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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 2-5, 7, 8, 10, 12-14 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities: claims are missing a comma after the claim number. Example claim 2 states “The apparatus of claim 1 further” please amend to - -The apparatus of claim 1, further- - . Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-3, 5-9, 11-12, and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Millis (US 10,220,531).
Regarding claim 1, Millis discloses an apparatus for trimming hair on a skull around an ear comprising a curved trimming profile configured to contact a user’s skull and shaped to border a portion of the ear (abstract), the curved trimming profile having an inner guide portion (108) configured to be placed on the skull adjacent to the ear, and an outer guide portion (106) configured to be placed on the skull further from the ear than the inner guide portion; wherein the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion define an elongated curved aperture between them (see opening in Figure 2); wherein the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion are connected at two ends of the elongated curved aperture (104; 402); and wherein the curved trimming profile is sized and configured to allow a clipper blade to pass through the elongated curved aperture to contact the skull and to trim hair on the skull within an area defined by the elongated curved aperture (Figure 2; can allow a clipper blade to be inserted between both arms 106 and 108 in the open position).
Claim 2, comprising multiple curved trimming profiles of different sizes (Figure 6; S, M, L).
Claim 3, wherein the curved trimming profile further comprises a first grip area (can hold onto the hinge 104) configured to allow the user to hold the curved trimming profile while the clipper blade clips hair within the elongated curved aperture (see Figure 2).
Claim 5, wherein the curved trimming profile is sized and configured to be held in place by the ear while the clipper blade clips hair within the elongated curved aperture (device is capable of hanging from the top of the user’s ear).
Claim 6, further comprising a detachment point (opposite 104) at each end of the elongated curved aperture such that the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion may be partially or fully separated with respect to each other (see Figure 2).
Claim 7, wherein the detachment points are configured to allow the elongated curved aperture to be widened or narrowed by moving the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion apart or together respectively (see Figure 2).
Claim 8, wherein the detachment points (104; 402) each comprise a post (center pin of hinge) on one of either the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion, and a recess (hole around pin) sized to adjoin with the post on the other of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion (see Figure 2).
Claim 9, further comprising a rotation point (104) at one end of the elongated curved aperture such that the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion may be rotated apart and together with respect to each other (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Millis discloses an apparatus for trimming hair on a skull around an ear comprising a single-piece fixed curved trimming profile (100) configured to contact a user’s skull and shaped to border a portion of the ear, the curved trimming profile defining an elongated curved aperture (opening between 106 and 108); wherein the elongated curved aperture is sized and configured to allow a clipper blade to pass through the elongated curved aperture to contact the skull and to trim hair on the skull within an area defined by the elongated curved aperture (Figure 2; can allow a clipper blade to be inserted between both arms 106 and 108 in the open position).
Claim 12, wherein the curved trimming profile further comprises a first grip area (104) configured to allow the user to hold the curved trimming profile while the clipper blade clips hair within the elongated curved aperture (see Figure 2).
Claim 11, wherein the curved trimming profile is sized and configured to be held in place by the ear while the clipper blade clips hair within the elongated curved aperture (device is capable of hanging from the top of the user’s ear).
Regarding claim 15, Millis discloses an apparatus for trimming hair on a skull around an ear comprising a curved trimming profile (100) configured to contact a user’s skull and shaped to border a portion of the ear, the curved trimming profile having an inner guide portion (108) configured to be placed on the skull adjacent to the ear, and an outer guide portion (106) configured to be placed on the skull further from the ear than the inner guide portion; wherein the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion define an elongated curved aperture between them (space between 106 and 108); wherein the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion are connected at two ends (104; 402) of the elongated curved aperture with adjustable connections; wherein the adjustable connections allow the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion to be moved closer together and further apart in order to change the size of the elongated curved aperture (see Figure 2); and wherein the curved trimming profile is sized and configured to allow a clipper blade to pass through the elongated curved aperture to contact the skull and to trim hair on the skull within an area defined by the elongated curved aperture (Figure 2; can allow a clipper blade to be inserted between both arms 106 and 108 in the open position).
Claim 16, wherein the adjustable connections each comprise a post (pin of the hinge) on one of either the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion, and a recess (hole surrounding pin) sized to adjoin with the post on the other of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion (see Figure 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 10, and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL RUNNING STEITZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1917. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-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, Thomas Barrett can be reached at 571-272-4746. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RACHEL R STEITZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3772
1/15/2026