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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 1-11, and Species 2, Figures 10-17 in the reply filed on March 6, 2026, is acknowledged. Claims 11-17 are withdrawn and Claims 1-10 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings were received on March 6, 2026. These drawings are accepted.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2008/104931 (WO 931).
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Regarding Claim 1: WO 931 discloses a vehicle mount comprising: a substantially planar base (See Annotated Fig. A) having opposing upper and lower faces and including a plurality of spaced apart slots (See Annotated Fig. A); a support saddle mount (See Annotated Fig. A) extending from the lower face of the base, the saddle mount configured to releasably mount to an upper end of a vehicle support stand centre column or a saddle member mounted about the upper end of the centre column; and a support pad (See page 5, line 9) mounted to the upper face of the base.
Regarding Claim 3: WO 931 discloses a mount according to claim 1 wherein the support saddle mount includes a pair of spaced apart saddle support arms (See Annotated Fig. A) extending a predetermined distance from the base lower face, the saddle support arms (See Annotated Fig. A) being configured to be disposed about the vehicle support centre column such that an end of the centre column abuts the base lower face.
Regarding Claim 4: WO 931 discloses a mount according to claim 3 wherein the saddle support arms each include an aperture (See Annotated Fig. A) configured to align with an aperture disposed adjacent to the upper end of the centre column, and to receive a fastener or pin (See Annotated Fig. A) through the saddle support arms and centre column.
Regarding Claim 10: WO 931 discloses a mount according to claim 1 configured to be mounted at different angular positions relative to the support vehicle stand centre column upper end or saddle. Note that no additional structure is claimed here and that WO 931 is also configured to be mounted at different angular positions by virtue of the pin and aperture arrangements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 and 5-9 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 the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
None of the cited prior art, considered alone or in combination, discloses or teaches:
a mount according to claim 1 wherein the support pad includes apertures each spatially corresponding to a respective base apertures, the pad apertures configured to receive a fastener head;
a mount according to claim 4 wherein one of the support arm apertures is threaded; or
a mount according to claim 1 wherein the support pad is formed from a resilient material and includes a pair of spaced apart notches connected at a lower end by a bridge, each notch terminating at any engagement face the distal bridge.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the references used in this rejection and those cited in the PTO-892, the following references are very relevant to the claimed invention: US 6866246, 6601827, 7648121.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERET C MCNICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7363. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 5:00 (Eastern).
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ERET C. MCNICHOLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ERET C MCNICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632