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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 2 and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Last two lines, “engaging” should be replaced with --to engage-- and “preventing” should be replaced with –to prevent--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McKeon (US8425439).
1. A leg harness and locking mechanism device (Fig. 1), comprising: at least one harness assembly (116, 120), each harness assembly of said at least one harness assembly deployable along and securable to one of a left leg and a right leg of a user, wherein each harness assembly comprises one or more frames (112, 114) deployable along and securable to respective one or more sides of said one of the left leg and the right leg, wherein each frame of the one or more frames comprises: a thigh portion (112) and a calf portion (114), respectively deployable along a thigh and a calf of said one of the left leg and the right leg, a hinge (124), configured to facilitate a relative pivoting between the thigh portion and the calf portion about a hinge rotation axis to thereby enable a folding of said each frame at a knee of said one of the left leg and the right leg, and a hinge locking mechanism configured to selectively engage the hinge, the hinge locking mechanism operable to engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting and to alternatively disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting (col. 1, lines 26-29: “A hinge for incorporation into a brace (e.g., a knee brace) that enables a wearer of the brace to lock the brace at a desired angle and also to unlock the brace to allow free rotation is disclosed”).
2. The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein said each harness assembly is configured to adopt at least one locked configuration, wherein, in each locked configuration of the at least one locked configuration, the thigh and calf portions of each frame of the one or more frames of said each harness assembly are arranged at a respective pivoting angle relatively to one another about the hinge rotation axis of said each frame, and the hinge locking mechanism of said each frame is arranged engaging the hinge of said each frame and preventing said relative pivoting (col. 1, lines 30-33: “Implementations may be capable of quick locking/unlocking while being fully capable of unlocking for extended periods of time until the wearer determines that the brace should be locked at a desired angle”).
3. The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 2, wherein said at least one locked configuration comprises two or more locked configurations, wherein the respective pivoting angles of the two or more locked configurations are different from one another (col. 9, lines 10-11: “These markings 17 allow the user to adjust the hinge 10 to different lockable locations”).
4: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 3, wherein the hinge comprises a toothed disk, and the hinge locking mechanism comprises a notched member, the notched member configured to mesh with the toothed disk at two or more different angular positions relative to one another about the hinge rotation axis to define said different, respective pivoting angles (col. 10, lines 10-35: “The static gaps 38 are configured to align with the dynamic teeth sections 27 of the dynamic plate 3 to enable the anchoring segments 40 of the push knob trigger 6 to slide within and pass through the inner ring 37 of the dynamic plate 5 and engage the dynamic teeth 28 of the dynamic plate 3 to lock the hinge 10”).
5: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 2, wherein the thigh portion and the calf portion of said each frame are generally rigid and configured to relieve pressure on said knee in said at least one locked configuration (col. 7, lines 23-27: “The knee brace 110 is generally configured to form a relatively rigid structure about the knee of the wearer. In this regard, the knee brace 110 supports the stress placed upon the wearer's knee and serves to lock the wearer's knee at a desired angle during use”).
Claims 1, 6, 7, and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seelert (US2558986).
1: A leg harness and locking mechanism device (Fig. 1), comprising: at least one harness assembly (29, 53), each harness assembly of said at least one harness assembly deployable along and securable to one of a left leg and a right leg of a user, wherein each harness assembly comprises one or more frames (2, 3) deployable along and securable to respective one or more sides of said one of the left leg and the right leg, wherein each frame of the one or more frames comprises: a thigh portion (2) and a calf portion (3), respectively deployable along a thigh and a calf of said one of the left leg and the right leg, a hinge (4), configured to facilitate a relative pivoting between the thigh portion and the calf portion about a hinge rotation axis to thereby enable a folding of said each frame at a knee of said one of the left leg and the right leg, and a hinge locking mechanism configured to selectively engage the hinge, the hinge locking mechanism operable to engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting and to alternatively disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting (col. 4, line 73 to col. 5, line 2: “One-of the outstanding features of the present invention resides in the means provided: for locking the upper and-lower sections of the brace: in- their normal upright positions, as shown in Figures 1 and 2”).
6: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein said each frame further comprises a foot portion (35), the foot portion extending from the calf portion of said each frame, the foot portion deployable at and securable to the foot of said one of the left leg and the right leg.
7: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 6, wherein the foot portion and the calf portion of said each frame form a generally L-shaped arrangement (Fig. 1), the foot portion (35) configured to extend below the foot and enable the foot to step on the foot portion.
9: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein said one or more frames comprise a left frame (17) and a right frame (18) deployable along respective left and right sides of said one of the left leg and the right leg.
10: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 9, wherein said one or more frames further comprise a foot portion (35), the foot portion extending from the respective calf portions of the left and right frames, the foot portion deployable at and securable to the foot of said one of the left leg and the right leg.
11: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 10, wherein the foot portion (35) and calf portions (25) form a generally U-shaped arrangement (Fig. 2), the foot portion configured to extend below the foot and enable the foot to step on the foot portion.
12: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein each frame of the one or more frames of said each harness assembly further comprises at least one cushioning pad (34) deployable between said each frame and said one of the left leg and the right leg.
13: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein each harness assembly further comprises a plurality of straps (31, 52) configured to extend about said one of the left leg and the right leg and secure the one or more frames of said each harness assembly to said one of the left leg and the right leg.
14: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 13, wherein said plurality of straps comprises at least one first strap configured to secure the thigh portion (52) to the thigh and at least one second strap configured to secure the calf portion (31) to the calf.
