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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 3-7, 9-13, and 17-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US20170319038), hereinafter Kim, in view of Jung et al. (US10742045), hereinafter Jung.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a vacuum cleaning system, comprising:
a vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6 element 300), comprising a battery pack (Fig. 6 element 320) and provided with charging contacts (0050);
a vacuum cleaner holder (Fig. 1 element 100), provided with a first wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 5 element 160), a first bracket connection structure (Fig. 10 element 119), and a suspension supporting structure (Fig. 1 element 112) capable of hanging the vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6, 0054);
a bracket (Fig. 6 elements 210 and 220), one end of the bracket being provided with a bracket base (Fig. 6 element 210) supported by a plane (Fig. 6, where the floor surface which element 210 rests upon corresponds to a plane), and the other end of the bracket being provided with a second bracket connection structure (Fig. 10 the topmost surface of element 220 shown), the second bracket connection structure being detachably connected with the first bracket connection structure (Figs. 6 and 10, 0092), and a storage device (Fig. 6 element 210 and 220 and Fig. 5 element 170) being a floor device when the second bracket connection structure is connected with the first bracket connection structure (Fig. 6 shows the storage device being used as a floor device as claimed); and
a wall mounted bracket (Fig. 5 element 170), mounted on a vertical wall (0066, where "wall surface" corresponds to a vertical wall) and provided with a second wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 5 element 170, where the second wall mounted connection structure is a subset of the wall mounted bracket which encompasses the entirety of the wall mounted bracket) detachably connected with the first wall mounted connection structure to hang the vacuum cleaner holder (0069), the storage device being a wall-mounted device when the first wall mounted connection structure is connected with the second wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 11 shows the storage device being used as a wall-mounted device as claimed; 0066-0069), wherein the charging contacts of the vacuum cleaner are electrically connected with the storage device when the vacuum cleaner is docked with the storage device (0050 and 0075);
the vacuum cleaner holder is capable of being used as a charging device (0083-0085), the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a battery pack charging port (Fig. 8 element 117d).
Kim fails to disclose an output protection device movable between a first position in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging.
Jung is also concerned with charging a battery pack and teaches an output protection device (Fig. 5 element 110, excluding elements 122 shown in Fig. 7) movable between a first position (position shown in Fig. 5) in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port (Fig. 7 element 122 corresponds to a battery pack charging port and Fig. 5 shows element 122 being covered) and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging (position shown in Fig. 11). It 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 to modify the vacuum cleaning system of Kim to include an output protection device as claimed, as taught by Jung, because Jung teaches that an output protection device can reduce the risk of electric shock by not having the battery pack charging port exposed to the outside while a battery pack is not installed for charging (1:33-46 and 8:34-49).
Regarding claim 3, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses the second wall mounted connection structure comprises a slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, where the surface shown in Fig. 5 which is between elements 172 and 174 corresponds to a slideway) and a catch (Kim, Fig. 5 elements 172 and 174), the first wall mounted connection structure comprises a matching slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, where the surface shown in Fig. 5 which is between elements 162 and 164 corresponds to a matching slideway) and a clamping matching structure (Kim, Fig. 5 elements 162 and 164), both the matching slideway and the clamping matching structure are arranged on a side wall of the vacuum cleaner holder (Kim, Fig. 5, where element 111 corresponds to a sidewall of the vacuum cleaner holder), the matching slideway matches with the slideway and allows the slideway to slide within the matching slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, 0068), and the clamping matching structure is matched with the catch (Kim, Fig. 5, 0069).
Regarding claim 4, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 3, as described above, and further discloses the catch comprises at least a first catch (Kim, Fig. 5 element 172) and a second catch (Kim, Fig. 5 element 174), the first catch is arranged on the wall mounted bracket (Kim, Fig. 5), and the second catch is arranged on a side close to a bottom of the wall mounted bracket (Kim, Fig. 5, where the second catch extends from a top of the wall mounted bracket to a bottom of the wall mounted bracket and is therefore arranged on a side close to a bottom of the wall mounted bracket).
Regarding claim 5, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further discloses the first catch is a movable catch and allowed to be raised and lowered by external force (Kim, 0068-069, where the first catch allowing for "sliding" corresponds to the first catch being a movable catch that is allowed to be raised and lowered by external force when the wall mounted bracket is not fixed to the wall).
