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 .
Response to Amendment
Amendments to the claims received on February 2nd, 2026 have been entered. Claims 3-5 and 12-15 have been amended, claim 21 has been added, and claim 11 has been canceled.
Applicant’s submission filed on February 2nd, 2026 was entered with an incorrect document description. The applicant filed the submission under the “Specification” document type and the “SPEC” document code. The submission has nevertheless been considered because the content of the paper clearly indicates that it is an amendment responsive to the Office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 12-15, filed February 2nd, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-7 and 12-17 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Kaml et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0107764 A1).
Applicant argues, regarding claim 1, that Chiorgno (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0261195) does not disclose any collar capable of providing a stronger connection to the reel of Charron (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0218436). More specifically, the applicant states that Chiorgno teaches a different connection scheme than that of Charron and that the two connection technologies are not combinable. While the connection mechanisms differ between the two prior art references, it should be noted that the purpose of teaching in the collar of Chiorgno is to show that having a separate collar is obvious and well known within the art. Charron alone comprises the functions and locking of a collar, however, Charron fails to make the collar separable. For this reason, the teaching of Chiorgno is introduced.
It is clear within the claims that the purpose of the collar of the presented application is to provide the locking mechanism described within the claims. Charron does indeed provide the locking mechanism described in the proposed invention, and more specifically, the locking mechanism is arranged on the outer wall 44 disclosed in paragraph 35 and depicted in figures 2-5. Therefore, it would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have made the outer wall 44 of Charron, corresponding to a collar, separable or modular, rather than unitary or integral, as it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure as various discrete elements involves only routine skill in the art. See Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179; In re Fridolph, 309 F.2d 509, 50 CCPA 745; In re Larson, 52 C.C.P.A. 930, 340 F.2d 965, 144 USPQ 347 (CCPA 1965), and MPEP 2144.04 (V) (B)-(C). In this instance, making the collar separable would provide further locking means for securing multiple elements, in a sandwiched format, of a collapsable reel which further presents a stronger connection. Furthermore, such a separation would also provide ease of replacement of damaged components.
It has been opted to provide an additional prior art arrangement which disclose or suggest the presented invention. It is understood that there may be confusion when attempting to combine multiple references, and for this reason the prior art reference of Kaml et al. is provided. The Office Action has been updated to provide the new rejection below.
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 –
Claims 1-10 and 12-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaml et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0107764 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Kaml et al. discloses a reel (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶33, spool 100) comprising a core (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶33, drum 110); a first flange (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶33, flanges 114, 116); a first collar (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶38, actuator 140 corresponding to a collar); a first locking arrangement having a locked configuration in which a first end region of the core, the first flange, and the first collar are connected to one another (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶41, locking member 130, along with arrangements provided on the core, flange, and collar, corresponding to a locking arrangement), and an unlocked configuration in which the first end region of the core and the first flange, the first collar are disconnected from one another, the first locking arrangement being movable between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration (Pg. 4, ¶63).
