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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final First Office Action on the Merits in application 18/667,356, filed 5/17/2024.
Claims 1-18 are pending and examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/30/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “18” has been used to designate both the back portion and the bottom portion(see page 5, lines 14 and 16 and Figs. 3 and 6).
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “15” has been used to designate both the slot(see Fig. 4) and the first opening(see Fig. 15).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because it is not clear in Figs. 3-6 what portion of the housing makes up the slot 15(Fig. 4 shows the slot as an extended portion and Fig. 5 shows slot 15 as a circular portion) and which make up the first opening(Fig. 6 shows the first opening ending before an upper end of the housing and Fig. 4 appears to show the first opening extending to a top of the housing). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3-7, 9-13 and 15-18 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 1, line 15, “a surface” should be changed to “one of the surfaces”(see claims 7 and 13 for similar change), and in lines 15 and 16, “one guide block” should be changed to “one of the guide blocks”(see claims 7 and 13 for similar change); in claim 3, “each side” should be changed to “each of the surfaces(see claims 9 and 15 for similar change); in claims 4-6, “each guide block” should be changed to “each of the guide blocks(see claims 10-12 and 16-18 for similar change); in claim 7, lines 9, 14 and 22, “a lateral edge” should be changed to “one of the lateral edges”(see claim 13 for similar change), in line 20, “one guide block” should changed to “one of the guide blocks”(see claim 13 for similar change), in line 22, “a portion” should be changed to “the portion”; and in claim 13 lines 2, 3 and 5, “each clip” should be changed to “each of the clips”; in line 6, “each rail” should be changed to “each of the rails”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-18 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.
In claims 1, 7 and 13, the relationship and location of the slot and openings with respect to one another is unclear by the phrases “terminating at a bottom point of the housing”, “running vertically at the point in the housing where the slot ends” and “second opening disposed at the bottom of the housing” (it appears the slot 15 extends from the bottom 18 of the housing 12 to the top, see Fig. 6, as well as the first opening extending from the bottom to the top of the housing, see Figs. 4 and 5, and the second opening extends from a bottom portion spaced from the bottom of the housing not the bottom of the housing as claimed, see Figs. 3-6) rendering the metes and bounds of the claim unclear as to how the slot and openings interrelate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 appear to be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. A final determination will be made when the 112 rejections have been overcome.
No prior art of record shows a refeed structure with a housing with a slot, a cylindrical first vertical opening adjacent the slot and having a diameter greater than a width of the slot, a second vertical opening forming an acute angle diverging away from the first opening, and a pair of immovable guide blocks fastened to opposing surfaces of the second opening, nor any motivation to do so.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETH A. STEPHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-4:30p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Glessner can be reached at 571-272-6754. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BETH A. STEPHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3633
/Beth A Stephan/