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.
Claims 1-12, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chou (US Publication No. 2021/0107244).
Regarding claim 1, Chou discloses a coil-type fluid-impervious zipper including:
a left chain connected with a left supporting fabric tape and a right chain connected with a right supporting fabric tape (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0082]);
wherein a left filler structure made of a first thermoplastic elastomer is formed within the left chain, a right filler structure made of the first thermoplastic elastomer is formed within the right chain, a left attachment strip made of a second thermoplastic elastomer is connected to a right side of the left filler structure, a right attachment strip made of the second thermoplastic elastomer is connected to a left side of the right filler structure, and when the coil-type fluid-impervious zipper is zipped up, the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip are compressed to engage with each other within a first gap formed between the left filler structure and the right filler structure, so as to minimize a seam between the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip (see annotated Fig. 7).
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Regarding claim 2, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip are formed by dividing an attachment strip filled between and attached with the left filler structure and the right filler structure (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip are formed by dividing an attachment strip bonded on a combined free end surface formed by a free end surface of the left filler structure and a free end surface of the right filler structure (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Chou discloses, wherein both the left supporting fabric tape and the right supporting fabric tape have a waterproof layer attached thereon (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0047]).
Regarding claim 5, Chou discloses, wherein both the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip have an extension part, the pair of extension parts covering at least a portion of a top surface of a left filler part of the left filler structure and at least a portion of a top surface of a right filler part of the right filler structure (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 6, Chou discloses, wherein both a left filler part of the left filler structure and a right filler part of the right filler structure have a waterproof layer attached on a top surface thereof (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0047]).
Regarding claim 7, Chou discloses, wherein both a left filler part of the left filler structure and a right filler part of the right filler structure have a waterproof layer attached on a top surface thereof, and both the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip have an extension part, the pair of extension parts covering at least a portion of the waterproof layer atop the left filler part and at least a portion of the waterproof layer atop the right filler part (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0047]).
Regarding claim 8, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip and the right attachment strip are formed separately (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 9, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip is formed at a right end of a left half of a layer of the second thermoplastic elastomer, the left half covering the left supporting fabric tape and a left filler part of the left filler structure, and the right attachment strip is formed at a left end of a right half of the layer of the second thermoplastic elastomer, the right half covering the right supporting fabric tape and a right filler part of the right filler structure; and the left half of the layer of the second thermoplastic elastomer has a left half of a waterproof layer attached thereon, and the right half of the layer of the second thermoplastic elastomer has a right half of the waterproof layer attached thereon (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0047]).
Regarding claim 10, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip covers a top surface and a free end surface of a left filler part of the left filler structure, and the right attachment strip covers a top surface and a free end surface of a right filler part of the right filler structure (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 11, Chou discloses, wherein the left attachment strip covers a top surface and a free end surface of a left filler part of the left filler structure and has a top surface substantially flush with a top surface of the left supporting fabric tape; the right attachment strip covers a top surface and a free end surface of a right filler part of the right filler structure and has a top surface substantially flush with a top surface of the right supporting fabric tape; a left half of a waterproof layer covers the top surface of the left filler part and the top surface of the left supporting fabric tape; and a right half of the waterproof layer covers the top surface of the right filler part and the top surface of the right supporting fabric tape (see annotated Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 12, Chou discloses, wherein a left half of a waterproof layer is attached to the left supporting fabric tape by an adhesive, and a right half of the waterproof layer is attached to the right supporting fabric tape by the adhesive (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0082]).
Regarding claim 14, Chou discloses a commercial product including the coil-type fluid-impervious zipper (see annotated Fig. 7, and paragraph [0084]).
Regarding claim 15, Chou discloses, being an article of commercial product selected from a group consisting of an article of clothes, an article carrier, and a camping gear (see paragraph [0084]).
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chou (US Publication No. 2021/0107244), in view of Kameyama et al. (US Patent No. 10,433,620).
Regarding claim 13, Chou discloses the claimed invention, except that both the left supporting fabric tape and the right supporting fabric tape have a water-repellent agent covering a surface thereof.
However, Kameyama et al. teaches a water repellent agent to apply to a surface (see Col. 11, lines 25-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply a water repellent agent to the fastener tapes from Chou in order to enhance and repel water from the fastener tapes as taught by Kameyama.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS A MERCADO whose telephone number is (571)270-5388. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason W. San can be reached at 571-272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LOUIS A. MERCADO/
Examiner
Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677