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 .
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
wherein said at least two billets comprise, at each flap, a front billet and a rear billet, as it pertains to claim 7.
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mayr (US 20150135655 A1) in view of Standerker (EP 3034459 B1).
Re-claim 6:
Mayr discloses:
A saddle for horse riding comprising: (abstract and figs)
a supporting frame associated with at least one covering body (Fig 1, para0001)
adapted to define a seat for the rider, (2, fig 1)
said supporting frame having a front region, (see front, fig 1)
comprising a gullet iron, (1, para0030)
and a rear region, (see rear, fig 1)
comprising at least one rear cantle, (see rear cantle of 2, fig 1)
said saddle for horseback riding having, laterally with respect to said seat, respective flaps, (4, para0030)
Mayr doesn’t disclose:
said saddle comprising at least two billets which are arranged on opposite sides with respect to said seat and are configured to fix said saddle to a girth, wherein each flap is associated, at a surface intended during use to be directed toward a horse, with a sheet element, an engagement body being accommodated between each flap and the corresponding sheet element and defining a plurality of seats which are configured to be selectively engaged by a respective billet.
Standerker discloses:
A saddle for horse riding (abstract and figs)
Said saddle for horseback riding having respective flaps (4, fig 2)
said saddle comprising at least two billets (71, fig 10)
which are arranged on opposite sides with respect to said seat and are configured to fix said saddle to a girth, (para0057-0058)
wherein each flap is associated, at a surface intended during use to be directed toward a horse, with a sheet element, (3+8, fig 2+5)
an engagement body (78+79, fig 10)
being accommodated between each flap and the corresponding sheet element (see 78+79 are between 4 and 3+8, fig 5)
and defining a plurality of seats which are configured to be selectively engaged by a respective billet. (para0055-0059)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the saddle of Mayr such that it comprises the features as taught by Standerker to provide for individual fit of billets for the optimal comfort of the horse and rider (para0058).
Re-claim 7:
Mayr as modified discloses claim 6 and Standerker further discloses:
wherein said at least two billets comprise, at each flap, (para0055-0059)
a front billet and a rear billet, (see left and right billets 71, fig 10)
said plurality of seats being engageable selectively by a respective rear billet of said front and rear billets. (para0055-0059)
Re-claim 8:
Mayr as modified discloses claim 6 and Standerker further discloses:
wherein said engagement body comprises an elongated band which is fixed stably to said sheet element. (para0031, fig 10)
Re-claim 9:
Mayr as modified discloses claim 6 and Standerker further discloses:
wherein said seats are mutually spaced apart along a direction of extension that is substantially parallel to an axis of longitudinal extension of the saddle. (see fig 10+5 how the seats are spaced apart along a direction of extension that is parallel to an axis of longitudinal extension of the saddle)
Re-claim 10:
Mayr as modified discloses claim 6 and Standerker further discloses:
wherein said seats are defined by loops which extend around a respective axis that is substantially vertical during use. (78+79 form loops and are vertically oriented, para0055-0059)
Conclusion
The cited 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 SHADA M ALGHAILANI whose telephone number is (571)272-8058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (7:30am - 4:30pm EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter Poon can be reached on 571-272-6891. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHADA MOHAMED ALGHAILANI/ Examiner, Art Unit 3643
/PETER M POON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3643