DETAILED ACTION
The following action is in response to the election filed for application 18/685,506 on April 23, 2026.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species and group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on April 23, 2026.
Applicant argues that Groups I and II are the same species and should both be examined together, because they share the same inventive concept. It can be shown, however, that although they share some commonly claimed structures, those structures are not an inventive concept (see rejections below). Also, The method of manufacturing (Group II) lacks some of the features of Group I, and Group I is not required to be manufactured in the same manner as Group II. Applicant’s arguments have been considered, but are not persuasive.
Claim Interpretation
In applicant’s arguments with regard to the election/restriction, applicant stated that the claims are directed to a “unitary structure between the side wall and the roof.” Applicant has not claimed this. Applicant has only claimed that the side wall is “directly connected” to the roof. As long as a side wall is in contact with the roof, the two parts are considered “directly connected.”
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Faulkner (GB2159470A). With regard to claim 1, Faulkner teaches a trailable vehicle 2 comprising a body for defining an interior space of the trailable vehicle, the body having at least one side wall 16 extending between a roof 18 and base 3 of the trailable vehicle; wherein at least part of one side wall 16 is directly connected to the roof 18 and substantially formed of metallic sheet material (claim 1; abstract). With regard to claim 2, Faulkner teaches the vehicle, wherein the body has two or more side walls 16 which are connected to peripheral edges of the roof 18. With regard to claim 3, Faulkner teaches the vehicle, wherein at least one side wall 16 is directly connected to the base 3 (page 1, line 129). With regard to claim 4, Faulkner teaches the vehicle,
wherein adjoining peripheral edges of the side walls 16 and roof 18 are further connected to form a weather-resistant trailable vehicle body. With regard to claim 5, Faulkner teaches the vehicle,
wherein the body includes a reinforcing means 5/6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wylezinski (US 20130207415) has been cited to show as similar trailable vehicle comprising: a roof 30, sides 18, a base 22, all made of metallic sheet material (paragraph 42)) and directly connected to each other.
Littlefield (US 20230322147) has been cited to show as similar trailable vehicle comprising: a roof 112, sides 113/117, a base 140, all made of continuous sheet material 110/120/130/140 and directly connected to each other (paragraph 89).
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROGER L PANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7096. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 05:30-16:00.
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/ROGER L PANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/ROGER L. PANG/
Examiner
Art Unit 3655B
May 13, 2026
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