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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 5/14/2026 has been entered.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gale in US Patent 7306246.
Regarding Claim 13, Gale teaches a collapsible walking device configured to be disposed in one of an operative configuration (Fig. 2) or a storage configuration (Fig. 11), the collapsible walking device comprising: a first lateral portion (108/400); a second lateral portion (158/450); a first cross bar (510) and a second cross bar (560) pivotably coupled at an axis of rotation (500), wherein the first cross bar and the second cross bar couple the first lateral portion to the second lateral portion; and a locking mechanism (300) coupled directly (at 320) to the first cross bar and the second cross bar, the locking mechanism comprising: a first arm (324) including a first gear (329); a second arm (374) including a second gear (309) mechanically coupled to the first gear; and a housing (334/335) comprising a handle (the outer surface of the two sides) configured to selectively secure the first gear and the second gear in a first fixed position when the collapsible walking device is in the operative configuration.
Regarding Claim 14, Gale teaches that the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion each comprise a handle (734/784), a handle leg (108/158) that extends away from the handle, and a support leg (402/452) that extends away from the handle leg.
Regarding Claim 15, Gale teaches that a force (such as applied to 301) applied to the first gear and the second gear causes the collapsible walking device to transition between the operative configuration and the storage configuration.
Regarding Claim 16, Gale teaches that the first cross bar is disposed on a first plane and the second cross bar is disposed on a second plane, parallel to the first plane, and separated from the first plane by a distance, and wherein the first arm is coupled to the first cross bar in the first plane, and the second arm is coupled to the second cross bar in the second plane (See Fig. 17E).
Regarding Claim 17, Gale teaches that the locking mechanism is disposed directly above the axis of rotation.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu in US Patent 8517399.
Regarding Claim 18, Liu teaches a locking mechanism for a collapsible walking device comprising: a first arm (168) including a first gear (172), the first arm being couplable to a first cross bar (171) of the collapsible walking device; a second arm (176) including a second gear (178), the second arm being couplable to a second cross bar (181) of the collapsible walking device, wherein the first gear and the second gear mesh together; and a handle (the upper portions of 173/179) fully encompassing the first gear and the second gear, wherein the locking mechanism selectively locks the first arm and the second arm in an extended position, and wherein a predetermined amount of force applied to the handle unlocks the locking mechanism and transitions the first arm and the second arm into a folded position.
Regarding Claim 19, Liu teaches that the handle is disposed directly above the first gear and the second gear.
Regarding Claim 20, Liu teaches that the handle comprises an internal cavity to house the first gear and the second gear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 1-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gale in US Patent 7306246 in view of JP 11348789 (Miyagi).
Regarding Claim 1, Gale teaches a collapsible walking device for providing mobility support to a user that is configured to be disposed in an operative configuration (Fig. 2) and a storage configuration (Fig. 11), the collapsible walking device comprising: a first handle (730) and a second handle (780) configured to support and be grasped by the user; a first handle leg (108) and a second handle leg (158) that extend from the first handle and the second handle, respectively, the first handle leg and the second handle leg extending toward the ground and being configured to be forward of the user in the operative configuration; a first support leg (400) and a second support leg (450) pivotably coupled to the first handle leg and the second handle leg, respectively, the first support leg and the second support leg extending toward the ground and being configured to extend toward the user in the operative configuration; a first cross bar (510) and a second cross bar (560), each being pivotably coupled to the first handle leg and the second handle leg, the first cross bar and the second cross bar intersect each other and are pivotably coupled to each other; and a third cross bar (374/300/324) pivotably coupled directly (such as at 320) to the first cross bar and the second cross bar and being configured to selectively maintain a fixed angle between the first cross bar and the second cross bar in the operative configuration. Gale is silent on a specific attachment between the third cross bar and the first and second crossbars. Miyagi teaches a collapsible walking device comprising: a first handle leg (E, see below) and a second handle leg (F), a first cross bar (A) and a second cross bar (B), each being pivotably coupled to the first handle leg and the second handle leg, the first cross bar and the second cross bar intersect each other and are pivotably coupled to each other (at 49); and a third cross bar (C/D) pivotably coupled directly to an exterior side of the first cross bar and directly coupled to an interior side of the second cross bar and being configured to selectively maintain a fixed angle between the first cross bar and the second cross bar in the operative configuration. 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 device of Gale by using a third crossbar as taught by Miyagi in order to provide a crossbar that is accommodated in the correct alignment between the crossbars.
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Regarding Claim 2, Gale, as modified, teaches a first stabilization bar (426) coupled to the first handle leg and the first support leg and a second stabilization bar (476) coupled to the second handle leg and the second support leg.
Regarding Claim 3, Gale, as modified, teaches a gear mechanism (see Fig. 17B) pivotably coupling a first arm and a second arm of the third cross bar.
Regarding Claim 4, Gale, as modified, teaches that the gear mechanism is movable from an extended position (Fig. 17G) to a folded position (17H) which causes the first and second handle legs, the first and second support legs, and the first and second cross bars to move from the operative configuration to the storage configuration.
Regarding Claim 7, Gale, as modified, teaches that the gear mechanism is moved from the extended position to the folded position when a force is applied to the gear mechanism (such as on element 301).
Regarding Claim 5, Gale, as modified, teaches that the gear mechanism is configured to maintain the third cross bar in an extended position in the operative configuration and to maintain the third cross bar in a folded position in the storage configuration.
Regarding Claim 9, Gale, as modified, teaches that the gear mechanism is disposed between an intersection of the first and second cross bars.
Regarding Claim 6, Gale teaches a housing (334/335) with a handle (the outer surface of the two sides) that fully encompassing the gear mechanism.
Claims 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gale, as modified, as applied to Claim 1 above in view of Fernie in US Patent 5348336. Gale, as modified, teaches that a first end of the first arm of the third cross bar is coupled to the exterior side of the first cross bar and a first end of the second arm is coupled to the interior side of the second cross bar, but is silent on the use of meshing gears. Fernie teaches a collapsible walking device with a gear mechanism (142/142) pivotably coupling a first arm (12a) and a second arm (12b) of a third cross bar, wherein a second end the first arm comprises a first gear (142) and a second end of the second arm comprises a second gear (142), and wherein the first gear and the second gear mesh together. 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 device of Gale, as modified, by using a meshing gear system as taught by Fernie in order to provide a more securely folding device
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gale as applied to Claim 1 above in view of Light in US Patent 5605169. Gale is silent on the use of a rubber foot. Light teaches a collapsible walking device wherein a first support leg (16) and a second support leg (18) include a first rubber foot (23) and a second rubber foot (23), respectively, and a first handle leg (60) and a second handle leg (62) include a third rubber foot (110) and a fourth rubber foot (110), respectively and wherein the first handle leg and the second handle leg each include a wheel (118). 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 device of Gale by using rubber foot and wheels as taught by Light in order to provide a more stable walking device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-12 and 18-20 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.
With respect to the applicant’s arguments regarding Claim 13: please see amended rejection set forth above. Gale teaches the use of a housing with a handle (the outer surfaces of 334/335).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAH C. HAWK whose telephone number is (571)272-1480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5:30pm.
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NOAH C. HAWK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3636
/Noah Chandler Hawk/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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