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 .
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) 1-3 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nieslanik (U.S. 9,284,181)
As for Claim 1, Nieslanik discloses a securement apparatus for securing an animal to an anchoring object, the apparatus comprising:
an eyelet (46) sized and configured to receive a lead rope therethrough;
a clamp (30) coupled to the eyelet, the clamp being sized and configured to attach to the lead rope distally from the eyelet.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamp comprises a base member (left member of 0) and a pivot member (member of 30 with handle portion), the pivot member being pivotally coupled to the base member (the two members of 30 coupled at pivot, see Fig. 3), the pivot member being positionable in a closed position with respect to the base member wherein a distal end of the pivot member with respect to the base member engages the base member (see Fig. 3), the base and pivot members forming a closed loop when the pivot member is positioned in the closed position (loop defined by hooked ends of 30), the clamp being configured to cinch the lead rope between the base and pivot members when the pivot member is in the closed position (see Fig. 1).
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the clamp further comprises a locking mechanism ( operable to secure the pivot member to the base member in the closed position (see Fig. 1 disclosing handle portion of 30).
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connecting rod (42) being coupled to and extending between the eyelet and the clamp.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a pivot joint (44) mounted to the connecting rod and breaking the connecting rod into a pair of sections which are pivotable with respect to each other (see Fig. 3).
11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a quick-release mechanism (32+86+94) releasably coupling the clamp to the connecting rod, the quick release mechanism being configured to permit release of the clamp from the connecting rod upon a sufficient pulling force being applied to the clamp away from the connecting rod (see Figs. 2 and 4).
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the quick-release mechanism comprises:
an insertion member (32) coupled to the clamp;
a receiver (62) coupled to the connecting rod, the receiver defining a slot (68) sized to receive the insertion member (see Fig. 2), the receiver defining a groove (84) on an inner surface of the slot; and
at least one detent (94) mounted to the insertion member (see Fig. 2 disclosing 84 mounted on buttress 34) and biased to engage the groove of the receiver when the insertion member is inserted into the slot of the receiver (insertion member 32 causes the detent 94 to be biased into groove 84).
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the groove having an annular shape (see Fig. 4); and the at least one detent is slidable along the groove such that the clamp is rotatable with respect to the connecting rod (see Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: It appears the prior art fails to disclose and/or make obvious the locking mechanism and quick-release mechanism in combination with the other limitations of claim 14.
Claims 4-8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Driver U.S. 5,174,246
Johnston U.S. 2018/0374395
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M UPCHURCH whose telephone number is (571)270-7957. The examiner can normally be reached 6AM-3PM EST M-F.
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/DAVID M UPCHURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677