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 .
Claims1-2, and 4-5 are withdrawn from further consideration. Applicant made the election of Group II, directed to the embodiment of a backpack necklace system, with traverse, in the response dated 12/22/2025 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.
SET I:
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wulf et al. (5799851).
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FIG. 5 is a back perspective view of the travel pack, showing a back cover used to enclose the shoulder straps of the travel pack in the open position.
Snap hooks 34 can be attached to D-rings 20, thus supporting day pack 26 in the front position.
By attaching side release buckle heads 100 to corresponding side release buckle clasps 82 and 84, and tightening said adjustable heads by pulling straps 101 through buckle heads 100 as is known in the art,
Wulf teaches a backpack (Fig. 5); a first strap and second straps (Note that as broadly claimed any straps 101, 131, 16 comprises the first and second straps) connected to the backpack, a pouch (26), a first length of material (note the strap attached outside of shoulder strap), the first length of material having a first end having a first fastener located opposite a second end having a second fastener (see notes on fig. 5); a second length of material, the second length of material having a first end having a third fastener located opposite a second end having a fourth fastener, and wherein the pouch is removably connected to the first length of material and the second length of material (via 20/34 cited above) and the pouch is configured to be positioned in front of a user’s torso when the backpack is worn by a user.
SET II:
Claim 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thomas (11044986).
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Alternatively, or additionally, the panel can be equipped with one or more loops, e.g., at the top and bottom, to attach to sternum straps on backpacks that are not adjustable, or backpacks that only have one sternum strap, by passing the sternum straps of the backpack through the one or more loops.
Wulf teaches a backpack (cited above); a first strap and second straps (500) connected to the backpack, a pouch (100+200, note the claim does not exclude any element forming the claimed pouch), a first and second lengths of material (any two of 212), the first length of material having a first end having a first fastener (either buckle or fastener 214) located opposite a second end having a second fastener (the other buckle or fastener 214) wherein the pouch is removably connected to the first length of material and the second length of material (via 20/34 cited above) and the pouch is configured to be positioned in front of a user’s torso when the backpack is worn by a user.
SET III:
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maduro (D537479).
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Maduro teaches a backpack; a first strap and second straps (note the numerous straps in fig. 8 comprises first and second straps) connected to the backpack, a pouch (see fig. 7 the pouch connected to the two shoulder straps), a first and second lengths of material (the two shoulder straps), the first length of material having a first end having a first and second fasteners (fig. 8 note fasteners at the two ends of the shoulder straps) the pouch is removably connected to the first length of material and the second length of material (via the buckle structure in fig. 7 and fig. 8) and the pouch is configured to be positioned in front of a user’s torso when the backpack is worn by a user.
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TRI M. MAI
Examiner
Art Unit 3733
/TRI M MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733