DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the amendment filed July 13, 2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-22 are pending. Claims 4-7, 9, 11 and 18-21 are withdrawn as set forth below. Claims 1-3, 8, 10, 12-17 and 22 stand rejected as set forth below.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim 3 be found allowable, claim 23 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 1 and 22, the phrase “upon placing the extending body into the looped volume and tightening the two sections” is towards a method of making the system and not towards the apparatus or system. A claim must be directed to a single statutory class. Since the preambles are drawn to an apparatus and a system, respectively, it is assumed the apparatus and system are the statutory classes of invention for these claims and the examiner will treat the process steps as product by process and the apparatus and system merely must be capable of being formed by the claimed method. Applicant should note claims 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 23 stands rejected as being dependent on a rejected 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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 10, 12-17, 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Auston et al. (Us Pub 2020/0230445) (hereinafter Auston).
In regard to Claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, Auston discloses an adapter (10) for use to connect a connector to a safety harness (abstract), the connector being adapted to connect a device to the safety harness, the safety harness including webbing (40) and a D-shim (70) (Fig 2), the D-shim including spaced slots through which each of two sections of the webbing pass (Fig 2), a D-ring (30) being connected via a connector passage in the D-ring to the two sections of webbing passing between the spaced slots (Fig 2), the adapter comprising: an extending body adapted to maintain an open volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the spaced slots and an upper surface of the D-shim so that a section of the connector may be passed through the open volume maintained between the two sections of the webbing to removably connect the connector to the safety harness (Figs 1-3) the extending body of the adapter being formed separately from the D-shim and from the D-ring (Figs 1-3), the extending body being configured to be placed into a looped volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the spaced slots and the upper surface of the D-shim with the D-ring connected to the two sections of the webbing extending between the spaced slots (Figs 1-3); wherein the adapter is retained in position between the two sections of the webbing and an upper surface of the D-shim via force applied by the two sections of the webbing upon placing the extending body into the looped volume and tightening the two sections of the webbing between the spaced slots to apply the force to the adapter (Figs 1, 2).
In regard to Claim 2, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, wherein the extending body comprises an extending base, an extending webbing support spaced from the extending base, and an intermediate member connected between the extending base and the extending webbing support (See annotated below).
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In regard to Claims 3 and 23, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, wherein the intermediate member divides the open volume into a first volume on a first side of the intermediate member and a second volume on a second side of the intermediate member, wherein the second volume is bounded, at least in part, by the adapter and the two sections of the webbing, when the adapter is connected to the safety harness, a portion of the D-ring being positioned within the first volume (within 15) (Figs 2), wherein the connector may be passed through the second volume (within 11) (Figs 1, 2) such that it is adjacent to the adapter and to the two sections of the webbing.
In regard to Claim 8, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, wherein at least a portion of an upper surface of the extending body of the adapter is configured to support the two sections of the webbing (Fig 2).
In regard to Claim 10, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, further comprising a first upward extending flange (19) on a first lateral end of the portion of the upper surface of the extending body and a second extending flange (17) on a second lateral end of the portion of the upper surface of the extending body (Fig 3).
In regard to Claim 12, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, further comprising at least one member (21, 23) extending downward from the extending body of the adapter which is configured to extend into at least one of the spaced slots through which each of the two sections of the webbing pass (see annotated Fig above, Fig 2).
In regard to Claim 13, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, further comprising a first member (21) extending downward from the extending body of the adapter which is configured to extend into at least one of the spaced slots through which each of two sections of the webbing pass and a second member (23) extending downward from the extending body of the adapter which is configured to extend into another of the spaced slots through which each of two sections of the webbing pass (F see annotated Fig above, Fig 2).
In regard to Claim 14, Auston discloses a method of providing for removable connection of a connector to a safety harness (abstract) (Fig 1), the connector being adapted to connect a device to the safety harness, the safety harness including webbing (40) and a D-shim (70) (Fig 2), the D-shim including two spaced slots through which each of two sections of the webbing pass to connect to a D-ring (30) via a connector passage in the D-ring (Fig 2), the method comprising: positioning an adapter (10) within a looped volume formed in the two sections of the webbing passing between the two spaced slots (Fig 2), the adapter comprising an extending body adapted to maintain an open volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the two spaced slots and an upper surface of the D-shim so that the connector may be passed through the open volume to removably connect the connector to the safety harness (Figs 1-3), the extending body of the adapter being formed separately from the D-shim and from the D-ring (Fig 3), the extending body being configured to be placed into the looped volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the two spaced slots and an upper surface of the D-shim with the D-ring is connected to the two section of webbing extending between the two spaced slots (Figs 1, 2), wherein the adapter is retained in position between the two sections of the webbing and an upper surface of the D-shim via force applied by the two sections of the webbing upon placing the extending body into the looped volume and tightening the two sections of the webbing between the spaced slots to apply the force to the adapter (Figs 1, 2).
In regard to Claim 15, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, further comprising tightening the two sections of the webbing over the adapter after placing the connector into the looped volume (Fig 2).
In regard to Claim 16, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, wherein the extending body comprises an extending base, an extending webbing support spaced from the extending base, and an intermediate member connected between the extending base and the extending webbing support (See annotated above).
In regard to Claim 17, Auston discloses the adapter as described above, wherein the intermediate member divides the open volume into a first volume on a first side of the intermediate member and a second volume on a second side of the intermediate member, which is bounded, at least in part, by the adapter and the two sections of the webbing, when the adapter is connected to the safety harness, a portion of the D-ring being positioned within the first volume (within 15) (Fig 2), and wherein the connector is passed through the second volume such that it is positioned adjacent to the adapter and to the two sections of webbing (within 11) (Figs 1, 2).
In regard to Claim 22, Auston discloses a system (Fig 1), comprising: a safety harness (abstract) comprising webbing (40) and a D-shim (70), the D-shim including two spaced slots through which each of two sections of the webbing pass (Figs 1, 2), the safety harness further comprising a D-ring (30) connected between the D-shim and the two sections of webbing passing between the two space slots via a connector passage of the D-ring (Fig 2), each of the two section of the webbing passing through the connector passage (Fig 2), and an adapter (10) configured to form a connection with a connector, the connector being adapted to connect a device to the safety harness (abstract), the adapter comprising an extending body adapted to maintain an open volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the two spaced slots and an upper surface of the D-shim so that the connector may be passed through the volume to removably connect the connector to the safety harness (Fig 2), the extending body of the adapter being formed separately from the D-shim and from the D-ring (Figs 1, 2), the extending body being configured to be placed into a looped volume between the two sections of the webbing extending between the two spaced slots and an upper surface of the D-shim with the D-ring connected to the two section of webbing extending between the two spaced slots (Fig 2), wherein the adapter is retained in position between the two sections of the webbing and an upper surface of the D-shim via force applied by the two sections of the webbing upon placing the extending body into the looped volume and tightening the two sections of the webbing between the spaced slots to apply the force to the adapter (Figs 1, 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 14 and 22 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See list of references on PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian Mattei whose telephone number is (571)270-3238. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Namrata Boveja can be reached at 571-272-8105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN D MATTEI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3635
