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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed April 17th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-2, and 6-8 remain pending in the application. The applicant’s amendments to the abstract have overcome all claim rejections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 2nd, 2026.
Specification
The applicant’s amendments to the abstract have overcome the objections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 2nd, 2026.
The disclosure maintains being objected to because of the following informalities:
Reference character 4011 is referred to as either “clamping protrusion” or “snap-
fit convex” (paragraphs 0031 and 0041).
In paragraph 0035, the applicant recites “for example, it may be a fixing connecting, it can also be a detachable connecting or an integral connecting. it can be a mechanical connecting or an electrical connecting. it can be a direct connecting or an indirect connecting through an intermediate media”. The phrase would be clearer if the first words in the sentences were capitalized as --For example-- and --It can--, respectively.
The first sentence in paragraph 0064 improperly ends with a “;”. This could be construed as inadvertently omitted subject matter. It appears that the sentence should end with a period.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the guide rail (claim 1, line 11) and self-locking nut (claim 7, line 4) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 Objections
Claims 1-2 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1-2 maintain being objected to as containing more than one period and capitalizing more than the first word of each claim (i.e., claims should each be one sentence). Each claim begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. Periods may not be used elsewhere in the claims except for abbreviations. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
In claim 1, lines 6-9, the phrase would be clearer if reworded as --left connecting part (101), an intermediate part (102), and a right connecting part (103); and each right connecting part (103) are respectively connected to and each left connecting part (101) and
In claim 1, line 11, “side rail (5) is connected to guide rail” seems to be directed to state --the side rail (5) is connected to a guide rail--.
Appropriate correction is required.
The applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome all other objections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 2nd, 2026.
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. In lines 5-6, it is unclear what “the third left plug (1013)” is structurally connected to, as no relationships to other elements are defined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 has been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for:
A soft car cover, comprising a transverse support structure and a longitudinal support structure;
[the] transverse support structure includes a side rail (5) and a plurality of joint assemblies, the side rails (5) are connected to each other by a joint assembly, the joint assemblies each include a left connecting part (101), an intermediate part (102), and a right connecting part (103); [each] left connecting part (101) and each right connecting part (103) are respectively [connected] to [each] respective intermediate part (102) by a connecting block (104), [and each] left connecting part (101) and [each] right connecting part (102) are both for connecting the side rail;
[the] longitudinal support structure includes a front bar (6), an intermediate support bar (7) and a locking system bar (8), [the] side rail (5) is connected to [a] guide rail by a front bar fixing structure (4), the intermediate support bar (7) is connected to the joint assembly or to the side rail (5), the locking system bar (8) is connected to the joint assembly;
[the] connecting block (104) includes a first connecting block hole (1041) and a second connecting block hole (1042);
[the] left connecting part (101) is connected to the intermediate part (102) by the connecting block (104), the first connecting block hole (1041) is connected to the intermediate part (102), the second connecting block hole (1042) is connected to the left connecting part (101);
[the] right connecting part (103) is connected to the intermediate part (102) by the connecting block (104), the first connecting block hole (1041) is connected to the right connecting part (103), the second connecting block hole (1042) is connected to the intermediate part (102);
[the] left connecting part (101) is provided with a positioning block (1016), the connecting block (104) is provided with a positioning groove (1043), the positioning groove (1043) is provided in correspondence with the positioning block (1016);
[the] intermediate part (102) is provided with a positioning block (1016), the connecting block (104) is provided with a positioning groove (1043), the positioning groove (1043) is provided in correspondence with the positioning block (1016).
Claim 2 has been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for:
The soft car cover according to claim 1, wherein, the soft car cover is a four-fold structure, the front bar fixing structure (4) includes a first front bar fixing plate (401), a second front bar fixing plate (402), a front bar fixing screw (403) and a front bar fixing nut (404), the first front bar fixing plate (401) is connected to the second front bar fixing plate (402) by [[the]] front bar fixing screws (403) and front bar fixing nuts (404);
[the] side rail (5) is provided with a side rail groove (501), the first front bar fixing plate (401), in sequence from top to bottom, includes a snap-fit section, a first clamping section (4012), a connecting section and a limiting groove (4014), the snap-fit section is provided with a snap-fit convex (4011), the snap-fit convex (4011) is connected to the side rail groove (501), the connecting section is provided with a waist hole (4013);
[the] second front bar fixing plate (402), in sequence from top to bottom, includes a second clamping section (4021), a mounting section and a limiting plate (4023).
[the] snap-fit section extends into the side rail groove (501), the first clamping section (4012) is provided in correspondence with the second clamping section (4021), the mounting section is connected with an anti-rotation groove (4022), the front bar fixing nut (404) is provided in the anti-rotation groove (4022), the limiting groove (4014) is adapted to the limiting plate (4023).
Claim 6 has been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for:
The soft car cover according to claim 1, wherein, the joint assembly further includes a bolt (106), the left connecting part (101) is provided with a left connecting part through-hole (1015), the connecting block (104) is provided with a second connecting block hole (1042), the bolt (106) passes through the second connecting block hole (1042) to connect the left connecting part through-hole (1015) and connects the connecting block (104) to the left connecting part through-hole (1015).
Claim 7 has been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for:
The soft car cover according to claim 6, wherein, the joint assembly further includes a screw (105), the screw (105) passes through a mounting hole (1022), a first connecting block hole (1041) and a through-hole (1021), and is connected with a self-locking nut.
The following is a statement of the reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Undisclosed Inventor CN 115489284 A discloses a soft four-folding vehicle cover (‘284 claim 1) of a full-internal embedded vehicle that includes transverse and longitudinal support structures (‘284 Fig. 2; ‘284 claim 2); a side rail (‘284 Fig. 2; ‘284 claim 1); a plurality of joint assemblies (‘284 4/6/7; ‘284 Fig. 2) comprising a left connecting part, an intermediate part, and a right connecting part (‘284 61/63; ‘284 Fig. 6); a front bar (‘284 3; ‘284 Fig. 2); an intermediate support bar (‘284 Fig. 2); and a locking system bar (‘284 9). This would not be modified as ‘284 does not disclose the plurality of joint assemblies comprising a connecting block with a positioning groove.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Undisclosed Inventor CN 115489284 A discloses a soft four-folding vehicle cover of a full-internal embedded vehicle that includes transverse and longitudinal support structures and three-component joint assemblies.
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 Anayansi Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-3138. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy Weisberg can be reached at (571) 270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anayansi Santiago/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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