Regarding claim 6, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses the bracket further comprises a supporting part (Kim, Fig. 10 element 220, excluding the topmost surface of element 220 shown in Fig. 10) and a holder base (Kim, Fig. 10 the topmost surface of element 220 shown, where the holder base is a subset of the second bracket connection structure which encompasses the entirety of the second bracket connection structure), one end of the supporting part is mounted on the bracket base (Kim, Fig. 10), the other end of the supporting part extends to a side away from the bracket base (Kim, Fig. 10), the holder base is arranged on the other end of the supporting part (Kim, Fig. 10), and the second bracket connection structure is arranged on the holder base (Kim, Fig. 10, where the holder base being a subset of the second bracket connection structure meets this limitation).
Regarding claim 7, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 6, as described above, and further discloses the vacuum cleaner holder is mounted on the bracket base through a locking structure (Kim, Fig. 17 elements 220, 229, 432, and 427; 0128), the suspension supporting structure is arranged on the vacuum cleaner holder (Kim, Fig. 1), and a power output terminal (Kim, Fig. 7A element 113) of the vacuum cleaner holder is electrically connected with a charging port of the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner is hung on the suspension supporting structure (Kim, 0050, where one of the "terminals of the cleaner" corresponds to a charging port).
Regarding claim 9, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 7, as described above, and further discloses the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a casing (Kim, Fig. 1 element 110), a circuit board (Kim, the portion of the vacuum cleaner holder which receives the power from the electric wire (Fig. 3 element 114) and then sends power to the charging port (Fig. 1 element 113) where examiner finds that a circuit board (i.e. a structure which receives an input power and distributes that power to one or more other devices) is necessarily a part of the vacuum cleaner holder as there are multiple ports (Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d) which require power and there is only one input wire) and an input part (Kim, Fig. 3, 0060, where the opening in element 111 which receives element 114 corresponds to an input part) and/or an output part (Kim, Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d), the circuit board is arranged in the casing (Kim, since none of the figures shows the circuit board arranged on the outside of the casing, the circuit board is arranged in the casing), the input part and/or the output part are arranged a wall of the casing (Kim, Figs. 1 and 3 shows that both the input and output part are arranged on a wall of the casing), and the input part and/or the output part are electrically connected with corresponding ports of the circuit board (Kim, 0050, where the input and output part are electrically connected with the corresponding ports of the circuit board at least when the output part is used to "charge the battery provided in the cleaner").
Regarding claim 10, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 9, as described above, and further discloses the output part comprises a plurality of output ports (Kim, Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d) capable of providing power to various devices (Kim, 0050 and 0085).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses a vacuum cleaning system, comprising:
a vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6 element 300), comprising a battery pack (Fig. 6 element 320) and provided with charging contacts (0050);
a vacuum cleaner holder (Fig. 1 element 100), provided with a first bracket connection structure (Fig. 10 element 119), and a suspension supporting structure (Fig. 1 element 112) capable of hanging the vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6, 0054),
a bracket (Fig. 6 elements 210 and 220), one end of the bracket being provided with a bracket base (Fig. 6 element 210) supported by a plane (Fig. 6, where the floor surface which element 210 rests upon corresponds to a plane), and the other end of the bracket being provided with a second bracket connection structure (Fig. 10 the topmost surface of element 220 shown), the second bracket connection structure being detachably connected with the first bracket connection structure (Figs. 6 and 10, 0092), and a storage device (Fig. 6 element 210 and 220 and Fig. 5 element 170) being a floor device when the second bracket connection structure is connected with the first bracket connection structure (Fig. 6 shows the storage device being used as a floor device as claimed), wherein
the charging contacts of the vacuum cleaner are electrically connected with the storage device when the vacuum cleaner is docked with the storage device (0050 and 0075);
the vacuum cleaner holder is capable of being used as a charging device (0083-0085), the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a battery pack charging port (Fig. 8 element 117d).
Kim fails to disclose an output protection device movable between a first position in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging.
