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 1 in the reply filed on 10/16/25 is acknowledged. Claims 11-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species 2-4, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “first axial portion 162”, the “a radial portion 164”, the “a second axial portion 166”, the “connection hole 180”. 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. 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.
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 1-10 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the interaction" in Line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the interaction" in Line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the same axis" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the same axis" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the interaction" in Lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 6, 7, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 10,625,105 (Hetrich et al.).
Regarding Claims 1, 6, 7, 9 and 10, Hetrich et al. teaches: Claim 1 – a securement device comprising: a body (102) with an upper portion (162) and a lower portion (108 and 110); a locking assembly positioned at the lower portion (108 and 110) of the body (102) comprising: a load pin (118) positioned within a yoke (108 and 110) configured to accept a system component and secured in place by the interaction of a lock pin (154) and a lock slot (160); and a track pin (130) positioned in a track slot (128) formed along the load pin (118), securing the load pin (118) on an end opposite the lock pin (118); wherein a biasing member (156) is configured to bias the load pin (118) in a locked position and the load pin (118) is able to move into a retracted position by moving the track pin (130) through the track slot (128), (Figures 1-11B); Claim 6 – wherein the lock slot (160) is generally J-shaped and includes a first axial portion, a radial portion, and a second axial portion, (Figures 1-11B); Claim 7 – wherein the biasing member (156) is a spring (156), (Figures 1-11B); Claim 9 – wherein the load pin (118) further comprises a pin cap secured to the end of the load pin (118) opposite the lock pin (154), (Figures 1-11B); Claim 10 – wherein the yoke (108 and 110) further comprises a lock leg (108) and a track leg (110), wherein the lock pin (154) is secured to the lock leg (108) and the track pin (130) is secured to the track leg (110), (Figures 1-11B.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 10,625,105 (Hetrich et al.) in view of EP 3552675 (Cowell et al.).
Regarding Claim 5, Hetrich et al. teaches the devices as described above, but does not teach: a series of linearly arranged holes along the upper portion of the securement device to form a rigging plate (Claim 5). However, Cowell et al. teaches: Claim 5 - a series of linearly arranged holes (40, 42, 44) along an upper portion (30) of a securement device to form a rigging plate, (Figure 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the securement device of Hetrich et al. to have a series of linearly arranged holes along the upper portion of the securement device to form a rigging plate (Claim 5) as taught by Cowell et al. for the purposes of providing multiple mounting options on the upper body of the securement device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Josh Rodden whose telephone number is (303) 297-4258. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F, 8-5 MST.
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/JOSHUA E RODDEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642