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 .
Notice to Applicant
Claims 1-23 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on December 6, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication Number 2016/0236044, Orr, et al., hereinafter Orr.
Regarding claim 1, Orr discloses a sports training device comprising a ball and a rotatable coupling located inside the ball, the rotatable coupling being configured to rotatably connect the ball to a tether, such that, in use, the ball is permitted to rotate relative to the tether, the rotatable coupling comprising a first element and a second element configured to rotate relative to the first element, the first element being engaged with the ball and the second element being engaged with the tether, wherein the rotatable coupling restricts translatory movement of the first and second elements relative to each other, (Figures 1 and 2, anchor body 16, tether cord 22, and bearing body 38, para. 24, the anchor body may define an axial passage therethrough which extends through the elongate shank portion and the head, the axial passage permitting a tether cord having a stop formation at an end of the cord within the ball, to extend therethrough into the ball, the improved anchor fitting including a bearing body operatively located between the stop formation at the end of the tether cord and the head of anchor body, to operatively bear against the head of the anchor body and rotate relative to the head, in use, thereby to permit free rotation of the tether cord within the axial passage defined through the elongate shank portion and the head of the anchor body, para. 52, a freely rotatable bearing body 38 located between the anchor body and the knot 24, the anchor fitting being assembled by merely pulling on the tether cord).
Regarding claim 2, Orr discloses the device of claim 1 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the ball has a cover that defines an interior of the ball, (Fig. 9, para. 36, a fragmentary exploded three-dimensional view of a third embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention, for anchoring a flight control device in the form of a tether cord, to a ball).
Regarding claim 3, Orr discloses the device of claims 1 and 2 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the coupling is accessible through or extends through an opening in the cover, (para. 1, a ball for use in bat and ball games wherein the ball has a flight control device for controlling the orientation of the ball in flight, such as a tether cord which is attached to the ball enabling the ball to be used in tethered tennis-type ball games, and para. 36, a fragmentary exploded three-dimensional view of a third embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention, for anchoring a flight control device in the form of a tether cord, to a ball).
Regarding claim 4, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 as described above. Orr further discloses further comprising a bushing that reduces frictional resistance between the coupling or tether and the cover, (para. 55, the diameter of the resilient washer is such that the resilient washer projects beyond the distal ends of the shoulder-defining bodies, thereby extending the effective surface area of the anchor fitting within the ball which bears against the interior side of the wall forming the ball, in the assembled condition of the anchor fitting thus improving resistance of the anchor fitting to being pulled from the ball through the hole 14.).
Regarding claim 5, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 as described above. Orr further discloses further comprising a support member located within the interior and configured to hold the coupling in alignment with the opening, (para. 6, a pair of rigid shoulder-defining bodies and an elongate anchor body which holds the shoulder-defining bodies in place within the ball and extends through the ball hole in the assembled condition, thereby protecting the ball hole wall from being damaged by the tether cord during play. The provision of relatively small separate components which can be inserted separately into the ball through the ball hole made it considerably easier to insert the components into the ball and also considerably reduced the risk of accidentally damaging the wall of the ball defining the hole).
Regarding claim 6, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 and 5 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the support member includes a recess, the coupling being at least partly accommodated within the recess, (Figures 1 and 6, holes 30 and 32 and para. 58, a second embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention for anchoring a tether cord to a ball).
Regarding claim 7, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3, 5, and 6 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the coupling comprises a body that is shaped and sized to conform to the recess and a stem that extends from the body and at least partly into the opening of the cover, (para. 51, the resilient washer 34 is located between the shoulder-defining body 26 and an interior side of the wall 12. The resilient washer 34 defines a central hole 36 which is equal in diameter to the holes 30 and 32 defined in the shoulder-defining bodies 26 and 28, respectively, and which thus permits to the shank portion 18 of the anchor body to fit to slidably therethrough).
Regarding claim 8, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3, 5, and 6 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the body is rotatably mounted within the recess, (Figures 1 and 6, holes 30 and 32 and para. 58, a second embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention for anchoring a tether cord to a ball).
Regarding claim 9, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3, 5, and 6 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the body is fixedly mounted within the recess, (Figures 1 and 6, holes 30 and 32 and para. 58, a second embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention for anchoring a tether cord to a ball).
