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 final Office action responsive to the reply filed on 12/31/2025.
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 have been amended.
Claims 3 and 6 have been canceled.
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 13 “along between the two side plates, along the two side plates, without” should be - - along between the two side plates, without - -.
Claim 2, line 4 “the first or second string extension” should be - - the first string extension or the second string extension - -.
Claim 2, line 6 “the first or second string extension” should be - - the first string extension or the second string extension - -.
Claim 4, line 18 “along between the two side plates, along the two side plates, without” should be - - along between the two side plates, without - -.
Claim 5, line 2 “the support body” should be - - a support body - -.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 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 Yoshiguchi (JP2005-59925A).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshiguchi discloses a loop string fixing device comprising a stopper used for fixing a loop string (see annotated Figs. 4 and 5),
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 (see annotated Figs. 4 and 5),
wherein 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. 4 and 5),
wherein the stopper includes 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. 4 and 5), 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, along the two side plates, without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions.
However, Yoshiguchi 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 (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 the string from Yoshiguchi in order to form a knot using the stopper with the string and secure an object as taught by Yoshiguchi.
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Regarding claim 2, the combination of Yoshiguchi, in view of Yoshiguchi discloses, 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 Figs. 4 and 5),
the upper through holes form a path through which the first or second string extension passes from the back surface (B) of the front plate toward a front surface (F) (the first or second string extension is capable to pass from the back surface (B) of the front plate toward a front surface (F), see annotated Figs. 4 and 5 and Fig.1), and
the lower through holes form a path through which the first 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) (the first or second string extension is capable to 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 Figs. 4 and 5 and 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 (the loop string fixing device is capable to be 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 Figs. 4 and 5 and Fig.1).
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. 4 and 5);
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. 4 and 5), 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 each of the first and second string extensions drawn out to the front surface (B) through the upper through holes, 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, along the two side plates without spreading and in contact with the first and second string extensions.
However, Yoshiguchi teaches,
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 (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 the string from Yoshiguchi in order to form a knot using the stopper with the string and secure an object as taught by Yoshiguchi.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Yoshiguchi, in view of Yoshiguchi discloses, wherein, in the loop string fixing device, the loop string is hung over the support body 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 and extending downward (the loop string is capable to hung over the support body 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 and extending downward, see annotated Figs. 4 and 5 and Fig.1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-11, filed 12/31/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 4 under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in
Yoshiguchi (US Patent No. D619,450 S), in view of Yoshiguchi (JP2005-59925A). The combination of Yoshiguchi, in view of Yoshiguchi broadly discloses the stopper has 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.
Examiner’s Comment
In view of applicant’s amendments to the claims submitted in the reply filed on 12/31/2025, the claim rejections under 35 USC § 102 indicated in the prior Office action have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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
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