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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 3, it is unclear how the strap is simultaneously sandwiched between the first and second sides and extends above and below the aperture. Claims 6 recites similar issues.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stevens US 20220142124 in view of Kendall US 20230217900 in further view of Guo US 20230172164.
Regarding claim 1, Stevens teaches a reversible harness for a pet (title) comprising:
a chest panel (102 of figure 2) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side (138 and 140 of figure 4B);
a first aperture defining an opening extending entirely through the back panel (118 of figure 4A);
a first ring positioned in the opening and defining a first ring opening (108 of figure 4A);
a first central strap extending across the opening of the first aperture and through the first ring opening of the first ring (106 of figure 4A) to moveably couple the first ring relative to the back panel (as shown in figure 4A), the opening of the first aperture and first central strap configured to allow the first ring to extend outwardly at least primarily from the first side of the back panel in a first position and outwardly at least primarily from the second side of the back panel in a second position (as shown in figure 4A);
a first plurality of straps coupled to the chest panel and configured to secure the chest panel to a chest of the pet (110 and 112 of figures 1 and 8-9), the first plurality of straps including at least one first fastening member coupled to at least one strap of the first plurality of straps (male or female side of 111 of figure 1);
a back panel (104 of figure 1) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side (114a and 116a of figure 4A); and
the first plurality of straps also coupled to the back panel and configured to secure the back panel to a back of the pet (figures 1 and 8-9), the plurality of straps including at least one second fastening member coupled to at least one strap of the plurality of straps (the other male or female side of 111 of figure 1) and configured to detachably couple to the at least one first fastening member (as shown),
wherein the reversible harness is adjustable between a first configuration in which the second side of the chest panel faces the first side of the back panel and a second configuration in which the first side of the chest panel faces the second side of the back panel (summarized in at least the abstract);
but does not specify the opening/strap/ring arrangement provided in the “chest” panel; or a second plurality of straps.
Kendall; however, teaches a “chest” panel opening/strap/ring arrangement. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the opening/strap/ring arrangement taught by Stevens in the chest panel, in order to meet particular leashing arrangements for a particular pet; since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in the respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Furthermore, Guo teaches an arrangement comprising a plurality of straps/fasteners arrangement. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the recited plurality of straps/fasteners arrangement, in order to enhance adjustability to meet various fitting arrangements for a particular pet.
Regarding claim 3, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein Stevens further teaches the first central strap is sandwiched between the first side and the second side of the chest panel and extends above and below the first aperture (figure 4A, as best understood by the Examiner).
Regarding claim 4, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein Stevens further teaches the first central strap is fixedly coupled to the chest panel (summarized in figure 4A).
Regarding claim 5, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1 but do not specify further comprising: a second aperture defining an opening extending through the back panel from the first side to the second side of the back panel; a second ring positioned in the opening of the second aperture and defining a second ring opening; and a second central strap extending across the opening of the second aperture and through the second ring opening of the second ring to moveably couple the second ring relative to the back panel, the opening of the second aperture and second central strap configured to allow the second ring to extend outwardly at least primarily from the first side of the back panel in a first position and outwardly at least primarily from the second side of the back panel in a second position.
Kendall; however, does teach rings on both the chest and back panels (110s in at least figure 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the opening/strap/ring attachments taught by Stevens on both the chest and back panels as taught by Kendall, in order to meet particular leashing requirements for a particular pet; since it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Regarding claim 6 the references teach the reversible harness of claim 5, wherein the second central strap is sandwiched between the first side and the second side of the back panel and extends above and below the second aperture (see previous rejections).
Regarding claim 7, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 5, wherein the second central strap is fixedly coupled to the back panel (see previous rejections).
Regarding claim 8, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 5, wherein Stevens further teaches the first ring and second ring are each D-shaped rings (figure 1).
Regarding claim 9, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein the reversible harness is adjustable between the first configuration, the second configuration, a third configuration in which the second side of the chest panel faces the second side of the back panel, and a fourth configuration in which the first side of the chest panel faces the first side of the back panel (see previous rejections by way of the strap system previously taught by Guo).
Regarding claim 10, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 9, wherein the at least one second fastening member engages the at least one first fastening member when the reversible harness is in the third configuration and the fourth configuration (see previous rejections).
Regarding claim 11, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 9, wherein Guo further teaches the first plurality of straps includes four first fastening members and the second plurality of straps includes four second fastening members, each of the four first fastening members configured to detachably couple to any one of the four second fastening members (figure 2).