Regarding claim 10, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 9 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the support member includes engagement features configured to engage with the body to limit movement of the body within the recess, (Fig. 1 and para. 28, a fragmentary exploded three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of an improved anchor fitting in accordance with the invention, for anchoring a flight control device in the form of a tether cord, to a ball).
Regarding claim 11, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 and 5 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the support member is formed from a compressible material, (para. 58, Each locating body has a wall portion defining a resilient pad 134 which is of rubber or any other suitable resilient material and which is located between the shoulder-defining body to which it is connected and an interior side of the wall 12 forming the ball. The locating bodies are entirely of rubber or any other suitable resilient material and are moulded to distal end regions of the shoulder-defining bodies. In FIGS. 6 to 8, the features of the anchor fitting 100 which are the same as and/or similar to the features of the anchor fitting 10, are designated by the same and/or similar reference numerals.).
Regarding claim 12, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 and 5 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the ball further comprises an inflatable bladder, (para.55, The resilient washer being of rubber or a rubber-like material, acts as a shock absorber absorbing impact forces on the ball when struck. The curved configuration of the resilient washer which corresponds to the curvature of the inner face of the ball ensures that a large surface area of the resilient washer remains in contact with the ball thereby assisting in spreading shock loads applied to the ball over a relatively large surface area).
Regarding claim 13, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3, 5, and 12 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the support member is located between the cover and the inflatable bladder, (para.55, The resilient washer being of rubber or a rubber-like material, acts as a shock absorber absorbing impact forces on the ball when struck. The curved configuration of the resilient washer which corresponds to the curvature of the inner face of the ball ensures that a large surface area of the resilient washer remains in contact with the ball thereby assisting in spreading shock loads applied to the ball over a relatively large surface area).
Regarding claim 14, Orr discloses the device of claims 1-3 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the ball is ovoid in shape, and the opening in the cover is located at a longitudinal pole thereof, (para. 62, The anchor fitting 300 includes the anchor body 16, the freely rotatable bearing body 38 and the flexible resilient washer 34. Instead of the two shoulder-defining bodies 226 and 228, the anchor fitting 300 includes a single rigid, disc-shaped shoulder-defining body 326 defining a central aperture 330 within which the shank 18 of the anchor body 16 is slidably received. More specifically, in the assembled condition of the anchor fitting 300, the resilient washer 34 is located between and abuts the shoulder-defining body 326 at one side and an inner side of the wall of the ball 12 at an opposite side thereof. As such, the shoulder-defining body 326 and the resilient washer 34 have complementary curved abutment faces which abut one another in the assembled condition of the anchor fitting within the ball 12.).
Regarding claim 15, Orr discloses the device of claim 1 as described above. Orr further discloses wherein the ball comprises a substantially solid core, (Fig. 9, and para. 61, The anchor fitting 200 includes two shoulder-defining bodies 226 and 228 which, in an assembled condition of the anchor fitting within a ball 12, have a circular peripheral edge profile. In the assembled condition of the anchor fitting, the skirt 37 of the resilient washer 34 circumscribes the circular peripheral edge of the assembled shoulder-defining bodies in a snug fit).
Regarding claim 16, Orr discloses the device of claim 1 as described above. Orr further discloses further comprising an elastic tether that is adapted to be secured to a user, such that, in use, with the tether connected to the coupling and to the user, application of an external force to the ball by the user results in the ball being propelled away from the user with the tether imparting a biasing force onto the ball to thereby return the ball towards the user, (para. 6, This problem is particularly evident in the design of anchor fittings for fitting a tether cord to a hollow ball for use in tethered bat and ball games such as tether tennis games, in which the ball is subjected to particularly high stresses when struck by a bat against the holding force exerted by the tether cord on the ball. In the case of tether tennis games it was only when an effective anchor fitting was developed which could absorb the bat impact forces without causing the tethered tennis ball to rapidly split open after only a few blows, was it possible to mass market games of this type which have since proved to be popular in a number of markets for many years.).
Regarding claim 17, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as set forth above with regard to claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tether for a ball (US 5772542 A) teaches a tether for a ball; the tether formed from a primary shock cord having a first spring constant and a secondary shock device having a second spring constant.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amber Misiaszek whose telephone number is 571-270-1362. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:30, First Friday Off.
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/AMBER A MISIASZEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3682
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