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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/31/2026 has been entered.
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]); the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d defining an upper lip 41 configured to be coupled to the removable lid 22 (via 98); a mounting body 44a/44b 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, wherein the mounting body 44a/44b is below the upper lip 41 (see [0089]); and an accessory attachment 30a selectively attachable to the mounting body 44a/44b, the accessory attachment 30a comprising a flexible portion 86a that flexes to permit coupling of the accessory attachment 70a to the mounting body 44a/44b;wherein the upper lip 41 is both vertically and horizontally separated from the mounting body 44a/44b such that the removable lid 22 is couplable to the upper lip 41 (via 98) without disturbing the accessory attachment 30a and the removable lid 22 is removable from the upper lip 41 without disturbing the accessory attachment 70a (see FIGS. 4D and 4E).
In re claim 2: the mounting body 44a/44b comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 44a/44b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 44a/44b), and wherein the accessory attachment 30a 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 44a/44b for selective attachment of the accessory attachment 30a to the mounting body 44a/44b (see FIGS. 1-4).
In re claim 3: the mounting body 44a/44b further comprises a support body (side catch surface of 44a/44b), 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 on which the mounting body is disposed (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 6: the mounting body 44a/44b comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 44a/44b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 44a/44b), 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 on which the mounting body is disposed than is the lower catch (see FIGS. 3A).
In re claim 7: wherein the upper lip 41 is inward of the mounting body 44a/44b with respect to the removable lid 22 (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 8: the accessory attachment 30a 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 44a/44b 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 44a/44b 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]); wherein the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d define an upper lip 41, the upper lip 41 being both vertically and horizontally separated from the mounting body 44a/44b; attaching an accessory attachment 30a to the mounting body by flexing a flexible portion 86a of the accessory attachment 70a; and coupling the removable lid 22 to the upper lip 41 while the accessory attachment 30a is attached to the mounting body 44a/44b without disturbing the accessory attachment 30a; and removing the removable lid 22 from the upper lip 41while the accessory attachment 30a is attached to the mounting body 44a/44b without disturbing the accessory attachment 30a. (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 10: the mounting body 44a/44b comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 44a/44b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 44a/44b); and attaching the accessory attachment 30a to the mounting body 44a/44b comprises by coupling the upper catch 77a of the accessory attachment 30a to the upper catch of the mounting body 44a/44b and by coupling the lower catch 80a of the accessory attachment 30a to the lower catch of the mounting body 44a/44b (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 11: the mounting body 44a/44b further comprises a support body (side catch surface of 44a/44b), 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 30a to the mounting body 44a/44b comprises: coupling the upper catch of the accessory attachment 30a to the upper catch of the mounting body 44a/44b; flexing the support body while pivoting the accessory attachment 70a about the upper catch of the mounting body 44a/44b; and coupling the lower catch of the accessory attachment 70a to the lower catch of the mounting body 44a/44b (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 13: attaching the accessory attachment 30a to the mounting body 44a/44b comprises: coupling the lower catch of the accessory attachment 30a to the lower catch of the mounting body 44a/44b; flexing the support body while pivoting the accessory attachment 30a about the lower catch of the mounting body 44a/44b; and coupling the upper catch of the accessory attachment 30a to the upper catch of the mounting body 44a/44b (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In re claim 14: the mounting body 44a/44b comprises an upper catch (top catch surface of 44a/44b) and a lower catch (bottom catch surface of 44a/44b) 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: wherein the upper lip 41 is inward of the mounting body 44a/44b with respect to the removable lid 22 (see FIGS. 1-5).
In re claim 16: the accessory attachment 30a is a first accessory attachment 30a, further comprising attaching a second accessory attachment 30b to the mounting body 44a/44b by flexing a flexible portion 86a of the second accessory attachment 30a while the first accessory attachment 30a is attached to the mounting body 44a/44b (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]); the plurality of sidewalls 18a/b/c/d defining an upper lip 41 configured to be coupled to the removable lid 22; a mounting body 44a/44b integral with both sidewalls of the first pair of opposed sidewalls 18a/18b, wherein the mounting body 44a/44b is below the upper lip 41 (see [0089]); and an accessory attachment 30a selectively attachable to the mounting body 26/28, the accessory attachment 30a comprising: an upper catch 77a; a lower catch 80a; and a flexible support body 82a that flexes to permit the upper catch 77a and the lower catch 80a to be coupled to the mounting body; wherein the upper lip is both vertically and horizontally separated from the mounting body 44a/44b such that the removable lid 22 is couplable to the upper lip 41without disturbing the accessory attachment 30a and the removable lid 22 is removable from the upper lip 41without disturbing the accessory attachment 30a (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 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 08 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 the newly added claim limitation in a slightly different manner than previously rejected.
In accordance with MPEP 2111.01, during examination, the claims must be interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably allow. In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 367 F.3d 1359, 1369, 70 USPQ2d 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
Conclusion
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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/ERNESTO A GRANO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3735
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