Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This is a first office action on the merits for application serial number 18/747,224 filed 6/18/24. Claims 1-16 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 additional cord of claims 6-9 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.
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 6-9 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.
Claims 6-9 are unclear in that they appear to be introducing a further cord but as described and understood there is only a single cord which is introduced in claim 1.
In claim 7 it is not clear which cord “the cord” references as a cord is introduced in claim 1 and a cord is introduced in claim 6. If the cord of claims 5 and 8 are the same cord as that of claim 1 then it is not clear how claims 7 and 8 further limit the cord as claim 1 already recites that the cord is non-elastic.
Clarification is requested.
Claims 1-5 and 10-16 are allowed.
Claims 6-9 appear to be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: references such as those listed below do not have the push button spring clip fixedly connected to the first end segment which is partially hollow and sized and shaped to at least partially fit over the adjacent pole segment. Rather, they have the puh button spring clip fixed within the adjacent segment.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note:
U.S. 2002/0117196 to Han.
U.S. Patent 7,841,353 to Lee provides a pole set 100 having a segment 115 with holes sized to fit over an adjacent segment 112 having spring button clip fixed in the end thereof of. Cord 20 runs through the pole set.
Figures 1b and 1c of U.S. 2017/0027290 to Heim has spring button 13 and flexible but stretch resistant cable 16 running through a pole set.
U.S. 2017/0069475 and USP 10,660,414 each to Lenhart
U.S. 2023/0128362 to Hofer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT CANFIELD whose telephone number is (571)272-6840. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6, some Saturdays.
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ROBERT CANFIELD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3636
/Robert Canfield/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636