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 .
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 08/17/206 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Examiner failed to suggest a “distinction” between Groups I and III that they should be examined together is not persuasive as the examiner clearly stated that Group, I was drawn to a multi-chamber bladder assembly while Group III is drawn to apparatus for forming a multi-chamber bladder. The inventions in this relationship are distinct if either or both of the following can be shown: (1) that the apparatus as claimed is not an obvious apparatus for making the product and the apparatus can be used for making a materially different product or (2) that the product as claimed can be made by another and materially different apparatus (MPEP § 806.05(g)). In this case the bladder can be made without welding electrodes, but an adhesive or molding apparatus and the apparatus can be used to make singular bladders or balloons. In regard to the arguments between Groups II and III applicant stated that the examiner failed to identify any materially different process that may be practiced using claim apparatus nor does it establish that the claimed method may be practiced a materially different apparatus. This is not found persuasive because the examiner clearly stated that in accordance with (MPEP § 806.05(e)) that apparatus can be used to make a single bladder instead of a multi-chamber bladder.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hand et al (5,711,575). Hand et al. shows the use of a lumbar bladder (10) formed from a polyurethane material (col. 5 line 15) comprising a multi-chamber bladder comprised of a plurality of stacked bladder sheets (72,107-109,76) including at least a first bladder sheet (108), a second bladder sheet (109), and a third bladder sheet (72), wherein the first bladder sheet and the second bladder sheet have aligned chamber holes (94), and wherein the third bladder sheet encloses one end of the multi-chamber bladder (Figs. 7-8); a tube (88) positioned between the second and third bladder sheets such that one end of the tube extends outward of an outer perimeter of the plurality of bladder sheets (Fig. 7); and a single attachment interface (80) that attaches the tube and the outer perimeter of the second and third bladder sheets together. Regarding claim 2, the multi-chamber bladder comprises a series of selectively inflatable chambers (as shown in Fig. 7). Regarding claim 4, Hand et al. has disclosed that the single interface (80) is sealed to the first and second bladder sheets by a heat seal (col. 6 line 22) i.e., RF energy (see col. 5 line 18) which is also commonly known as RF welding, therefore the single interface is inherently a welded interface.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Reference Nos. 6,203,105 and 11,712,985 show features of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY D BARFIELD whose telephone number is (571)272-6852. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY D BARFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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September 05. 2026
