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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I, Species A is acknowledged. Applicant has indicated that claims 1-16 read on the elected invention. Claims 17-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/23/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thomas (US 8,505,958).
Regarding claim 1, Thomas teaches: an extension device (see the device shown in Fig. 10) for cooperating with a cart frame (best shown in Fig. 1) of a cart (10), comprising a frame (including at least elements 116, 95) detachably connected with the cart frame;
wherein the frame generally has an annular structure and consists of two rods (95, 116), the frame has a length direction and a width direction, each rod has a transverse section (T1, T2) extending in the width direction and extension sections (E1, E2) connected to two ends of the transverse section respectively, and extension sections of the two rods corresponding in position are connected to each other.
See the annotated version of Fig. 10, below:
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Regarding claim 2, Thomas further teaches: wherein each rod is a U-shaped rod, and the two U-shaped rods have openings opposite to each other in the length direction of the frame and form the annular structure. See Fig. 10. The claim is understood such that the U-shape of the front rod opens to the rear direction, and the U-shape of the rear rod opens to the front direction.
Regarding claim 3, Thomas further teaches: wherein the two U-shaped rods are rotatably fit with each other through joints (98). See Figs. 9 and 10.
Regarding claim 4, Thomas further teaches: wherein the joint comprises:
a first half shell (112) fixed to one of the U-shaped rods, a first groove being defined inside the first half shell;
a second half shell (110) fixed with the other U-shaped rod, the second half shell being rotatably connected to the first half shell and the first half shell and the second half shell being engaged with each other to form an installation chamber (see the space formed by the half shells in which components 122,130,128 are disposed), and the second half shell having a second groove therein;
a locking member (122) arranged in the installation chamber and slidable in a rotation axis of the first half shell, the locking member, when sliding in the rotation axis, having a locked state in which the locking member is engaged with the first and second grooves simultaneously, and an unlocked state in which the locking member is disengaged from one of the grooves;
a driving member (128) having a spring structure and acting on the locking member to drive the locking member toward the locked state; and
an unlocking member (120) movably installed in one of the half shells and acting on the locking member to drive the locking member toward the unlocked state.
See Fig. 9 and column 6, lines 4-27.
Regarding claim 5, Thomas further teaches: wherein the locking member has a tooth (see the surfaces formed on element 122) for engaging with the first groove and the second groove, the tooth has two sides opposite to each other in a circumferential direction of the locking member, and wherein one side of the tooth is a slope for guiding the locking member to disengage from one of the grooves. Relevant elements are best shown in Fig. 9.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 6 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 9,199,659).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches: an extension device (see the device shown in Fig. 2) for cooperating with a cart frame (10) of a cart (best shown in Fig. 1), comprising a frame (including at least elements 53 and 54) detachably connected with the cart frame;
wherein the frame generally has an annular structure and consists of two rods (53, 54), the frame has a length direction and a width direction, each rod has a transverse section (T1, T2) extending in the width direction and extension sections (E1, E2) connected to two ends of the transverse section respectively, and extension sections of the two rods corresponding in position are connected to each other.
See the annotated version of Fig. 2, below:
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Regarding claim 2, Thomas further teaches: wherein each rod is a U-shaped rod, and the two U-shaped rods have openings opposite to each other in the length direction of the frame and form the annular structure. See Fig. 2. The claim is understood such that the U-shape of the front rod opens to the rear direction, and the U-shape of the rear rod opens to the front direction.
Regarding claim 6, Thomas further teaches: each U-shaped rod has a transverse section (T1, T2) extending in the width direction and extension sections (E1, E2) connected to two ends of the transverse section respectively, and extension sections of the two U-shaped rods corresponding in position are connected to each other, and wherein extension sections of one of the U-shaped rods have bent portions so that the transverse section of said U-shaped rod sinks accordingly. See how rod 54 bends in Fig. 5. See also the annotated version of Fig. 2, above.
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(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen, as applied above, in further view of Cabagnero (AU 2342388 A).
Regarding claim 7, Chen further teaches: the bent portions are located on the extension sections of the first rod. See Figs. 2 and 5. Chen fails to teach an upper convex member, as claimed. Cabagnero teaches: wherein the two U-shaped rods consist of a first rod and a second rod respectively, and wherein the transverse section of the first rod is provided with an upper convex member (3). Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would be obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art to provide the extension device from Chen with supports (1, 2, 3), as taught by Cabagnero, including the upper convex member (3). The motivation being: to facilitate securely holding the infant carrier to the extension device. Such a modification improves safety by preventing the infant carrier from accidental removal/disconnection from the extension device.
Regarding claim 8, the combination further teaches: wherein the cart frame is provided with an extension seat (4; see where the extension device joins to the cart frame in Fig. 6 from Chen), the extension device further comprises an adapter (51) fixed to the frame, and the adapter is configured to be plugged into the extension seat; and two adapters are provided, which are respectively connected to the extension sections of the second rod, and each adapter is provided with one or more positioning structures. See Figs. 4-6 from Chen.
Regarding claim 9, the combination further teaches: wherein the transverse section of the second rod is provided with a limiting member (the portion of the rod 53 which contacts the seat 101), and the limiting member has one or more positioning structures; the positioning structures on the adapter and the limiting member are configured to detachably connect a seat (101). See Figs. 1, 2, and 6 from Chen.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-16 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: claims 10-16 relate to features of the positioning structures, adapters, and/or extension portion. Chen does not reasonably teach these features.
None of the prior art of record, alone or in combination, anticipates or renders obvious the subject matter of claims 10-16. To modify any of the prior art of record to arrive at the invention set forth by claims 10-16 would be unobvious and improper hindsight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional cited art relates to carts and extension devices relevant to the claimed invention .
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMA K FRICK whose telephone number is (571)270-5403. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M, T, F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Shriver can be reached at (303) 297-4324. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMA K FRICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613
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