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 claims 1-17 in the reply filed on 10/27/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 4 is 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. The base claim limits the second loft angle from 0 to A, a range less than or equal to A does not further limit the base 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) 1-5, 7-11, 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Billings (2007/0243950) in view of Thomas (2005/0137027). Claim 1, Billings discloses a putter head for a golf putter, the putter head comprising a body (100; fig 1-2A) comprising a base (105), a face portion having a ball-facing surface (110), a window (119) framed by the ball-facing surface (110) and extending through the face portion; and an open-topped dock extending into the base rearwardly from the window (open back portion of the body) (fig 1 and 2A). Billings discloses an insert removably affixable to the body (121), the insert comprising an insert body (122) having a ball strike face (123) and a foot (126) extending rearwardly from the insert body (122), wherein the foot (126) is dimensioned to be inserted through the window (119) and seated in the open-topped dock (fig 1) and the insert body (122) is dimensioned to be received by and seated within the window (119) (fig 1) [0040]. Billings does not disclose the loft angles of the face or the insert (the values may be the same). Thomas teaches a golf putter face with a loft angle from 0 to 10 (abstract). One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the loft angle of the putter for the desired distance control. Claim 2, Billings discloses the insert (121) comprises an alignment guide (128) along a top surface of the foot (126), wherein when the foot is seated in the open- topped dock the alignment guide (128) is visible (fig 1) [0040]. Claim 3, the alignment guide (128) comprises at least one embossed and/or debossed line (milled groove) [0040]. Claim 4, Thomas teaches a golf putter face with a loft angle from 0 to 10 (abstract). One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the loft angle of the putter for the desired distance control. Claim 5, Billings discloses the insert body (122) and foot (126) are integrally formed from a single piece of material (fig 2A) [0021, 0053]. Claim 7, Billings discloses the ball strike face (123) of the insert body (121) comprises a plurality of grooves [0040]. Claim 8, Billings discloses the ball strike face (123) of the insert body (121) is continuously smooth [0040]. Claim 9, Billings discloses the body further comprises stop structure (see interior chamfered section inside window 119 in figure 2A) dimensioned to bear (press fit) against a rearward-facing side of the insert body (121) when the insert body is seated within the window (119) [0041].
PNG
media_image1.png
390
480
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim 10, Billings discloses at least one removable fastener (139) for fastening the stop structure to the rearward-facing side of the insert body (fig. 3) [0045]. Claim 11, the at least one removable fastener is a threaded fastener (139). Claim 16, Billings discloses a shaft for the putter head (fig 2A). Claim 17, Billings discloses the shaft is coupled to the putter head via a hosel (118) [0040]. One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the loft angle of the putter for the desired distance control.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 12-15 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAEANN GORDEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4409. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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, Eugene Kim can be reached at 571-272-4463. 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.
/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
December 3, 2025