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 .
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.
Claim1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 in particular 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), and as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections (See MPEP § 2172.01). The omitted essential elements and structural cooperative relationships are:
The claims recite a wiring structure comprising a wiring assembly with no wires claimed, or their connection to the claimed elements. The claims recite a multitude of structure elements forming an electronic drum kit and its frame, but makes no mention of wires of the wiring structure/assembly which connect the elements.
Similarly, the recitation of a wiring assembly is indefinite given there is no indication of what it is wiring, or its connection to the rest of the structure.
Further, the wiring assembly is noted as comprising an elliptical opening. Please clarify how a wiring assembly can have an opening.
Further, please clarify the relationship of the conductor to the rest of the elements of the assembly and drum support.
As for the silicone outgoing line sheet, please clarify, if positioned on the side of the opening, what its purpose is within the assembly and within the structure as a whole.
In connection with the line sheet, please clarify the purpose and connection of the outgoing line port and projection to the rest of the assembly and structural elements.
Claim 3 appears to provide some clarification regarding the elemental structural connections.
Still further, please clarify whether there is any connection between the wiring assembly and the snare drum or cymbal recited previously in the claim.
As a whole, there is a lack of disclosed connection between structural elements and their relationship to the wiring assembly and support assembly, and a lack of connection between the support assembly and wiring assembly.
Claim 2, last line, please clarify that “the drum frame” is intended to be - - the transverse drum frame - -.
Further, please clarify which transverse drum frame is being referenced (i.e. first or second).
Claim 4, please clarify how a wiring structure can comprise a placement assembly for a drumstick.
Claims 5 and 6, please clarify how the bottom drum assembly is related to the other elements of the wiring structure, in particular its correlation to the wiring assembly.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the mounting supports" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, given there is no previous mention of mounting supports, merely a singular mounting support.
Claim 7, please clarify the correlation between the guiding assembly and the rest of the structural elements.
Claim 7, line 6, please clarify what is intended by “shrunk inside”.
Claim 9, similar to the other assemblies above, please clarify the correlation between the mounting assembly and the rest of the structural assemblies.
Claim 10, the threaded rod being in mutual contact with an outer side of the first electronic drum support frame is indefinite, given there is no previous recitation of a structural correlation between the mounting assembly and the frame.
Further, the standard meaning of a mutual contact is having two elements sharing contact with another element. In claim 10 there is only contact between the threaded rod and the outer side wall. Please clarify.
The remaining claims, not specifically addressed, depend from, and therefore include, the rejected limitations outlined above.
The claims present several assemblies with no structural or functional correlation to each other, and thus fail to form a patentable wiring structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
The Examiner believes claims 1-10 could be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Once a better understanding of the present invention is received, a further search and consideration of the prior art will be conducted.
At this time, the closest prior art of record found are:
The US patent application publications to Hodara et al. (US 2005/0174725) and Isensee et al. (US 2002/0104464), the US patents to Kopish et al. (6,415,723), Glass (5,934,203), Adinolfi (5,929,355) and Koyamato (4,679,479), and the Chinese publication to Du et al. (CN 219958515 U).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Schreiber whose telephone number is (571)272-4350. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4 PM.
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/CHRISTINA M SCHREIBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837 09/02/2026
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