DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a first office action on the merits. Claims 1-20, as filed are currently pending and have been considered below.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6, 7, 13, 15 and 17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 24 November 2025.
Claim 7 appears to describe a non-elected Species. The strip element shown in Figs. 1A and 1B does not appear to include a plurality of holes.
Claim 13 reads upon non-elected Species C having a double ended strip element.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the plurality of holes formed along the strip element and connected portions described in claim 7 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). Claim 19 also describes a panel having a further mounting strip affixed thereto which must be shown or cancelled from the claim. No new matter should be entered.
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 and 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 3 the phrase “the least” should be replaced by --the at least--.
In claim 12, line 4 the phrase “mounting strip” should be replaced by --strip element--;
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 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 and 19 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.
Claim 1 requires the anchor portion is directly molded onto the strip elements. This limitation is repeated in claim 5 wherein it is included as an alternative to being detachably attachable. It is unclear how the alternatives provided in claim 5 can coincide with the limitation established in claim 1. For the purpose of this examination, the direct molding limitation of claim 1 has been considered to be included in error.
Claim 19 appears to describe two mounting strips affixed to the panel element. This does not appear to be supported by the Specification or the Drawings as noted above. It is unclear what configuration is being described.
Claims 2-4, 8-12, 14 and 16 depend from the claims mentioned above and inherit said deficiencies under 112.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Linth (US 2014/0259761).
Regarding claim 1, Linth discloses an apparatus comprising an assembly, a structure comprising a plurality of mounting points, and at least one connection element, wherein:
the assembly includes a panel element (22) and at least one mounting strip (36), wherein the least one mounting strip is affixed with respect to the panel element (Figs. 1 and 2 as shown);
the mounting strip comprising a strip element (40) and a plurality of engagement elements (30), each said engagement element including:
an anchor portion (42) configured for anchoring the respective engagement element to the strip element; and
an engagement portion (44) including a through-opening wherein said engagement portion includes a loop structure defining said through-opening therein (Fig. 1 as shown);
wherein at least the anchor portion is provided as an injection molded article, directly molded onto said strip element;
wherein the engagement portions of the engagement elements of the assembly are connected to the plurality of mounting points by the at least one connection element (Fig. 1 shows mounting points attached on the opposed flap 22); and
wherein the at least one connection element comprises a cord element (34) threaded in an alternating fashion between the mounting points and the loop structures of the engagement portions (Fig. 1 as shown).
Regarding claim 2, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip comprises an elongate configuration having a longitudinal dimension at least twice a width dimension thereof (Fig. 1 as shown).
Regarding claim 3, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip is configured for affixing with respect to a panel element (Fig. 1 as shown).
Regarding claim 4, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip is configured as a multi-purpose belt or strap, for facilitating mounting multiple items thereto (the device as shown can be used in the claimed manner).
Regarding claim 5, Linth further discloses including one of the following:
-wherein each said engagement element is provided as an injection molded article, directly molded onto said strip element;
- wherein each said engagement portion is detachably attachable to a respective one of the anchor portions (Fig. 4 shows wherein the engagement portions can be mounted and removed).
Regarding claim 8, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip comprises at least one cordelle (38) at an edge of the strip element, and a slot (interior of 42) in each of the anchor portions, the slot comprising a circular portion arranged to engage with the cordelle (Figs. 2-6 as shown).
Regarding claim 9, Linth further discloses wherein said through opening defines a passage axis different from a longitudinal axis of the anchor portion (Figs. 1-6 as shown).
Regarding claim 10, Linth further discloses claim 9, including one of:
- wherein said passage axis is one of substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis;
- wherein said passage axis is substantially orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (Figs. 1-6 as shown);
- wherein said passage axis is oriented at an acute angle to said longitudinal axis.
Regarding claim 11, Linth further discloses mounting system according to claim 1, including one of:
- wherein said loop structure is in the form of a body of material at least partially circumscribing and thereby defining the through-opening (Fig. 1 as shown);
- wherein said loop structure is in the form of a body of material at least partially circumscribing and thereby defining the through-opening, and, wherein the body of material comprises at least one partial ring-shaped structure having an opening in the ring structure, the opening being a gap either at a central portion of the ring distal from the anchoring portion, or at a side portion of the ring between the central portion and the anchoring portion;
- wherein said loop structure is in the form of a body of material at least partially circumscribing and thereby defining the through-opening, and, wherein the body of material comprises at least one partial ring-shaped structure having an opening in the ring structure, the opening being a gap either at a central portion of the ring distal from the anchoring portion, or at a side portion of the ring between the central portion and the anchoring portion, and, wherein the relative sizes of the gap and the through-opening are such as to allow the loop-structure to engage with a cable passing through the through- opening, and to allow the loop-structure to become disconnected from the cable via the gap under loads above a pre-determined threshold;
- wherein a transverse cross-sectional area of the through-opening is configured to be larger than a transverse cross-sectional area of a connection element configured to be passed therethrough;
- wherein said loop structure is in the form of a body of material fully circumscribing and defining the through-opening, wherein a first part of the loop structure is defined by the base element, while a second part of the loop structure is defined by a C-shaped element joined to the base element; and wherein the through-opening is configured to allow passage of a connection element through the loop structure along a passage axis.
Regarding claim 12, Linth further discloses including one of:
wherein the engagement elements are arranged on a first edge portion of the strip element (Fig. 1 as shown);
wherein the engagement elements are arranged on a first edge portion of the strip element, and, wherein the mounting strip comprises two layers joined together at the first edge portion and, when not connected to a panel, separated at a second edge portion of the strip element.
Regarding claim 14, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip is affixed at a second edge portion thereof to the panel element (Fig. 2 as shown).
Regarding claim 16, Linth further discloses wherein the mounting strip is affixed to an edge of the panel element (Fig. 1 and 2 as shown), or to a portion of the panel element spaced from an edge thereof.
Regarding claim 18, Linth further discloses wherein affixing comprises at least one of sewing, stapling welding, melting or adhering (Paragraph 17, last three lines describes sewing and adhesives).
Regarding claim 19 as best understood, Linth further discloses wherein the panel element comprises at least one further said mounting strip affixed thereto (Fig. 1 shows mounting strips attached at opposed ends of the shoe opening).
Regarding claim 20, Linth discloses a method of providing a mounting system, the mounting system comprising an assembly, a structure comprising a plurality of mounting points, and at least one connection element, the method comprising:
providing the assembly, the assembly including a panel element (22) and at least one mounting strip (36), wherein the least one mounting strip is affixed with respect to the panel element (Figs. 1 and 2 as shown), the mounting strip comprising a strip element (40) and a plurality of engagement elements (30), each said engagement element including:
an anchor portion (42) configured for anchoring the respective engagement element to the strip element; and
an engagement portion (44) including a through-opening (Fig. 1 as shown);
wherein at least the anchor portion is provided as an injection molded article, directly molded onto said strip element (The method of forming the anchor portion is not germane to the issue of patentability of the method as currently constructed. Only the provision of the structure is required by the clam not its manner of construction); and
connecting the engagement portions of the engagement elements of the assembly to said plurality of mounting points using said at least one connection element by threading the at least one connection element in an alternating fashion between the mounting points and the loop structures of the engagement portions (Fig. 1 shows mounting points attached on the opposed flap 22 and the cord 34 threaded in an alternating fashion), wherein the at least one connection element comprises a cord element (34).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL S LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5735. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason 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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/M.S.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/ SPE, Art Unit 3677