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 allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4/27/2026 and 4/3/2026 and 3/4/2026 has been entered.
The indicated allowability of claim 29, 30, and 32-34 are withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Glenn (US 1893702 A).. Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
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.
(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 29, 30, and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Glenn (US 1893702 A).
With respect to claim 29, Glenn discloses a shower caddy comprising: a rod (1, figures 1-2); a connector (9) having a rotational lock (19) to secure a body of the connector along the rod (1) about a longitudinal axis of the rod, the connector having a receptacle (8), the receptacle defining a first longitudinal channel (8) that extends along an outer side surface of the body (9) generally parallel to the axis of the rod (1) and a second radial channel (23, figures 1-3) with a radially projecting bottom (figure 3) and an opposing open top (23, figure 3) and that extends radially outward from the body and generally perpendicular to the axis; and a product holder (2) including an attachment arm (3, 4, figures 1-3) sized to be received in the receptacle (portion 7, figure 1 received in first channel 8) and supported by the bottom of the second radial channel (arm 3 rest on bottom of 23, figure 3) to suspend the product holder (2) from the connector (9).
With respect to claim 30, Glenn discloses the shower caddy of claim 29 as advanced above, the attachment arm (3, 4 of 2) having a first longitudinal segment (6 or 7, figure 1) and a second radial segment (3 or 4), wherein when the attachment arm is received in the receptacle, the first longitudinal channel holds the first longitudinal segment (6 or 7) generally parallel to the axis and the second radial channel (23) holds the second radial segment (3 or 4) generally perpendicular to the axis.
With respect to claim 32, Glenn disclose the shower caddy of claim 29 as advanced above, wherein the connector (9) includes a wedge (20) that locks the connector (9) to the rod (1), and the rotational lock comprises a cap (19) rotatably mounted to a body (18) of the connector and the wedge (20) locks the connector to the rod upon rotation of the cap.
With respect to claim 33, Glenn discloses the shower caddy of claim 29 as advanced above, wherein the second radial channel (23) extends radially outward from an end of the first longitudinal channel (8, figures 1 and 2).
With respect to claim 34, Glenn discloses the shower caddy of claim 29 as advanced above, wherein the first longitudinal channel (9) curves to the second radial channel (23, figure 1).
Claims 19,22-28 and 36-38 are allowed.
Claim 35 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to pending claims 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ovist et al (US 9211027 B2), Newport et al (US 10702085 B1) and Lai (US 20070163974 A1) discloses connectors of interests.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ko (Korie) H Chan whose telephone number is (571)272-6816. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -Friday, 8:00 - 5:00 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached on 571-272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Ko H Chan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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