Jung is also concerned with charging a battery pack and teaches an output protection device (Fig. 5 element 110, excluding elements 122 shown in Fig. 7) movable between a first position (position shown in Fig. 5) in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port (Fig. 7 element 122 corresponds to a battery pack charging port and Fig. 5 shows element 122 being covered) and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging (position shown in Fig. 11). It 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 to modify the vacuum cleaning system of Kim to include an output protection device as claimed, as taught by Jung, because Jung teaches that an output protection device can reduce the risk of electric shock by not having the battery pack charging port exposed to the outside while a battery pack is not installed for charging (1:33-46 and 8:34-49).
Regarding claim 12, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 11, as described above, and further discloses the bracket further comprises a supporting part (Kim, Fig. 10 element 220, excluding the topmost surface of element 220 shown in Fig. 10) and a holder base (Kim, Fig. 10 the topmost surface of element 220 shown, where the holder base is a subset of the second bracket connection structure which encompasses the entirety of the second bracket connection structure), one end of the supporting part is mounted on the bracket base (Kim, Fig. 10), the other end of the supporting part extends to a side away from the bracket base (Kim, Fig. 10), the holder base is arranged on the other end of the supporting part (Kim, Fig. 10), and the second bracket connection structure is arranged on the holder base (Kim, Fig. 10, where the holder base being a subset of the second bracket connection structure meets this limitation).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses the limitations of claim 11, as described above, and further discloses a power output terminal (Kim, Fig. 7A element 113) of the vacuum cleaner holder is electrically connected with a charging port of the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner is hung on the suspension supporting structure (Kim, 0050, where one of the "terminals of the cleaner" corresponds to a charging port).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses a vacuum cleaning system, comprising:
a vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6 element 300), comprising a battery pack (Fig. 6 element 320) and provided with charging contacts (0050);
a vacuum cleaner holder (Fig. 1 element 100), provided with a first wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 5 element 160) and a suspension supporting structure (Fig. 1 element 112) capable of hanging the vacuum cleaner (Fig. 6, 0054); and
a wall mounted bracket (Fig. 5 element 170), mounted on a vertical wall (0066, where "wall surface" corresponds to a vertical wall) and provided with a second wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 5 element 170, where the second wall mounted connection structure is a subset of the wall mounted bracket which encompasses the entirety of the wall mounted bracket) detachably connected with the first wall mounted connection structure to hang the vacuum cleaner holder (0069), a storage device (Fig. 6 element 210 and 220 and Fig. 5 element 170) being a wall-mounted device when the first wall mounted connection structure is connected with the second wall mounted connection structure (Fig. 11 shows the storage device being used as a wall-mounted device as claimed; 0066-0069), wherein the charging contacts of the vacuum cleaner are electrically connected with the storage device when the vacuum cleaner is docked with the storage device (0050 and 0075);
the vacuum cleaner holder is capable of being used as a charging device (0083-0085), the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a battery pack charging port (Fig. 8 element 117d).
Kim fails to disclose an output protection device movable between a first position in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging.
Jung is also concerned with charging a battery pack and teaches an output protection device (Fig. 5 element 110, excluding elements 122 shown in Fig. 7) movable between a first position (position shown in Fig. 5) in which the output protection device covers the battery pack charging port (Fig. 7 element 122 corresponds to a battery pack charging port and Fig. 5 shows element 122 being covered) and a second position in which the output protection device is exposed for charging (position shown in Fig. 11). It 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 to modify the vacuum cleaning system of Kim to include an output protection device as claimed, as taught by Jung, because Jung teaches that an output protection device can reduce the risk of electric shock by not having the battery pack charging port exposed to the outside while a battery pack is not installed for charging (1:33-46 and 8:34-49).
Regarding claim 18, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 17, as described above, and further discloses the second wall mounted connection structure comprises a slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, where the surface shown in Fig. 5 which is between elements 172 and 174 corresponds to a slideway) and a catch (Kim, Fig. 5 elements 172 and 174), the first wall mounted connection structure comprises a matching slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, where the surface shown in Fig. 5 which is between elements 162 and 164 corresponds to a matching slideway) and a clamping matching structure (Kim, Fig. 5 elements 162 and 164), both the matching slideway and the clamping matching structure are arranged on a side wall of the vacuum cleaner holder (Kim, Fig. 5, where element 111 corresponds to a sidewall of the vacuum cleaner holder), the matching slideway matches with the slideway and allows the slideway to slide within the matching slideway (Kim, Fig. 5, 0068), and the clamping matching structure is matched with the catch (Kim, Fig. 5, 0069).
