DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/11/2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) filled on 12/11/2025 is being considered in the examination of this application.
Specification
4. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of usage of indefinite language such “or the like” that should be deleted. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
5. Claims 2-3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
a. Claim 2, lines 5-6: the limitation “a plurality of first gores” should be replaced with “a plurality of gores”.
b. Claim 2, line 9: the limitation “the the first gore” should be replaced with “the first gore”.
c. Claim 2, lines 15-16: the limitation “the portion of the lateral side portion” should be replaced with “a portion of a lateral side portion”.
d. Claim 3, lines 8-9: the limitation “adjacent to the the gore” should be replaced with “adjacent to the first gore”.
e. Claim 3, line 12: the limitation “overlapped wherein a side portion out” should be replaced with “overlapped, wherein a side portion”.
f. Claim 3, line 14: the limitation “to to the umbrella top portion” should be replaced with “to the umbrella top portion”.
g. Claim 3, lines 16-17: the limitation “the second gore that is on an inner side in a direction opposite” should be replaced with “the second gore in a direction opposite”.
h. Claim 3, line 21: the limitation “a side portion out of” should be replaced with “a side portion of”.
i. Claim 3, line 26: the limitation “second gore that is on an inner side in a direction opposite” should be replaced with “second gore in a direction opposite”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
7. Claims 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, 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.
8. The term “closer” in claim 2 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “closer” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear as to exactly how close the position is required to be relative to the unbribable top portion such that the portion is considered to be closer to the umbrella top portion. The examiner suggest replacing the term “closer to” with “approaching” in order to obviate such indefiniteness.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
9. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
10. Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frieder et al. (US 2426926 A), hereinafter “Frieder”, cited on the IDS filed on 12/11/2025.
11. Regarding Claim 2, Frieder discloses a parachute (Abstract and FIG. 1) comprising:
an umbrella body (col. 2, ln. 47 - col. 3, ln. 1; canopy 20) including an umbrella top portion and an umbrella edge portion (parachutes by definition include top and bottom edge portions as seen in FIGS. 1-2); and
a plurality of lines each including one end connected to the umbrella body (col. 3, ll. 48-70; lines 30 connected to hem 23 of canopy 20),
wherein
the umbrella body is formed by connecting lateral side portions of a plurality of first gores (col. 3, ll. 30-47; canopy 20 formed from gores stitched together),
And least one of connection portion between a first gore of the plurality of gores and a second gore of the plurality of gores adjacent to the the first gore includes a fold portion formed with layers by fixing in a meshed state (col. 3, ll. 35-47 and col. 3, ln. 70 - col. 4, ln. 12; lateral edges of adjacent gores doubly folded upon itself and stitched together as seen in FIG. 9, furthermore adjacent gores stitched together along diagonal lines, the seams connecting these sections are referred to as chevron seams, the pieces composing the gores are folded together informing the seams, therefore the seams are formed by layers of the adjacent gores), and
wherein the connection portion includes
a first hook-shaped portion formed by folding back a portion of a lateral side portion of the first gore from the umbrella edge portion to a position closer to the umbrella top portion in a circumferential direction of the umbrella body (col. 3, ll. 35-47 and col. 3, ll. 75 - col. 4, ll. 5; folded back portions of lateral and diagonal edges of a gore stitched to an adjacent gore as clearly seen in FIGS. 9-10, the lateral fold back edges of the upper gores closer to the umbrella top portion in a circumferential direction of the canopy 20 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 9); and
a second hook-shaped portion formed by folding back the portion of the lateral side portion of the second gore that corresponds to the first hook-shaped portion in a direction opposite to a folding back direction of the first gore along the circumferential direction of the umbrella body (second folded back portion of the lateral side portion of the adjacent gore that corresponds to the folded back portion of the gore along the circumferential direction of the canopy 20 as seen in FIG. 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-11 are allowable.
The Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claims 1 and 3-11 previously provided in the Office action mailed on 09/15/2025.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this or any earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Arfan Sinaki, whose telephone number is 571-272-7185. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Joshua J. Michener can be reached at 571-272-1467. The fax number for the organization to which this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARFAN Y. SINAKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642