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 .
This is a non-final Office action responsive to the reply filed on
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 have been amended.
Claims 3 and 6 have been canceled.
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 are pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/07/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2, line 4 “or second string extension” should be - - or the second string extension - -.
Claim 2, line 7 “or second string extension” should be - - or the second string extension - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshiguchi (US Patent No. D619,450 S), in view of Tylaska et al. (US Patent No. 7,076,845).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshiguchi discloses a loop string fixing device comprising a stopper used for fixing a loop string (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3),
wherein the stopper includes:
a front plate that is formed with first and second through hole rows laterally spaced apart from each other and extending in a height direction, each of the first and second through hole rows including upper through holes and lower through holes located below the upper through holes (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3); and
two side plates extending to intersect the front plate in a direction of a back surface (B) of the front plate and disposed to face each other (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3),
wherein the upper through holes and the lower through holes of the first and second through hole rows are located in an area of the front plate between the two side plates (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3), and
Yoshiguchi does not disclose the loop string is a string curved at a middle portion to form a loop part and includes first and second string extensions extending from the loop part and first and second string end portions at ends of the first and second string extensions, and the two side plates are configured such that, when the loop part is placed over the stopper to form a knot, the loop part extends along between the two side plates, without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions.
However, Tylaska et al. teaches the loop string is a string curved at a middle portion to form a loop part and includes first and second string extensions extending from the loop part and first and second string end portions at ends of the first and second string extensions, and the two side plates are configured such that, when the loop part is placed over the stopper to form a knot, the loop part extends along between the two side plates, without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions (see annotated Fig. 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the stopper from Yoshiguchi with a string to form a knot using the stopper with the string and secure an object as taught by Tylaska et al.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshiguchi (US Patent No. D619,450 S), in view of Tylaska et al. (US Patent No. 7,076,845) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoshiguchi (JP2005-59925A).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshiguchi as modified by Tylaska et al. does not disclose, wherein each of the first and second through hole rows forms a path through which each of the first and second string extensions extends,
the upper through holes form a path through which the first string extension or second string extension passes from the back surface (B) of the front plate toward a front surface (F), and
the lower through holes form a path through which the first string extension or second string extension drawn out to the front surface (F) through the upper through holes passes from the front surface (F) toward the back surface (B), and
wherein the loop string fixing device is used in such a way that the loop string is hung over a support body to pull the loop part toward the stopper and the loop part is arranged to be located between the back surface (B) of the front plate and the first and second string extensions passing through the lower through holes and extending downward.
However, Yoshiguchi teaches, wherein each of the first and second through hole rows forms a path through which each of the first and second string extensions extends (see annotated Fig. 1),
the upper through holes form a path through which the first string extension or second string extension passes from the back surface (B) of the front plate toward a front surface (F) (see annotated Fig. 1), and
the lower through holes form a path through which the first string extension or second string extension drawn out to the front surface (F) through the upper through holes passes from the front surface (F) toward the back surface (B) (see annotated Fig. 1), and
wherein the loop string fixing device is used in such a way that the loop string is hung over a support body to pull the loop part toward the stopper and the loop part is arranged to be located between the back surface (B) of the front plate and the first and second string extensions passing through the lower through holes and extending downward (see annotated Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the stopper from Yoshiguchi with a string passing through the upper and lower holes from the stopper in order have a strong knot and secure an object as taught be Yoshiguchi.
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshiguchi (US Patent No. D619,450 S), in view of Tylaska et al. (US Patent No. 7,076,845), and Yoshiguchi (JP2005-59925A).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshiguchi discloses a method for providing a loop string fixing device, comprising:
providing a stopper including a front plate that is formed with first and second through hole rows laterally spaced apart from each other and extending in a height direction, in which each of the first and second through hole rows includes upper through holes and lower through holes located below the upper through holes (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3);
wherein the stopper includes two side plates extending to intersect the front plate in a direction of the back surface (B) of the front plate and disposed to face each other (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3),
wherein the upper through holes and the lower through holes of the first and second through hole rows are located in an area of the front plate between the two side plates (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3), and
Yoshiguchi does not disclose, providing a loop string, the loop string being a string curved at a middle portion to form a loop part and including first and second string extensions extending from the loop part and first and second string end portions at ends of the first and second string extensions; providing a loop string fixing device by assembling the loop string and the stopper so that each of the first and second string extensions passes through the corresponding upper through holes from a back surface (B) toward a front surface (F) and then passes from the front surface (F) toward the back surface (B) through the corresponding lower through holes, and wherein the two side plates are configured such that, when the loop part is placed over the stopper to form a knot, the loop part extends along between the two side plates, without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions.
However, Tylaska et al. teaches a loop string being a string curved at a middle portion to form a loop part and including first and second string extensions extending from the loop part and first and second string end portions at ends of the first and second string extensions; providing a loop string fixing device by assembling the loop string and the stopper, and wherein the two side plates are configured such that, when the loop part is placed over the stopper to form a knot, the loop part extends along between the two side plates, without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions (see annotated Fig. 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the stopper from Yoshiguchi with a string to form a knot using the stopper with the string and secure an object as taught by Tylaska et al.
Also, Yoshiguchi teaches each of the first and second string extensions passes through the corresponding upper through holes from a back surface (B) toward a front surface (F) and then passes from the front surface (F) toward the back surface (B) through the corresponding lower through holes (see annotated Fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the stopper from Yoshiguchi with a string passing through the upper and lower holes from the stopper in order have a strong knot and secure an object as taught be Yoshiguchi.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Yoshiguchi, in view of Tylaska et al. and Yoshiguchi discloses, wherein, in the loop string fixing device, the loop string is hung over a support body (18) to pull the loop part toward the stopper, and is used in a way to form a knot so that the loop part is arranged to be located between the back surface (B) of the front plate and the first and second string extensions passing through the lower through holes (9) and extending downward (see annotated Fig. 6 from Tylaska).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant alleged that the prior art fails to teach or suggest that the upper and lower through holes are located in an area of the front plate between two side plates, nor does it teach that those side plates guide a loop part while preventing lateral spreading and maintaining contact with the first and second string extensions.
The examiner disagrees because Yoshiguchi broadly discloses the upper and lower through holes are located in an area of the front plate between two side plates (see annotated Figs. 2 and 3).
Tylaska et al. teaches that those side plates guide a loop part while preventing lateral spreading and maintaining contact with the first and second string extensions (see annotated Fig. 6).
Applicant's arguments are more limiting than claimed invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS A MERCADO whose telephone number is (571)270-5388. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/LOUIS A. MERCADO/
Examiner
Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677
Prosecution Insights