DETAILED ACTION
This is the initial Office action for application 18/773,871 filed July 16, 2024, which claims foreign priority from KR10-2024-0038618 filed in the Republic of Korea on March 20, 2024. Claims 1-20, as originally filed, are currently pending.
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) and receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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, 2, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pelland et al. (US 2014/0305982).
Regarding claim 1, Pelland discloses a device (load distribution system 10) capable of assisting muscular strength (Fig. 1; ¶ 0015 & 0057), the device (10) comprising:
a support part (frame sheet 110/110’ + belt bracket 130) including a section extending along a straight or curved line (Figs. 1-2b; ¶ 0057-0058);
link parts (vertebra 125) including a first link part (upper vertebra component 121) having one side fixed to the support part (110/110’+130) and a second link part (lower vertebra component 126) provided below the first link part (121) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0066-0067); and
wire parts (tubes 128/129, spinal cord 210) configured to connect the first link part (121) and the second link part (126) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0068);
wherein the first and second link parts (121, 126) each comprise a base region and a protruding region (ball 124/127) protruding downwardly from the base region (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0067); and
wherein the wire parts (128/129, 210) comprise a first wire part (tubes 128/129) having a first side connected to the base region of the first link part (121) and a second side connected to the base region of the second link part (126), and a second wire part (spinal cord 210) having a first side connected to the base region of the second link part (126) and a second side connected to the protruding part (124) of the first link part (121) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0068).
Regarding claim 2, Pelland discloses that when a direction in which the first link part (121) and the second link part (126) face the support part (110/110’+130) is defined as a forward direction, the first wire part (128/129) comprises a first-first wire part (tube 128) configured to connected a front region of the base region of the first link part (121) and a front region of the second base region of the second link part (126), and a first-second wire part (tube 129) provided to face the first-first wire part (128) with the protruding region (124) of the first link part (121) interposed therebetween (Figs. 4a-4b).
Regarding claim 15, Pelland discloses that the support part (110/110’+130) is configured to be tightly attached to or in contact with a wearer’s waist (via belt 150) (Fig. 1; ¶ 0057 & 0063).
Regarding claim 16, Pelland discloses a support device (load distribution system 10) capable of assisting muscular strength (Fig. 1; ¶ 0015 & 0057), the device (10) comprising:
a support part (frame sheet 110/110’ + belt bracket 130) (Figs. 1-2b; ¶ 0057-0058);
a first link part (upper vertebra component 121) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0066-0067);
a second link part (lower vertebra component 126) adjacent the first link part (121) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0066-0067);
wherein the first and second link parts (121, 126) each comprise a base region and a protruding region (ball 124/127) protruding from the base region (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0067);
wherein the first link part (121) has a first first-link-part side of the base region of the first link part (121) that attached to the support part (110/110’+130), and wherein the second link part (126) has a first second-link-part side of the base region of the second link part (126) that is attached to the support part (110/110’+130) at a position spaced apart from where the first first-link-part side of the first link part is attached to the support part (110/110’+130) (Fig. 1); and
wire parts (tubes 128/129, spinal cord 210) connecting the first link part (121) to the second link part (126) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0068);
wherein the wire parts (128/129, 210) comprise a first wire part (tubes 128/129) having a first first-wire-part end connected to the base region of the first link part (121) and a second first-wire-part end connected to the base region of the second link part (126), and a second wire part (spinal cord 210) having a first second-wire-part end connected to the base region of the second link part (126) and a second second-wire-part end connected to the protruding part (124) of the first link part (121) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0068).
Regarding claim 17, Pelland discloses that the protruding region (124/127) extends perpendicularly from the base region, wherein the base region has a through-hole opening (center 117a/117b + socket 122/123) to a top portion of the protruding region (124/127), wherein the second wire part (210) extends over the through-hole opening (117b+123) of the second link part (126), and wherein at least a part of the protruding region (124) of the first link part (121) extends into the though-hole opening (117b+123) of the second link part (126) (Figs. 4a-4b; ¶ 0067-0068).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-14 and 18 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 base claim 1 and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 3 is indicated allowable because Pelland fails to disclose that the second wire part comprises a second-first wire part and a second-second wire part each configured to connect the protruding region of the first link part and a portion of the based region of the second link part that is positioned forward or rearward of the protruding region of the first link part in combination with the other claimed limitations. Claims 6-14 are indicated allowable based on their dependence on allowable claim 3.
Claim 4 is indicated allowable because Pelland fails to disclose that the second wire part is duplicated and respectively provided on left and right regions of the first wire part in combination with the other claimed limitations. Claim 5 is indicated allowable based on its dependence on allowable claim 4.
Claim 18 is indicated allowable because Pelland fails to disclose that the protruding region has a generally triangular shape in combination with the other claimed limitations.
Claims 19 and 20 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 19 is allowed because the prior art fails to disclose, either singly or in combination, the claimed human support device comprising a support part configured to attach to a human body, a first link part and a second link part adjacent to the first link part, the first and second link parts each comprising a base region and a protruding region protruding from the base region, and wire parts connecting the first link part to the second link part, wherein the wire parts comprise a front-first wire part extending generally vertically adjacent to the support part between the protruding region of the first link part and the support part and having ends connected to the base regions of the first and second link parts, a rear-first wire part extending generally vertically adjacent to the protruding region of the first link part and having ends connected to the base regions of the first and second link parts, a left-front-second wire part extending generally horizontally adjacent a left side of the protruding region of the first link part between the base regions of the first and second link parts and having ends connected to a left-front side of the base region of the second link part and the protruding region of the first link part, a left-rear-second wire part extending generally horizontally adjacent the left side of the protruding region of the first link part between the base regions of the first and second link parts and ends connected to a left-rear side of the base region of the second link part and the protruding region of the first link part, a right-front-second wire part extending generally horizontally adjacent a right side of the protruding region of the first link part between the base regions of the first and second link parts and having ends connected to a right-front side of the base region of the second link part and the protruding region of the first link part, and a right-rear-second wire part extending generally horizontally adjacent the right side of the protruding region of the first link part between the base regions of the first and second link part and having end connected to a right-rear side of the base region of the second link part and the protruding region of the first link part in combination with the other claimed limitations.
Claim 20 is allowed based on its dependence from allowed claim 19.
Any comments considered necessary by the 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
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure: Lavoie et al. (US 2025/0312181), Arai et al. (US 2021/0137722), Galiana Bujanda et al. (US 2021/0007874), Wilson et al. (US 11,123,214), Petterson et al. (US 10,335,305), Hiemenz et al. (US 9,370,237), Reimer (US 8,474,067), and Leatt et al. (US 2010/0263111).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Keri J. Nelson whose telephone number is 571-270-3821. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rachael E. Bredefeld, can be reached at 571-270-5237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KERI J NELSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3786 2/17/2026