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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 10,046,825).
Chen discloses a bicycle handlebar stem comprising: a handlebar stem body (20) to which a bicycle handlebar can be fixed (see Fig 5), and a base (11) designed to be fixedly connected to the steering pivot of a bicycle, wherein the handlebar stem body (20) can be detachably connected to the base (11) by means of a bayonet fitting (50), and wherein the bayonet fitting (50) makes it possible to connect the handlebar stem body to the base by pushing the handlebar stem body against the base (the method of assembly is not germane to the patentability of the device itself.), along an engagement axis, and then by rotating the handlebar stem body relative to the base, about the engagement axis (the method of assembly is not germane to the patentability of the device itself.), the bicycle handlebar stem further comprising a hook (30) mounted on the handlebar stem body (20) and designed to catch in a first notch formed in the base in order to immobilize the handlebar stem body in a use position in which the handlebar stem body is rotationally fixed to the base about the engagement axis and translationally fixed to the base along the engagement axis (the method of assembly is not germane to the patentability of the device itself.).
Re claim 2, the bayonet fitting comprises at least one radial finger (40) and at least one groove (511); each groove comprises a circumferential segment in the form of a circular arc about the engagement axis and an axial segment parallel to the engagement axis (see Fig 2); and each radial finger (40) can be engaged and slide in the groove (511) which corresponds to it (see Fig 2).
Re claim 4, when each radial finger (40) is engaged in the groove (511) which corresponds to it and when the hook (40) is in an unhooked position, the handlebar stem body (20) can be rotated relative to the base (11), about the engagement axis, between the use position in which the radial finger (40) is at one end of the circumferential segment and a disconnection position in which the radial finger (40) is at the other end of the circumferential segment in line with the axial segment; in the use position, the axial movement of the handlebar stem body (20) relative to the base (11) is prevented by the engagement of the radial finger (40) in the circumferential segment; from the disconnection position, the handlebar stem body (20) can be disconnected from the base (11) by sliding the radial finger (40) in the axial segment so as to bring the radial finger out of the groove (511).
Re claim 5, the hook (30) is designed to catch in a second notch (111) formed in the base (11) in order to immobilize the handlebar stem body (20) in the disconnection position.
Re claim 6, the use position and the disconnection position are angularly spaced by a rotational angle of 90° (see Fig 5 & 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 7-10 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Some further comments regarding the applicant’s remarks are deemed appropriate. The applicant requests an acknowledgement receipt of Foreign Priority Documents, however, an attempt by the Office to electronically retrieve, under the priority document exchange program, the foreign application 2309874 to which priority is claimed has FAILED on 02/19/2025.
The applicant argues the Chen reference fails to meet the limitations of the claims because it fails to disclose “wherein the bayonet fitting makes it possible to connect the handlebar stem body to the base by pushing the handlebar stem body against the base” The method of assembly is not germane to the patentability of the device itself.
The applicant argues that the Chen reference is not the same as the applicant’s claimed invention, however, the claims do not structurally define over the prior art of record. Applicant’s remarks have been accorded due consideration; however, they are not deemed fully persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICKY A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7106. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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/VICKY A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617