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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II, figs. 2-4, claims 1-4, 7, and 19-22, in the reply filed on 8/10/2026 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.
Claims 1-4, 7, and 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smith et al. (US 20090211849), hereinafter Smith.
Regarding claim 1, Smith teaches of (fig. 12) a fall-protection device for use with a safety harness of a user (¶0004-0006, fall protection device for use with a harness on a user), the fall-protection device comprising:
at least one housing (self-retracting lifelines 300);
at least one lifeline (lifeline 320) extending from the at least one housing (seen in fig. 12) and configured to be connected to an anchor (¶0110, connector 350 at the end of the lifeline can be connected to an anchor);
at least one bracket (fig. 10A, frame 140) pivotally connected to the at least one housing (300) and pivotable relative to the at least one housing about a first axis (figs. 9-10A, ¶0115, frame 140 is pivotable via rods 170 in the housing 300 around a first axis); and
an attachment member (fig. 12, connector 120) rotatably connected to the at least one bracket (140) and rotatable relative to the at least one bracket (140) about a second axis inclined to the first axis (¶0104, connector 20, which is analogous to the connector 120 in fig. 12, is pivotably retained by pivot pin or rod 30, which is analogous to pin 122. Pin 122 allows rotatable connection to the at least one bracket about a second axis inclined to the first axis), wherein the attachment member (120) is configured to be directly or indirectly connected to the safety harness (seen in fig. 13).
Regarding claim 2, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 12) wherein the at least one housing (300) comprises a first surface (front surface), a second surface spaced apart and opposite to the first surface (rear surface on the opposite end of the front surface), and a lateral surface (side surface) extending between the first surface and the second surface (seen in fig. 12), and wherein the first axis extends between the first surface and the second surface (first axis of rods 170 extends between the first surface and the second surface).
Regarding claim 3, Smith teaches of claim 2, and (fig. 12) wherein the at least one housing (300) further comprises a pivot member (170) extending from the first surface or the second surface (seen in fig. 12), the pivot member (170) defining the first axis along a length thereof (axis along the length of pivot member 170), and wherein the at least one bracket (140) is pivotally connected to the pivot member (¶0115, Retractable lifeline seatings 160 are retained in rotatable or pivotable connection with frame 140 via extending members such as seating pins or rods 170).
Regarding claim 4, Smith teaches of claim 3, and (fig. 11C) wherein the pivot member (170) comprises a narrow portion (elongated portion of rod 170) extending from the first surface or the second surface (seen in fig. 11C) and a wide portion (head and shoulder portion of 170) connected to the narrow portion distal to the first surface or the second surface (seen in fig. 11C), wherein the at least one bracket (140) is pivotally connected to the narrow portion of the pivot member (¶0115, Retractable lifeline seatings 160 are retained in rotatable or pivotable connection with frame 140 via extending members such as seating pins or rods 170, including the narrow portion of the rod 170) and wherein the at least one bracket (140) is at least partially received between the wide portion of the pivot member and the first surface or the second surface (seen in fig. 11C).
Regarding clam 7, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 12) wherein the at least one bracket (140) comprises:
a main portion pivotally connected to the at least one housing (seen in fig. 12) and rotatable relative to the at least one housing about the first axis (¶0115, Retractable lifeline seatings 160 are retained in rotatable or pivotable connection with frame 140 via extending members such as seating pins or rods 170); and
a pair of connecting portions (fig. 10B, flanges 146a, 146b) extending from the main portion (seen in fig. 10B) and together defining the second axis (defines the second axis along with the connector 120), wherein each of the pair of connecting portions (146a, 146b) at least partially and rotatably receives the attachment member (120) therethrough (seen in fig. 10B), such that the attachment member is rotatable relative to the pair of connecting portions about the second axis (¶0104, the connector is rotatable or pivotable about the second axis).
Regarding claim 19, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 10A) wherein the second axis (axis following longitudinal length of connector 120) is perpendicular to the first axis (axis following longitudinal length of rod 170) (second axis is perpendicular to the first axis).
Regarding claim 20, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 14) further comprising a drum (drum 330) received within the at least one housing (300) (seen in fig. 14) and rotatable relative to the at least one housing (¶0119, drum 330 rotates within housing 300), wherein the at least one lifeline (320) is at least partially wound around the drum (¶0119, lifeline 320 is wounded around the drum 330).
Regarding claim 21, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 8) further comprising a connector (snap hook 350) coupled to an end of the at least one lifeline (320) distal to the at least one housing (300) (seen in fig. 8), wherein the connector (350) is configured to detachably connect the at least one lifeline to the anchor (connector 350 can attach detachably to an anchor).
Regarding claim 22, Smith teaches of claim 1, and (fig. 12) wherein the attachment member (120) comprises a pin (pin 122 of attachment member 120).
Conclusion
The cited references made of record in the contemporaneously filed PTO-892 form and not relied upon in the instant office action are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and may have one or more of the elements in Applicant’s disclosure and at least claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZOE TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8530. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am-6pm EST.
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/ZOE TAM TRAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3647
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