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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 18, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the recitations “the openings” (lines 9 - 10, 12 and 13) should be replaced with -- the at least two openings --. 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 - 7 and 9 - 14 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 recites the limitation "the outside" in lines 4 - 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the region" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the edge sides" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
With regards to claim 7, the limitations have been incorporated into the currently amended claim 1 and therefore making it unclear whether additional elements are required. Further, it is noted that the specification fails to provide support for additional openings, web and edge sides. Appropriate correction and clarification are required.
Claims 2 - 6 and 9 - 14 depend from claim 1 and therefore are also rejected under this section.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 - 7 and 9 - 14 would 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art does not teach or suggest a seat belt tongue comprising and the openings (20, 21) are thickened at least in the region of the edge sides (13, 14) delimiting the web (7), and the carrier part (4) is fixed in a form-fitting manner at least between the thickened edge sides (13, 14) of the openings (20, 21) on the main body (2), wherein the edge sides (13, 14) are each plastically deformed into thickened beads (16, 17) at an angle W of 10 to 45 degrees to a central axis of the openings in combination with the other structural elements of claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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/R.D./ Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/ SPE, Art Unit 3677