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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/29/26 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
The claim objection has been addressed and is therefore withdrawn.
The 112(b) rejections regarding claims 1, 10, and 16 have not been addressed. Applicant does not provide any arguments regarding these rejections – on page 12 of the response, applicant only has copied the rejection verbatim with no comments.
Applicant has amended the claims, but they do not clarify the issues. The claims state “said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut provides a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance, and wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener”. First, how does the nut provide this standoff distance? In Fig. 7, if anything, it appears that it is the length of fastener 815A which provides this distance as it sets the lower plane (A-A) of that distance 720. Further, there is no mention of a saddle, nor a dropper seatpost, standoff, or a saddle flex distance. These are all non-positively claimed elements, and this limitation only relates them to each other – “standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance”. As these are not required elements in the claim, how does this limitation limit the structure which is claimed?
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejections 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 10, and 16 state “said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut provides a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance, and wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener”. First, how does the nut provide this standoff distance? In Fig. 7, if anything, it appears that it is the length of fastener 815A which provides this distance as it sets the lower plane (A-A) of that distance 720. Further, there is no mention of a saddle, nor a dropper seatpost, standoff, or a saddle flex distance. These are all non-positively claimed elements, and this limitation only relates them to each other – “standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance”. As these are not required elements in the claim, how does this limitation limit the structure which is claimed?
Claims 1, 10, and 16 also state “said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener”. What is a required length? Required for what? And how is this minimized?
All dependent claims not addressed above are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-2, 4, 8-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 20230219645 A1) in view of Coaplen et al (US 20200247492 A1).
For claim 1, Lin discloses a saddle rail clamp assembly comprising:
an upper saddle rail clamping portion 70 configured to be rotatably coupled with a housing 30, said upper saddle rail clamping portion comprising at least one opening 71 therein;
a lower saddle rail clamping portion 60 located between said upper saddle rail clamping portion and said housing; and
a fastening system, said fastening system comprising:
an extended seatpost saddle clamp nut 81 configured to be installed at least partially within said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion; and
a fastener 82 configured to be installed at least partially within a fastener opening 32 of said housing, said fastener configured to be coupled with said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut to compressively couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to retain a saddle rail therebetween in rail groove 52, wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener the fastener is not required to be longer than it is and therefore it is considered minimized.
Lin fails to describe the presence and position of a saddle.
However, Coaplen teaches a saddle rail clamp assembly Fig. 9 wherein said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut Fig. 10: nuts 825a/b provides a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance Fig. 9: 920 when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance 920 greater than 913, and wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener as the fastener is not required to be any longer than it is/needs to be.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Lin by providing a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance as disclosed by Coaplen. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to in order to ensure the prevention of “contact with the highest point in the saddle clamp assembly 400 causing a hard stop of the saddle 10. This hard stop would be jarring, would reduce the advantages provided by the saddle flex” (Coaplen Para 0059).
For claim 2, Lin discloses the saddle rail clamp assembly of Claim 1, wherein said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is configured such that at least a portion of said fastener is threadedly engaged with said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut in a region between a bottom portion of said upper saddle rail clamping portion and a top portion of said housing since the nut extends below the bottom of the upper saddle rail.
For claim 4, Lin discloses the saddle rail clamp assembly of Claim 1, wherein said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut and said fastener are able to generate a clamping force on said saddle rail Fig. 4.
For claim 8, Lin discloses the saddle rail clamp assembly of Claim 1, wherein an upper portion of said fastener opening is wider than a remainder of said fastener opening Fig. 2.
For claim 9, Lin discloses the saddle rail clamp assembly of Claim 1, further comprising:
a geometric shape formed in a portion of said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion wider, concave opening at top; and
at least a portion of said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut comprising a geometric form same concave shape as opening, wherein said geometric form is configured to work with said geometric shape to stop a rotation of said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut, when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is installed at least partially within said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion nut can only rotate so much within the opening.
For claim 10, Lin discloses a seatpost with head assembly comprising:
a housing 30 coupled to a seatpost 20 comprising at least one fastener opening 32 therein; and
a saddle rail clamp assembly comprising:
an upper saddle rail clamping portion 70 configured to be rotatably coupled with said housing 30, said upper saddle rail clamping portion comprising at least one opening 71 therein;
a lower saddle rail clamping portion 60 located between said upper saddle rail clamping portion and said housing; and
a fastening system, said fastening system comprising:
an extended seatpost saddle clamp nut 81 configured to be installed at least partially within said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion; and
a fastener 82 configured to be installed at least partially within said at least one fastener opening 32 of said housing, said fastener configured to be coupled with said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut to compressively couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to retain a saddle rail therebetween in rail groove 52, wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener the fastener is not required to be longer than it is and therefore it is considered minimized.
Lin fails to describe the presence and position of a saddle.
However, Coaplen teaches a saddle rail clamp assembly Fig. 9 wherein said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut Fig. 10: nuts 825a/b provides a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance Fig. 9: 920 when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance 920 greater than 913, and wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener as the fastener is not required to be any longer than it is/needs to be.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Lin by providing a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance as disclosed by Coaplen. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to in order to ensure the prevention of “contact with the highest point in the saddle clamp assembly 400 causing a hard stop of the saddle 10. This hard stop would be jarring, would reduce the advantages provided by the saddle flex” (Coaplen Para 0059).
For claim 11, Lin discloses the seatpost with the head assembly of Claim 10, but fails to disclose that said seatpost comprises:
a lower post having an inner diameter (ID), said lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle;
an upper post having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than said ID of said lower post, said upper post to telescopically slide within said lower post to form a dropper seatpost; and
said housing coupled to one end of said upper post.
