DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a first office action on the merits. Claim 1, as originally filed are currently pending and have been considered below.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B in the reply filed on 20 January 2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang (US 2019/0293945).
Regarding claim 1, Chang et al. disclose an apparatus comprising:
a pinion gear (122) secured to an adjustment knob (130);
a first rack secured to a first strap and engaged with the pinon gear;
a second rack secured to a second strap and engaged with the pinion gear (Figs. 1a, 1b, 3b, 4b & 7 show two straps comprising sides of band 110 with first and second racks included on ends thereof, Fig. 7 further shows the pinion gear passing into the two racks);
at least one braking element (distal end of 144) disposed adjacent to an inner surface of a drum (160, inner surface is shown in Fig. 1b comprising unidirectional teeth 162);
a brake engagement element (140) configured to press the at least one braking element (bent arm of 144 presses the distal end outwards towards 162 as shown in Fig. 6) toward the inner surface of the drum to maintain a length of the first strap and the second strap by engagement of the at least one braking element against the inner surface of the drum; and
at least one spiral spring (S) coupled to the pinion gear and the brake engagement element to allow for an increase in a length of the first strap and the second strap upon application of a tension force (When the knob is placed in an unlocked position with elements P in the raised position E2 with the spring compressed, tension applied to the straps increases the extended length of the straps not prevented by the spring).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL S LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5735. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/M.S.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677