Regarding claim 19, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 17, as described above, and further discloses a power output terminal (Kim, Fig. 7A element 113) of the vacuum cleaner holder is electrically connected with a charging port of the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner is hung on the suspension supporting structure (Kim, 0050, where one of the "terminals of the cleaner" corresponds to a charging port).
Regarding claim 20, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 19, as described above, and further discloses the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a casing (Kim, Fig. 1 element 110), a circuit board (Kim, the portion of the vacuum cleaner holder which receives the power from the electric wire (Fig. 3 element 114) and then sends power to the charging port (Fig. 1 element 113) where examiner finds that a circuit board (i.e. a structure which receives an input power and distributes that power to one or more other devices) is necessarily a part of the vacuum cleaner holder as there are multiple ports (Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d) which require power and there is only one input wire) and an input part (Kim, Fig. 3, 0060, where the opening in element 111 which receives element 114 corresponds to an input part) and/or an output part (Kim, Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d), the circuit board is arranged in the casing (Kim, since none of the figures shows the circuit board arranged on the outside of the casing, the circuit board is arranged in the casing), the input part and/or the output part are arranged a wall of the casing (Kim, Figs. 1 and 3 shows that both the input and output part are arranged on a wall of the casing), and the input part and/or the output part are electrically connected with corresponding ports of the circuit board (Kim, 0050, where the input and output part are electrically connected with the corresponding ports of the circuit board at least when the output part is used to "charge the battery provided in the cleaner").
Regarding claim 21, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses the output protection device comprises a fixing part (Jung, Fig. 7 element 121) and a sliding part (Jung, Fig. 6 element 130), the fixing part is arranged in a casing (Jung, Fig. 4 element 104) of the vacuum cleaner holder and is fixedly connected with the casing (Jung, Fig. 4, 5:10-15), the sliding part is arranged between the fixing part and the casing (Jung, Fig. 4, 6:8-14) and is allowed to slide between the first position and the second position (Jung, Fig. 5 and Fig. 11, 8:57-9:34), the sliding part covers the battery pack charging port when the sliding part is in the first position (Jung, Fig. 5), and the battery pack charging port at least partially exposes the sliding part when the sliding part is in the second position (Jung, Fig. 11).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US20170319038), hereinafter Kim, in view of Jung et al. (US10742045), hereinafter Jung, and in further view of Zhang (CN105395132A), attached as a PDF.
Regarding claim 2, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, but fails to disclose a first accessory clip, wherein a third bracket connection structure is arranged on the first accessory clip, and the third bracket connection structure is interchangeable with the second bracket connection structure to be connected with the first bracket connection structure.
Zhang is also concerned with a vacuum cleaning system and teaches a first accessory clip (Fig. 6 elements 210 and 240), wherein a third bracket connection structure (Fig. 6 element 210) is arranged on the first accessory clip (Fig. 6.). Pursuant of MPEP 2144.06-II, it has been held obvious to substitute equivalents for the same purpose. Kim, as modified, discloses the invention except that the connection structure is a second bracket connection structure instead of a third bracket connection structure arranged on a first accessory clip. Zhang shows that a third bracket connection structure arranged on a first accessory clip is an equivalent structure known in the art (i.e. both structures are attached to a supporting part and used to support another structure). Therefore, because these two connection structure types were art-recognized equivalents at the time the invention was made, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to substitute a third bracket connection structure arranged on a first accessory clip for a second bracket connection structure. Examiner further finds that it 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 to include a first accessory clip with a third bracket connection structure to increase the amount of cleaning tools which the vacuum cleaning system can accommodate.
Kim, as modified, then yields the third bracket connection structure is interchangeable with the second bracket connection structure to be connected with the first bracket connection structure (Zhang, where the third bracket connection structure is capable of interchanging with the second bracket structure (i.e. the third bracket structure would slide over the second bracket structure) to be connected with the first bracket connection structure).
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US20170319038), hereinafter Kim, in view of Jung et al. (US10742045), hereinafter Jung, and in further view of Ko et al. (US11375862), hereinafter Ko.