However, Coaplen teaches a seatpost comprising:
a lower post Fig. 3: 315 having an inner diameter (ID), said lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle Fig. 1: 119;
an upper post 310 having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than said ID of said lower post, said upper post to telescopically slide within said lower post to form a dropper seatpost Fig. 3; and
a housing coupled to one end of said upper post Fig. 3: 400.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Lin by using the head on a telescoping tube assembly as disclosed by Coaplen. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to reliably adjust the height of the head.
For claim 12, Lin discloses the seatpost with head assembly of Claim 10, wherein said housing is fixedly coupled with said seatpost Fig. 1.
For claim 13, Lin discloses the seatpost with head assembly of Claim 10, further comprising:
said upper saddle rail clamping portion comprising at least a second opening therein other opening 71; and
said fastening system comprising:
at least a second extended seatpost saddle clamp nut other nut 81 configured to be installed at least partially within said at least said second opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion Fig. 1; and
at least a second fastener other bolt 82 configured to be installed at least partially within at least a second fastener opening of said housing, at least said second fastener configured to be coupled with at least said second extended seatpost saddle clamp nut to compressively couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location Fig. 1.
For claim 14, Lin discloses the seatpost with head assembly of Claim 10, wherein an upper portion of said fastener opening is wider than a remainder of said fastener opening Fig. 2.
For claim 15, Lin discloses the seatpost with head assembly of Claim 10, further comprising:
a geometric shape formed in a portion of said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion wider, concave opening at top; and
at least a portion of said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut comprising a geometric form same concave shape as opening, wherein said geometric form is configured to work with said geometric shape to stop a rotation of said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut, when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is installed at least partially within said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion nut can only rotate so much within the opening.
For claim 16, Lin discloses an assembly comprising:
a housing 30 fixedly coupled to one end of said upper post 20, said housing comprising a plurality of openings 32 therein; and
a saddle rail clamp assembly Fig. 1 to couple at least one saddle rail of a saddle with a seatpost 20, said saddle rail clamp assembly comprising:
an upper saddle rail clamping portion 70 configured to be rotatably coupled with said housing 30, said upper saddle rail clamping portion comprising a plurality of openings 71 therein;
a lower saddle rail clamping portion 60 located between said upper saddle rail clamping portion and said housing; and
a fastening system, said fastening system comprising:
at least one extended seatpost saddle clamp nut 81 configured to be installed at least partially within at least one of said plurality of openings of said upper saddle rail clamping portion; and
at least one fastener 82 configured to be installed at least partially within each of said plurality of said fastener opening 32 of said housing, said at least one fastener configured to be coupled with said at least one extended seatpost saddle clamp nut to couple said saddle rail clamp assembly with said housing and compressively couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to retain a saddle rail therebetween in rail groove 52, wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of at least one fastener the fastener is not required to be longer than it is and therefore it is considered minimized.
Lin fails to disclose a lower post having an inner diameter (ID), said lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle;
an upper post having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than said ID of said lower post, said upper post to telescopically slide within said lower post to form a dropper seatpost.
However, Coaplen teaches a seatpost comprising:
a lower post Fig. 3: 315 having an inner diameter (ID), said lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle Fig. 1: 119;
an upper post 310 having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than said ID of said lower post, said upper post to telescopically slide within said lower post to form a dropper seatpost Fig. 3; and
a housing coupled to one end of said upper post Fig. 3: 400.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Lin by using the head on a telescoping tube assembly as disclosed by Coaplen. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to reliably adjust the height of the head.
Further, Lin fails to describe the presence and position of a saddle.
However, Coaplen teaches a saddle rail clamp assembly Fig. 9 wherein said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut Fig. 10: nuts 825a/b provides a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance Fig. 9: 920 when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance 920 greater than 913, and wherein said saddle rail clamp assembly minimizes a required length of said fastener as the fastener is not required to be any longer than it is/needs to be.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Lin by providing a saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance when said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is coupled with said fastener such that said saddle bottom-dropper seatpost standoff distance remains greater than or equal to a maximum saddle flex distance as disclosed by Coaplen. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to in order to ensure the prevention of “contact with the highest point in the saddle clamp assembly 400 causing a hard stop of the saddle 10. This hard stop would be jarring, would reduce the advantages provided by the saddle flex” (Coaplen Para 0059).
For claim 17, Lin discloses the assembly of Claim 16, wherein an upper portion of said fastener opening is wider than a remainder of said fastener opening Fig. 2.
For claim 18, Lin discloses the assembly of Claim 16, further comprising:
a geometric shape formed in a portion of said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion wider, concave opening at top; and
at least a portion of said extended seatpost saddle clamp nut comprising a geometric form wider, concave opening at top, wherein said geometric form is configured to work with said geometric shape to stop a rotation of said at least one extended seatpost saddle clamp nut, when said at least one extended seatpost saddle clamp nut is installed at least partially within said at least one opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion nut can only rotate so much within the opening.
For claim 19, Lin discloses the assembly of Claim 16, further comprising:
at least a second extended seatpost saddle clamp nut other nut 81 configured to be installed at least partially within said at least a second of said plurality of opening of said upper saddle rail clamping portion Fig. 1; and
at least a second fastener other bolt 82 configured to be coupled with at least said second extended seatpost saddle clamp nut to compressively couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location Fig. 1.
For claim 20, Lin discloses the assembly of Claim 19, wherein an adjustment to one or both of said at least one fastener and at least said second fastener adjusts a pitch of said saddle rail clamp assembly Para 0021.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COLIN N M ZOHOORI whose telephone number is (571)272-7996. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOSHUA J MICHENER can be reached at (571)272-1467. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/COLIN ZOHOORI/Examiner, Art Unit 3642 /JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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