15. The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 1, wherein the hinge locking mechanism of said each frame comprises an elongate, hinge locking arm (49) extending along the thigh portion of said each frame, from an upper area of said thigh portion to a lower area of said thigh portion, wherein the hinge locking arm (49) is operable at said upper area of said thigh portion to cause the hinge locking arm to selectively engage the hinge (4) at said lower area of the thigh portion to alternatively engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting or disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting (e.g., see col. 5, lines 46-58).
16. The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 15, wherein the upper area of the thigh portion is arranged at an upper end of said thigh portion (Figs. 1 and 2).
17. The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 15, wherein the hinge locking arm (49) is pivotably connected to an intermediate area of said thigh portion (see pivot connection near 47 in Fig. 1), said intermediate area arranged between said upper and lower areas of said thigh portion, wherein the hinge locking arm (49) is selectively pivotable towards and away from said hinge (4) at said lower area responsively to a manual pivoting (by lever 44) of said hinge locking arm (49) away from and towards said upper area of said thigh portion, respectively, to engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting and to alternatively disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting (e.g., see col. 5, lines 46-58).
18: The leg harness and locking mechanism device of claim 15, wherein the hinge locking arm (49) is slidably connected to said thigh portion (note that the locking arm 49 slides along 53) and is selectively slidable (by handle 44) with respect to said thigh portion towards and away from said hinge (4) to engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting and to alternatively disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting.
19. A leg harness and locking mechanism device (Fig. 1), comprising: at least one harness assembly (29, 53), each harness assembly of said at least one harness assembly deployable along and securable to one of a left leg and a right leg of a user, wherein each harness assembly comprises one or more frames (2, 3) deployable along and securable to respective one or more sides of said one of the left leg and the right leg, wherein each frame of the one or more frames comprises: a thigh portion (2) and a calf portion (3), the thigh and calf portions generally rigid and respectively deployable along a thigh and a calf of said one of the left leg and the right leg, a hinge (4), configured to facilitate a relative pivoting between the thigh portion and the calf portion about a hinge rotation axis to thereby enable a folding of said each frame at a knee of said one of the left leg and the right leg, and a hinge locking mechanism configured to selectively engage the hinge (col. 4, line 73 to col. 5, line 2: “One-of the outstanding features of the present invention resides in the means provided: for locking the upper and-lower sections of the brace: in- their normal upright positions, as shown in Figures 1 and 2”), the hinge locking mechanism comprising an elongate, hinge locking arm (49) extending along the thigh portion of said each frame, from an upper area of said thigh portion to a lower area of said thigh portion, wherein the hinge locking arm (49) is operable at said upper area of said thigh portion to cause the hinge locking arm to selectively engage the hinge at said lower area of the thigh portion to alternatively engage the hinge and prevent said relative pivoting or disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting; wherein said each harness assembly is configured to adopt at least one locked configuration (col. 5, lines 46-58)., wherein, in each locked configuration of the at least one locked configuration, the thigh and calf portions of each frame of the one or more frames of said each harness assembly are arranged at a respective pivoting angle relatively to one another about the hinge rotation axis of said each frame, and the hinge locking mechanism of said each frame is arranged engaging the hinge of said each frame and preventing said relative pivoting, the thigh portion and calf portion configured to relieve pressure on said knee (col. 1, lines 11-15).
20: A leg harness and locking mechanism device (Fig. 1), comprising: at least one harness assembly (29, 53), each harness assembly of said at least one harness assembly deployable along and securable to one of a left leg and a right leg of a user, wherein each harness assembly comprises a plurality of straps (31, 52) and one or more frames (2,3), the one or more frames deployable along respective one or more sides of said one of the left leg and the right leg and securable to said one of the left leg and the right leg by said plurality of straps (Figs. 1 and 2), wherein each frame of the one or more frames comprises: a thigh portion (2) and a calf portion (3), the thigh and calf portions generally rigid and respectively deployable along a thigh and a calf of said one of the left leg and the right leg, a hinge (4), configured to facilitate a relative pivoting between the thigh portion and the calf portion about a hinge rotation axis to thereby enable a folding of said each frame at a knee of said one of the left leg and the right leg, and a hinge locking mechanism (38) configured to selectively engage the hinge, the hinge locking mechanism comprising an elongate, hinge locking arm (49) extending along the thigh portion of said each frame, from an upper area of said thigh portion to a lower area of said thigh portion, wherein the hinge locking arm is operable at said upper area of said thigh portion (by lever 44) to cause the hinge locking arm to selectively engage the hinge at said lower area of the thigh portion to alternatively engage the hinge (4) and prevent said relative pivoting or disengage the hinge and enable said relative pivoting; wherein said each harness assembly is configured to adopt at least one locked configuration, wherein, in each locked configuration of the at least one locked configuration, the thigh and calf portions of each frame of the one or more frames of said each harness assembly are arranged at a respective pivoting angle relatively to one another about the hinge rotation axis of said each frame (col. 5, lines 35-28), and the hinge locking mechanism of said each frame is arranged engaging the hinge of said each frame and preventing said relative pivoting (col. 5, lines 24-28), the thigh portion and calf portion configured to relieve pressure on said knee (col. 1, lines 11-15).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 Ben Pezzlo whose telephone number is (571)272-9656. The examiner can normally be reached M to Th 7 to 5.
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, Daniel Cahn can be reached at (571) 270-5616. 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.
/BAP/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/COLLEEN M CHAVCHAVADZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634