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 1 in the reply filed on 2/23/2026 is acknowledged.
No claims are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/23/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: there appears to be a typo in line 6 of the claim.
“at first adjustable component…” should read “a first adjustable component…”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Egly et al. (US 6382480, hereinafter ‘Egly’).
Egly discloses a bicycle carrier apparatus including: a longitudinal member (20) having a reduced friction member (48) operatively associated with one end thereof; at least one rigid mechanical member (25) attached to and extending in a generally perpendicular direction from the longitudinal member (Fig. 2); a first adjustable component to releasably secure a rear wheel of a bicycle relative to at least the longitudinal member (46 + tethers disclosed); and a second component to releasably secure a front wheel of the bicycle relative to at least the longitudinal member (fork clamp 22).
Egly further discloses the front wheel of the bicycle is detached from forks of the bicycle while releasably secured to the bicycle carrier (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-13 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER N. HELVEY whose telephone number is (571)270-1423. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am-7pm EST.
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/PETER N HELVEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3734
June 1, 2026
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