DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: as claimed in claim 6, the radius of the coupler being substantially parallel to the structure has not been specifically labeled in the drawings and specification with reference numerals.
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.
Claim 6 is 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 6 defines that the coupler (24) has a radius that is substantially parallel to the structure surface and the orientation member is configured to enable the coupler to pivot about the radius. It is not clear which radius of the coupler is being claimed. Is it the radius defining the curved portion (56) of the coupler? Is it the radius of the cross-section of the base portion of the coupler? It is also unclear how the coupler will pivot about either one of those radii.
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.
Claims 1-5, 8-11, and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Casebolt, US 2005/0082114 A1.
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Casebook discloses a coupler orientation system comprising an orientation member (300, 301, 330) configured to be disposed approximate a structure surface (324, figure 8) and to resiliently orient a coupler (310, lines 20-25 in paragraph [0087]) transverse to the structure surface (the surface of straps of a harness ( 316a, 316b, figure 7B) that extend through slots (323, paragraph 0083) while enabling the coupler to pivot relative to the structure surface, whereby the orientation member resiliently, via a spring (330), orienting the coupler facilitates securing objects.
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Regarding claims 2 and 8, Casebook allows the coupler (ring, 311 or 502) to pivot to substantially parallel to the structure surface (figures 21, 23).
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Regarding claims 3 and 4, Casebook discloses biasing the coupler (302) via spring/orientation member (330) in the orthogonal orientation (lines 20-25 in paragraph [0087]).
Regarding claim 5, Casebook discloses a pivot axis of the coupler being perpendicular to a tangent of the structure surface. Please see annotated figure 17A.
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Regarding claim 9, Casebolt discloses the coupler with a shank (301) and the orientation member, i.e., the spring, extending at least 180 degrees around the shank (figure 17A, see above).
Regarding claim 10, Casebolt discloses an embodiment where the orientation member (610) has a first resilient arm (611b) on one side of the shank of the coupler and a second resilient arm (611a) on the opposite side of the shank of the coupler (figure 27).
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Regarding claim 11, Casebolt discloses an orientation member with two resilient portions, i.e., first half of the coil spring (330) with an arm (331) attached to the end of the coupler base and a second half of the coil spring (330) with an arm (332) attached to the structure. Both halves of the orientation member deform upon counterclockwise pivoting or clockwise pivoting of the coupler, i.e., pivoting in opposite direction. And, both halves of the orientation member will apply a biasing return force to bring the coupler back to the orthogonal orientation of the coupler as seen in figure 8.
Regarding claim 16, Casebolt discloses the coupler as a D-ring member (310, 311).
Regarding claim 18, Casebolt discloses an orientation member (330) that does not prevent bending the structure surface about the coupler, i.e., the straps (316a, 316b) can bend about the coupler (310).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 12-15 would 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.
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JACK W. LAVINDER
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3677
/JACK W LAVINDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677