Regarding claim 12, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein Guo further teaches the back panel is detachable from the chest panel (by way of the strap system taught by Guo as previously described).
Regarding claim 13, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein Stevens further teaches the chest panel defines one or more channels extending at least partially between the first side and second side of the chest panel and configured to adjustably couple the first plurality of straps to the chest panel (152 and 154 of figure 4B).
Regarding claim 14, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein Stevens further teaches the back panel defines one or more channels extending at least partially between the first side and second side of the back panel and configured to adjustably couple the second plurality of straps to the back panel (134 and 136 of figure 4A).
Regarding claim 15, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, but do not specify wherein the first side of the chest panel includes a first pocket fixedly coupled to the first side of the chest panel, and wherein the second side of the chest panel includes a second pocket fixedly coupled to the second side of the chest panel.
However, pockets are known in the art (evidenced at least by Wagner 20200245592 paragraph 0056). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide pockets, in order to accommodate design preferences; since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in the respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 17, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, wherein the chest panel and back panel are each comprised of a fabric material (described in at least the abstract).
Regarding claim 18, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, but do not specify wherein the first side and second side of each of the chest panel and back panel include a color or pattern than that is different than each other first side and second side of each of the chest panel and back panel.
However, various fabric designs are well known. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide such combination of fabrics, in order to accommodate design preferences; since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in the respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 19, the references teach a reversible pet harness comprising: a chest panel including a first side and a second side; a first aperture defining an opening extending entirely through the chest panel; a first ring positioned in the opening and defining a first ring opening; a first central strap extending across the opening of the first aperture and through the first ring opening of the first ring to moveably couple the first ring relative to the chest panel, the opening of the first aperture and first central strap configured to allow the first ring to extend outwardly at least primarily from the first side of the chest panel in a first position and outwardly at least primarily from the second side of the chest panel in a second position; a back panel including a first side and a second side, the back panel and chest panel oriented relative to one another such that the first side of the back panel faces the second side of the chest panel; and a plurality of straps detachably coupling the chest panel to the back panel, wherein the orientation of each of the chest panel and back panel are reversible relative to and independent of the other (see previous rejections).
Regarding claim 20, the references teach a reversible pet harness comprising: a chest panel having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a first plurality of straps coupled to the chest panel and configured to secure the chest panel to a chest of a pet, the first plurality of straps including at least one first fastening member coupled to at least one strap of the first plurality of straps; a first aperture defining an opening extending entirely through the chest panel; a first ring positioned in the opening and defining a first ring opening; and a first central strap extending across the opening of the first aperture and through the first ring opening of the first ring to moveably couple the first ring relative to the chest panel, the opening of the first aperture and first central strap configured to allow the first ring to extend outwardly at least primarily from the first side of the chest panel in a first position and outwardly at least primarily from the second side of the chest panel in a second position; a back panel having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a second plurality of straps coupled to the back panel and configured to secure the back panel to a back of the pet, the second plurality of straps including at least one second fastening member coupled to at least one strap of the second plurality of straps; a second aperture defining an opening extending entirely through the back panel; a second ring positioned in the opening of the second aperture and defining a second ring opening; and a second central strap extending across the opening of the second aperture and through the second ring opening of the second ring to moveably couple the second ring relative to the back panel, the opening of the second aperture and second central strap configured to allow the second ring to extend outwardly at least primarily from the first side of the back panel in a first position and outwardly at least primarily from the second side of the back panel in a second position, wherein the reversible harness is adjustable between a first configuration in which the second side of the chest panel faces the first side of the back panel and a second configuration in which the first side of the chest panel faces the second side of the back panel, and wherein the at least one second fastening member engages the at least one first fastening member when the reversible harness is in the first configuration and the second configuration (see previous rejections).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stevens, Kendall, and Guo in view of Wagner US 20200245592.
Regarding claim 16, the references teach the reversible harness of claim 1, but do not specify wherein the back panel includes a ring coupled to and extending outwardly from a periphery of the back panel.
Wagner; however, does teach such a ring (310 figures 3-4). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide such a ring, in order to accommodate particular leashing requirements for various pets, etc.
Response to Arguments
Response to Applicant's arguments filed 6/22/26 can be found in the updated rejections above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-7889. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm MST.
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/JESSICA B WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3644
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