion section (as seen in figure 3).
Claim 15. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising: a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in the figures);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure); and
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels,
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels.
Hoberman discloses a linkage system including a set of gear systems each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear, and the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes, each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration (as seen in the various embodiments and figures).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system as taught by Hoberman including a set of gear systems having first and second teeth, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels and the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one, and the gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial exes and parallel during movement to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Claim 19. The expandable structure of claim 15, further comprising a cover (51) operable to cover a push arm disposed in a storage region of the expandable structure, the storage region receiving the plurality of wall panels in the retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), the cover operable to cover the push arm when the plurality of wall panels are in a fully opened configuration to form the side walls of the first expansion section (as seen in figure 3).
Claim(s) 11,12,17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Hoberman (20060159868) and further in view of Gyllenhammar (6345471).
Claim 11. Lindholm in view of Hoberman disclose the expandable structure of claim 1 as above, but do not disclose further comprising a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration.
Gyllenhammar discloses a push arm (14) operable to move wall panels from a retracted configuration to a fully opened configuration.
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the structure to have a push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration to achieve the predictable result of an easily actuated expansion system that requires minimal effort from a user.
Claim 12. The expandable structure of claim 11, wherein movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open (where this is a result of the structure as noted in the claims above).
Claim 17. Lindholm in view of Hoberman disclose the expandable structure of claim 15 as above, but do not disclose further comprising a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration.
Gyllenhammar discloses a push arm (14) operable to move wall panels from a retracted configuration to a fully opened configuration.
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the structure to have a push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration, wherein movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open, to achieve the predictable result of an easily actuated expansion system that requires minimal effort from a user.
Claim(s) 13,18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Hoberman (20060159868) and further in view of Wickramasekera (20170335561).
Claims 13,18. Lindholm in view of Hoberman disclose the expandable structure of claims 1 and 15 as above, but do not disclose further comprising an insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels, the insulation material filling a gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels with the side wall is in a fully opened configuration.
Wickramasekera discloses that in the expanded configuration all joints between panels include insulation (paragraph 0007).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the structure as above to comprise insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels filling a gap at the joint between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels in a fully opened configuration as taught by Wickramasekera to achieve the predictable result of a fully sealed structure that allows for climate control and comfort to a user within the structure.
Claim(s) 1,8,9,10,15,16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Fisher (20080141495).
Claim 1.8. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising:
a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in the figures and noted in the disclosure);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5); and
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels including linkages extending between adjacent gear systems.
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels.
Fisher discloses a linkage system including a set of gear systems (as seen in the figures 9-10).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system including a set of gear systems as taught by Fisher, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Claim 9. The expandable structure of claim 8, wherein the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state (as seen in figures 6 of Lindholm where they extend outside the panel).
Claim 10. The expandable structure of claim 8, wherein the linkages are positioned at upper and lower extremities of each wall panel (where they are at a top and bottom, see 206/100 figure 12).
Claim 15. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising: a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in the figures);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure); and
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels,
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear, and the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes, each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration.
Fisher discloses a linkage system (as seen in figures 9-10) including a set of gear systems each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear (30,32 as seen in the figures), (as seen in the various embodiments and figures).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system as taught by Fisher including a set of gear systems having first and second teeth, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels and the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels and the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes (as seen in the figures of Lindholm where the linkages are aligned along a plurality of axial axes), each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration, the first one being adjacent the second one, and the gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial exes and parallel during movement to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Claim 16. The expandable structure of claim 15, further comprising linkages extending between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems (as noted in Lindholm and Fisher), wherein the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state (as seen in figures 6 of Lindholm where they extend outside the panel).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Fisher (20080141495) and further in view of Gyllenhammar (6345471).
Claim 20. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising:
a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in figure the figures and noted in the disclosure);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5), wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure);
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels (as seen it the figures).
Lindholm does not disclose a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration.
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, wherein: the linkage system include linkages extend between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems;
the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state;
each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear; the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one; and
movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open.
Fisher discloses a linkage system including a set of gear systems (as seen in the figures 9-10), wherein: the linkage system include linkages extend between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems;
the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state;
each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear (at 30,32); the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one (as seen in figures 9-10).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the linkage system of Lindholm to be a linkage system including a set of gear systems as taught by Fisher, where the gear systems adjoin each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels and the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state; to achieve the predictable result of an extension that easily expands and retracts.
Gyllenhammar discloses a push arm (14) operable to move wall panels from a retracted configuration to a fully opened configuration.
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the structure to have a push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration to achieve the predictable result of an easily actuated expansion system that requires minimal effort from a user,
wherein movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open (where this is a result of the structure as noted in the claims above).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Fisher (20080141495) and further in view of Gyllenhammar (6345471) and further still in view of Wickramasekera (20170335561).
Claim 21. The expandable structure of claim 20 as above, but does not disclose further comprising an insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels, the insulation material filling a gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels with the side wall is in a fully opened configuration.
Wickramasekera discloses that in the expanded configuration all joints between panels include insulation (paragraph 0007).