Regarding claim 2, Kaml et al. discloses wherein the core comprises a hollow cylindrical body (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 2, ¶36), and first locking arrangement comprises a plurality of windows defined through the hollow cylindrical body in the first end region (Fig. 18; Pg. 2, ¶44, recess 126 corresponding to a plurality of windows).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: the first locking arrangement further comprises a plurality of locking members of the first flange (Fig. 15-18; Pg. 3, ¶52, protrusion or depression 118a, 118b corresponding to a locking member), the locking arrangement further comprises a plurality of tabs of the first collar (Fig. 13-14; Pg. 3, ¶52, bump or recess 148 corresponding to a plurality of tabs), each of which extends radially outwardly and engages a radially inward surface of a corresponding one of the plurality of locking members (Pg. 3, ¶52), in the locked configuration, each of the plurality of tabs engages and holds a corresponding one of the plurality of locking members is in a respective one of the plurality of windows so as to engage a surface that defines the one of the plurality of windows to disable axial movement of the core relative to the first flange, and in the unlocked configuration, each of the plurality of locking members is arranged outside the respective one of the plurality of windows (Fig. 18; Pg. 3, ¶52; Pg. 4, ¶¶61, 64).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Kaml et al. discloses wherein each of the plurality of locking members comprises: a proximal end region from which the locking member is cantilevered (Fig. 18; Pg. 4, ¶63, lock fingers 136); and an opposite distal end region, each locking member being pivotable about an axis parallel to an axial direction of the core such that, in the locked configuration, at least a portion of the distal end region is arranged in the respective one of the plurality of windows, and, in the unlocked configuration, the distal end region is spaced apart from the respective one of the plurality of windows (Pg. 4, ¶¶60-63).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: each of the plurality of locking members has a greater radial width at the distal end region than at the proximal end region, and when moving from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration (Fig. 15-18; Pg. 3, ¶¶56-58, locking arms 135), and wherein the first collar is rotated such that each tab of the plurality of tabs moves circumferentially along the radially inward surface so as to cause the corresponding one of the plurality of locking members to pivot about the proximal end region such that the distal end region of each of the plurality of locking members moves into the respective one of the plurality of windows (Pg. 4, ¶¶60-63).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: the first collar comprises a disk-shaped region and a circular projection that projects from the disk-shaped region in an axial direction of the reel, and each of the plurality of tabs extends radially outwardly from the circular projection (Fig. 13-14; Pg. 3, ¶¶49, 52, body 141 corresponding to a disk-shaped region with a circular projection wherein the bump or recess 148 is located).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: the locking arrangement further comprises: a plurality of pins of the first collar that project axially from the disk-shaped region, each pin of the plurality of pins including a pin proximal end region arranged at the disk-shaped region and a pin distal end region, the pin distal end region including a radial extension that projects in the radial direction (Fig. 13-14; Pg. 3, ¶54, entertainment members 143 corresponding to a plurality of pins having a radial extension indicated by latching hooks 144); and a plurality of slots defined axially through the first flange, and in the locked configuration, each of the plurality of pins passes through an associated one of the plurality of slots and the radial extension engages an axial surface of the first flange opposite the disk-shaped region so as to radially retain the first collar on the first flange (Fig. 12-18; Pg. 4, ¶60, latching hooks 144 being angled and catching in a slot depicted by catch surfaces 134).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: each of the plurality of slots comprises an axial recess, and in the unlocked configuration, the first collar is configured such that the radial extension of the plurality of pins aligns with the axial recess of the associated one of the plurality of slots to enable axial movement of the first collar relative to the first flange (Fig. 12-18; Pg. 4, ¶60, latching hooks 144 being angled and catching onto catch surfaces 134).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Kaml et al. discloses wherein: a radial bump is arranged in each of the plurality of slots, and each of the plurality of axial pins and the radial bump in each of the plurality of slots is configured to elastically deform to enable the each of the plurality of axial pins to pass the radial bump of the associated one of the plurality of slots when moving from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration and, in the locked configuration, the radial bump of the associated one of the plurality of slots resists movement of each of the plurality of axial pins so as to retain the locking arrangement in the locked configuration (Fig. 15-18; Pg. 3, ¶¶56-58, locking arms 135 corresponding to radial bumps).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Kaml et al. discloses wherein the locking arrangement further comprise a first annular channel defined by a first annular wall of the first flange and a second annular wall of the first flange (Fig. 15-18; Pg. 3, ¶58, though hole 115 defining a first annular wall and peripheral edge 132 corresponding to a second annular wall), the first annular channel being radially aligned with the plurality of slots such that, in the locked configuration, the plurality of axial pins extend through the first annular channel (Fig. 15-18, Pg. 4, ¶¶60-61).
Regarding claim 21, Kaml et al. discloses wherein the first collar is rotatable from a first rotational position wherein the first locking arrangement is in the unlocked configuration, to a second rotational position wherein the first locking arrangement is in the locked configuration (Pg. 2, ¶39).
Conclusion
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ERMIA E. MELIKA
Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/ERMIA E. MELIKA/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654