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 § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morine et al. (US 2018/0186547) which in figures 1-5 disclose the following claimed invention:.
In re claim 1: A container 103 comprising: a plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d that define an enclosed area accessible by a removable lid 22 the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d comprising a first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and a second pair of opposed sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); a mounting body 26/28 disposed on both sidewalls of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and at least one sidewall (18c or 18d) of the second pair of sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); and an accessory attachment 70a selectively attachable to the mounting body 26/28, the accessory attachment 70a comprising a flexible portion 86a that flexes to permit coupling of the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 4D and 4E).
In re claim 2: the mounting body 26/28 comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 46a/b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 46a/b), and wherein the accessory attachment 70a comprises 77a an upper catch and a lower catch 80a each of which cooperate with a corresponding upper catch and the lower catch of the mounting body 26/28 for selective attachment of the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 3: the mounting body 26/28 further comprises a support body (side catch surface of 46a/b), extending from the mounting body upper catch to the mounting body lower catch, wherein the flexible portion 86a comprises the support body when snaped in place (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 4: the upper catch and the lower catch are substantially parallel to the at least one of the plurality of sidewalls (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 6: the mounting body 26/28 comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 46a/b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 46a/b), the upper catch nearer to the removable lid 22 than is the lower catch, wherein the upper catch can be further outward from the at least one of the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d than is the lower catch (see FIGS. 3A).
In re claim 7: the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d define an upper lip configured to be coupled to the removable lid 22, wherein the mounting body 26/28 is below the upper lip (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 8: the accessory attachment 70a comprises two or more different accessory attachments 30a/b, wherein the two or more different accessory attachments 30a/b are selectively attachable to the mounting body 26/28 at a same time (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 9: A method comprising: providing a container 10 comprising a plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d that define an enclosed area accessible by a removable lid 22, the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d comprising a first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and a second pair of opposed sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); and a mounting body 26/28 coupled to both sidewalls of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and at least one sidewall (18c or 18d) of the second pair of sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); attaching an accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body by flexing a flexible portion 86a of the accessory attachment 70a; and coupling the removable lid 22 to the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d while the accessory attachment 70a is attached to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 10: the mounting body 26/28 comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 46a/b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 46a/b); and attaching the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 26/28 comprises by coupling the upper catch 77a of the accessory attachment 70a to the upper catch of the mounting body 26/28 and by coupling the lower catch 80a of the accessory attachment 70a to the lower catch of the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 11: the mounting body 26/28 further comprises a support body (side catch surface of 46a/b), extending from the mounting body upper catch to the mounting body lower catch, wherein the flexible portion 86a comprises the support body when snaped in place (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 12: attaching the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 26/28 comprises: coupling the upper catch of the accessory attachment 70a to the upper catch of the mounting body 26/28; flexing the support body while pivoting the accessory attachment 70a about the upper catch of the mounting body 26/28; and coupling the lower catch of the accessory attachment 70a to the lower catch of the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 13: attaching the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 26/28 comprises: coupling the lower catch of the accessory attachment 70a to the lower catch of the mounting body 26/28; flexing the support body while pivoting the accessory attachment 70a about the lower catch of the mounting body 26/28; and coupling the upper catch of the accessory attachment 70a to the upper catch of the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 14: the mounting body 26/28 comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 46a/b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 46a/b) nearer to the removable lid 22 than is the lower catch, wherein the upper catch can be further outward from the at least one of the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d than is the lower catch (see FIGS. 3A).
In re claim 15: the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d define an upper lip, wherein coupling the removable lid 22 to the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d comprises coupling the removable lid 22 to the upper lip, wherein the mounting body 26/28 is below the upper lip (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 16: the accessory attachment 70a is a first accessory attachment 30a, further comprising attaching a second accessory attachment 30b to the mounting body 26/28 by flexing a flexible portion 86a of the second accessory attachment 30a while the first accessory attachment is attached to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 17: A container 10 comprising: a plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d that define an enclosed area accessible by a removable lid 22 the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d comprising a first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and a second pair of opposed sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); a mounting body 26/28 integral with both sidewalls of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b and at least one sidewall (18c or 18d) of the second pair of sidewalls 18c/18d (see [0089]); and an accessory attachment 70a selectively attachable to the mounting body 26/28, the accessory attachment 70a comprising: an upper catch 77a; a lower catch 80a; and a flexible support body 82a that flexes to the upper catch 77a and lower catch 80a to be coupled to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 19: the accessory attachment 70a is a first accessory attachment 30a removably attached to a first wall of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/b/c/d, the container further comprising: a second accessory attachment 30b removably attached to a second wall of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/b/c/d (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 20: each of the upper catch 77a and the lower catch 80a comprises a generally rectangular protrusion (77a is a generally rectangular protrusion and 80a is a generally rectangular protrusion when view from the bottom) that is substantially parallel to the at least one of the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d when the accessory attachment 70a is attached to the mounting body 26/28 (see FIGS. 1-5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/29/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to the newly added claim limitations, the prior art of Morine et al. discloses that any number of main portion securement features (e.g., the first main portion securement feature 26 (integral mounting body) and/or the second main portion securement feature 28) (integral mounting body) may be disposed at any location (sidewalls included) on the main portion 12 (see [0089]).
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 ERNESTO A GRANO whose telephone number is (571)270-3927. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00-3:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Stashick can be reached at (571)272-4561. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERNESTO A GRANO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735