At the time the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to pursue known design options and modify the structure as above to comprise insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels filling a gap at the joint between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels in a fully opened configuration as taught by Wickramasekera to achieve the predictable result of a fully sealed structure that allows for climate control and comfort to a user within the structure.
Claim(s) 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindholm (8191564) in view of Self (8312596).
Claim 4. Lindholm discloses an expandable structure comprising:
a main structure (20);
a first expansion section (50), the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure (as seen in the figures and noted in the disclosure);
side walls (54) of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration (as seen in figure 5) wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure), wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises a rigid planar panel (as noted in the disclosure); and
a linkage system (55) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels.
Lindholm does not disclose the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels;
wherein each gear system comprises at least one complete circular gear having teeth extending continuously around an entire circumference thereof, wherein the at least one complete circular gear is configured to rotate through a full range of motion as the first expansion section moves between the retracted configuration and a fully extended configuration.
Self discloses a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration and a linkage system (as seen in figure 2) interconnecting the plurality of wall panels, the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels (as seen in figures 1-7);
wherein each gear system comprises at least one complete circular gear (24) having teeth (as seen in the figure) extending continuously around an entire circumference thereof, wherein the at least one complete circular gear is configured to rotate through a full range of motion as the first expansion section moves between the retracted configuration and a fully extended configuration (as seen in the figures and noted in the disclosure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to pursue known design options and modify the hinge of Lindholm to be a hinge system having a linkage system including a set of gear systems each gear system comprises at least one complete circular gear having teeth extending continuously around an entire circumference thereof, wherein the at least one complete circular hear is configured to rotate through a full range of motion as the first expansion section moves between the retracted and fully extended configurations as taught by Self to achieve the predictable result of panels that are easily movable with respect to each other facilitating ease of movement for a user.
Claim 5. The expandable structure of claim 4, wherein the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one (as seen in the figures and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 6. The expandable structure of claim 4, wherein the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes, each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration (as seen in the figures).
Claim 7. The expandable structure of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of axial axes align into a single linear axis when the side wall is in the fully opened configuration (as seen in the figures of Self).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/9/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments at pages 8-9 that an accordion arrangement by definition comprises three or more panels arranged in series that fold in a zigzag pattern, with adjacent panels sharing common edges and the entire assembly compressing into a compact stack is not persuasive. Applicant appears to have an overly narrow interpretation of the claimed terms “accordion arrangement”. A bi-fold door is not structurally and functionally distinct from an accordion arrangement, nothing about the claim terms “accordion arrangement” requires three or more panels. The claim term “arrangement” in fact does not impart any specific structure or number of panels and the claim term “accordion” imparts folding method, but does not require three or more panels. The panels of Lindholm do fold in an accordion arrangement even with two panels, the additional of one or more panels would continue to fold in an accordion arrangement and therefore does not change the accordion arrangement folding. The number of panels does not preclude the folding from being an accordion arrangement. Further the claim recites “storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement”, the accordion arrangement is directed to the storable stacked state. The panels of Lindholm are stacked in an accordion arrangement, similarity to applicants stacked panels. The broadest reasonable interpretation of “accordion arrangement” is at least two panels that are angularly adjustable with respect to each other. Thus applicants arguments are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that incorporation of Hoberman’s gear linkage system into Lindholm would require substantial reconstruction and redesign of Lindholm’s core structure, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). Applicant’s arguments that the bifold panels of Lindholm would need to be replaced with multiple discrete rigid panels is not persuasive. The panels of Lindholm are multiple discrete panels, connected by a hinge system. The rejection modifies the hinging mechanism to be one with a linkage system as claimed. One of ordinary skill would understand from Hoberman that a linkage system can be used to angularly connect adjacent members. Further regarding applicants point 3 at page 9 section B. Lindholm teaches an accordion arrangement as noted above, therefore would not need to be reconfigured from a bi-fold to an accordion arrangement. It would have been well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the references and their teaching to understand that the hinge linkage system of Lindholm can be modified to include a linkage system having gears to achieve the predictable result of smooth and assisted movement.
In response to applicant's argument that Lindholm and Hoberman are nonanalogous art, it has been held that a prior art reference must either be in the field of the inventor’s endeavor or, if not, then be reasonably pertinent to the particular problem with which the inventor was concerned, in order to be relied upon as a basis for rejection of the claimed invention. See In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 24 USPQ2d 1443 (Fed. Cir. 1992). In this case, both references are drawn to folding of structures.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the amendments of claim 4 are noted. The claim amendments necessitate the new grounds of rejection as presented above.
Applicant’s arguments at page 11 regarding a three gear system is not persuasive. It is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., three gear system as described in the specification) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Applicants arguments at pages 12-13 regarding Fisher and Gyllenhammar and an accordion arrangement are not persuasive. Applicant has an overly narrow interpretation of the claim terms “accordion arrangement” as noted above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LAUX whose telephone number is (571)272-8228. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
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, Brian Mattei can be reached at 571.270.3238. 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.
JESSICA L. LAUX
Examiner
Art Unit 3635
/JESSICA L LAUX/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
Prosecution Insights