Regarding claim 14, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 13, as described above, and further discloses the vacuum cleaner holder is mounted on the bracket base through a locking structure (Kim, Fig. 17 elements 220, 229, 432, and 427; 0128).
Kim, as modified, fails to disclose the locking structure comprises a first locking unit and a second locking unit, the first locking unit comprises a locking groove and a plurality of sliding ribs, the second locking unit comprises a locking buckle structure and a plurality of matching sliding ribs, and when the locking buckle structure is inserted into the locking groove, the first locking unit and the second locking unit are locked.
Ko is also concerned with a vacuum cleaning system and teaches the locking structure (Fig. 4, the portions of elements 20 and 30 which engage with each other to created a locked connection corresponds to a locking structure) comprises a first locking unit (Fig. 4, the portion of the locking structure which corresponds to element 20) and a second locking unit (Fig. 4, the portion of the locking structure which corresponds to element 30), the first locking unit comprises a locking groove (Fig. 6 element 29) and a plurality of sliding ribs (see annotated Fig. 6 below), the second locking unit comprises a locking buckle (Fig. 6 element 42a) structure and a plurality of matching sliding ribs (see annotated Fig. 6 below), and when the locking buckle structure is inserted into the locking groove, the first locking unit and the second locking unit are locked (7:8-19). Pursuant of MPEP 2144.06-II, it has been held obvious to substitute equivalents for the same purpose. Kim discloses the invention except that the locking structure comprises a detent inserting into a corresponding hole instead of a first locking unit and a second locking unit. Ko shows that a locking structure which comprises a first locking unit and a second locking unit is an equivalent structure known in the art (i.e. both locking structures are used to selectively connect two structures). Therefore, because these two locking structure types were art-recognized equivalents at the time the invention was made, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to substitute a locking structure comprising a first locking unit and a second locking unit for a locking structure comprising a detent inserting into a corresponding hole.
Regarding claim 15, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 14, as described above, and further discloses the vacuum cleaner holder comprises a casing (Kim, Fig. 1 element 110), a circuit board (Kim, the portion of the vacuum cleaner holder which receives the power from the electric wire (Fig. 3 element 114) and then sends power to the charging port (Fig. 1 element 113) where examiner finds that a circuit board (i.e. a structure which receives an input power and distributes that power to one or more other devices) is necessarily a part of the vacuum cleaner holder as there are multiple ports (Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d) which require power and there is only one input wire) and an input part (Kim, Fig. 3, 0060, where the opening in element 111 which receives element 114 corresponds to an input part) and/or an output part (Kim, Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d), the circuit board is arranged in the casing (Kim, since none of the figures shows the circuit board arranged on the outside of the casing, the circuit board is arranged in the casing), the input part and/or the output part are arranged a wall of the casing (Kim, Figs. 1 and 3 shows that both the input and output part are arranged on a wall of the casing), and the input part and/or the output part are electrically connected with corresponding ports of the circuit board (Kim, 0050, where the input and output part are electrically connected with the corresponding ports of the circuit board at least when the output part is used to "charge the battery provided in the cleaner").
Regarding claim 16, Kim, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 15, as described above, and further discloses the output part comprises a plurality of output ports (Kim, Fig. 8 elements 113 and 117d) capable of providing power to various devices (Kim, 0050 and 0085).
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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 8, the closest arts of record, Kim et al. (US20170319038) and Ko et al. (US11375862), fail to disclose, suggest, or make obvious in combination with the additional elements or each respective claim the following features: “the plurality of sliding ribs is parallel to a bottom plane of the vacuum cleaner holder, the plurality of sliding ribs is parallel to each other” as recited in claim 8. In the previous action, examiner relied upon Ko to teach all the limitations of claim 8, and specifically annotated Fig. 6 of Ko shown below for the plurality of sliding ribs. Examiner finds that Ko, and therefore Kim, as modified, fails to disclose the new limitations described above surrounding the plurality of sliding ribs as the sliding ribs would be considered closer to perpendicular to a bottom plane of the vacuum cleaner and the sliding ribs are not parallel to each other.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 11, and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new grounds of rejection rely on a different combination of prior art as the combination of prior art challenged by Applicant in the Arguments/Remarks.
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 CALEB A HOLIZNA whose telephone number is (571)272-5659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.A.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
