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 .
Amendment filed 4/27/2026 has been entered. Claims 1 and 3 remain pending in the present application.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase “to lock legs” should read “to lock the legs”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jankura US 2020/0363008 (hereinafter Jankura) in view of Liu US 2010/0019109 (hereinafter Liu).
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Re. Cl. 1, Jankura discloses: A tripod (100, Fig. 1) comprising a hub (120, Fig. 1) defining a center bore (128, shown in Fig. 2 where 132 penetrates) with a set of leg mounts (126, Fig. 2) arranged in a radial pattern about the center bore (see Fig. 2), a center column (130, Fig. 2) configured to translate within the center bore (see Fig. 1-2), a head (140, Fig. 1) mounted to the center column (see Fig. 1-2), a set of legs (110, Fig. 1) and a set of leg position control assemblies (122, 126, Fig. 4) integrated into the leg and/or coupled to a corresponding leg mount in the set of leg mounts configured to enable deployment of each leg of the tripod into a predefined leg position (see Fig. 2 and 4 for instance), wherein each leg position control assembly comprises a leg-locking tab (122, Fig. 4) with an outer surface (see Fig. 4, exterior surface of 122 where a user would engage) and a first end (top end of 122 which engages 126, Fig. 4) and a second end (lower end of 122, Fig. 4), the first end configured to transiently insert into a notch corresponding to a leg position (see Fig. 4, created by 126 and leg position shown in Fig. 13 for instance) and to seat within a receptacle (see annotated figure 1, where 122 is located as shown in Fig. 4) within a boss (see annotated figure 1) arranged proximal to the receptacle in a closed position (see Fig. 1) such that the outer surface and the second end of the leg locking tab seats approximately flush with the outer face of the leg without the leg position assemblies protruding in the closed position (see Fig. 4, the tab 122 is approximately flush with the leg assembly 110) so that when collapsed (see Fig. 4), with the center column fully retracted from the hub (see Fig. 4), the head nests on the leg mounts (see Fig. 4 and Paragraphs 0008 and 0052) and the tripod maintains a substantially uniform effective diameter when collapsed without extraneous knobs or protrusions snagging on other equipment or bag flaps/openings (Paragraph 0008, Lines 16-23).
Re. Cl. 3, Jankura discloses: each leg position control assembly is configured to enable rotation of a leg relative to its corresponding leg mount from a collapsed position (see Fig. 4) toward a first extended position defined by a first angle of the leg extending outward from a central axis of the tripod (see Fig. 2).
Re. Cls. 1 and 3, Jankura does not explicitly disclose the first end of the leg-locking tab configured to transiently insert into a series of notches corresponding to a series of leg positions to lock legs of the tripod in the series of leg positions, the outer surface and second end of the leg-locking tab is constrained within the boss of the receptacle and pivots about a pivot axis to deploy outward from the receptacle in an open position (Cl. 1) or the leg position control assembly configured to constrain further rotation of the leg away from the central axis at the first leg position, enable rotation of the leg from the first extended position to additional extended positions defined by additional angles exceeding the first angle of the leg extending outward from the central axis, and constrain further rotation of the leg away from the central axis at the additional extended positions (Cl. 3). Liu discloses a tripod (Fig. 4) comprising a hub (10, Fig. 4) defining a center bore (13, Fig. 5) with a set of leg mounts (14, Fig. 5) arranged in a radial pattern about the center bore (see Fig. 5), a center column (120, Fig. 4-5) configured to translate within the center bore (Paragraph 0016), a set of legs (20, Fig. 4) and a set of leg position control assemblies (see Fig. 9) integrated into the leg and/or coupled to a corresponding leg mount in the set of leg mounts configured to enable deployment of each leg of the tripod into a predefined leg position (see Fig. 9, using 30 and 10-11); wherein each position control assembly comprise a leg-locking tab (30, Fig. 8) with an outer surface (see Fig. 8, outer surface of 30) and a first end (31, Fig. 8) and a second end (see bottom end of 30, Fig. 8, including where 50 penetrates), the first end configured to transiently insert into a series of notches corresponding to a series of leg positions to locate legs of the tripod in the series of leg positions (see annotated figure 8, in the series of notches shown as created by 10, 11 as seen; further as discussed above in claim 3, Liu discloses the use of more than one projection, thus having a series of notches created by the multiple projections 11) and to seat within a receptacle (interior of 28, Fig. 9) within a boss (created by 28s, Fig. 9) arranged proximal to the receptacle in a closed position (see Fig. 8-9, set within receptacle space created by 28s) such that the outer surface and second end of the leg-locking tab is constrained within the boss of the receptacle (see Fig. 8-9, constrained therein via 50 and 23s) and seats approximately flush with the outer face of the leg without the leg position assembles protruding in the closed position so that the tripod maintains a substantially uniform effective diameter when collapsed without extraneous knobs or protrusions snagging on other equipment or bag flaps/openings in the closed position (see Fig. 8, as shown the outer surface of 30 is “approximately” flush with the outer surface of the leg; as can be seen in Fig. 8, the exterior of (30) is “approximately” flush with the leg since any lateral distance between the two points is considerably small, thus being “approximately” flush which would maintain the tripod in a “substantially” uniform effective diameter when collapsed and reduce the tendency of snagging as claimed in the claimed intended use) and pivots about a pivot axis (see Fig. 8-9, created by 50) to deploy outward from the receptacle in the open position (see Fig. 8-9, by pressing 30 so that it pivots about 50 against the force of spring 68); the leg position control assembly configured to constrain further rotation of the leg away from the central axis at the first leg position (see Fig. 8, by having 31 press into that projection 11), enable rotation of the leg from the first extended position to additional extended positions defined by additional angles exceeding the first angle of the leg extending outward from the central axis (Paragraph 0015, Lines 7-10; by having multiple projections 11, the legs would be able to rotate to different larger angles than when engaging the first projection 11), and constrain further rotation of the leg away from the central axis at the additional extended positions (see Fig. 8-9, by having the lock 30 engage the subsequent projections 11 as discussed in Paragraph 0015).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Jankura device to include the multiple notches corresponding to different extended configurations as disclosed by Liu with reasonable expectation of success since Liu states that such a modification enables the legs to be rotated about 180 degrees between a first, second and third positions (Paragraph 0015, Lines 22-27). Such a modification would enable the user to hold the legs at these particular positions and thus not collapse or accidently pivot during use.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Re. Applicant’s argument that neither Jankura nor Liu teach or suggest that a boss proximal to the receptacle that engages the first, upper end of the locking tab, the Examiner disagrees. As discussed above, both Jankura and Liu disclose such a feature. The boss is annotated in Jankura and illustrated in Fig. 8-9 Liu as established by the uprights (28). In both references there is a receptacle within the boss where the locking tab is positioned to engage with the position setting notches (see 11, Fig. 8 in Liu and upper portion of 122 in Fig. 4 of Jankura). Therefore, it is the Examiner’s position that the prior art discloses this limitation and Applicant’s argument is not considered persuasive.
Re. Applicant’s argument that since Liu’s head drops between the bottom of the legs rather than nesting on the mounts, one of ordinary skill would not look to Liu’s notch/tab arrangement, the Examiner disagrees. Just because the Liu device functions different than the base reference in one manner does not mean one of ordinary skill would not look to it for teaching of a separate structure of the device. Liu is in the same field of endeavor as the Applicant’s invention and as the Jankura device. Liu merely has a more detailed and different manner of locking the legs in particular positions. The Examiner has also cited motivation found in Liu which would motivate one of ordinary skill to make such a combination. Further, applicant's arguments are merely against the Liu reference individually whereas the rejection is based on a combination of Jankura and Liu. The specific configuration of the head being nested on the mounts argued by the Applicant is disclosed by Jankura as discussed above. One cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Therefore, Applicant’s argument has been considered but is not persuasive.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Li US 2019/00003635, Liang US 2024/0377019, Kallas US 2015/0233522, Chang US 11815220, Li US 9188843 and Weidler US 4317552 disclose other known tripod leg locking configurations presented to the Applicant for their consideration.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 CHRISTOPHER E GARFT whose telephone number is (571)270-1171. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at (571)272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER GARFT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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