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
Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/27/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-1 in the reply filed on 5/27/2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fielder (U.S. 2013/0011179).
As for Claim 1, Fielder discloses a buckle part of a buckle comprising:
an injection-molded portion(15 or 25); and
at least one magnetic body (11/12 or 21/22), optionally comprising a magnet (10 or 20), secured and embedded in the injection-molded portion (see Fig. 1D), wherein the injection-molded portion is shaped such that the magnetic body is partially exposed at least in a first surface region of the magnetic body (see Fig. 1A disclosing exposed portions of 11/12 or 21/22).
Re: 2. The buckle part of claim 1, wherein the magnetic body includes first and second external surfaces (top and bottom external surfaces of 11/12 or 21/22) which are adjacently located, and the first surface region includes adjacent first and second partial surface regions (partial surfaces of 11/12 or 21/22) and a first edge (front edges of 11/12 or 21/22) formed between the adjacent first and second partial surface regions, said first and second partial surface regions being included in said first and second external surfaces respectively (see Fig. !A).
Re: 3. The buckle part of claim 2, wherein the injection-molded portion includes a first (window defined by 16 or 26 and lower surface of 15 or 25) that is recessed at least in a thickness direction of the buckle part so as to expose the first surface region, one of the first and second external surfaces extends along the thickness direction, and the other one of the first and second external surfaces extends so as to cross the thickness direction (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 4. The buckle part of claim 3, wherein the magnetic body has a third external surface (front edge of 11/12 or 21/22) adjacent to both the first and second external surfaces and extending along the thickness direction of the buckle part, and the first window is shaped to partially expose the third external surface (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 5. The buckle part of claim 4, wherein the injection-molded portion covers a corner of the magnetic body formed at least by the first to third external surfaces (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 6. The buckle part of claim 4, wherein the first external surface is a lower surface, the second
external surface is a side surface, and the third external surface is a front surface (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 7. The buckle part of claim 3, wherein the injection-molded portion includes a second window (window defined by front surfaces of 11A/12A or 21A/22A) at a different location from the first window and recessed in a same direction as a direction the first window is recessed at least in a thickness direction of the buckle part so as to partially expose the magnetic body (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 8. The buckle part of claim 7, wherein the magnetic body has a second surface region exposed by the second window (exposes the front and side surfaces of 11A/12A and 21A/22A), and the second surface region includes a partial surface region included in one of the first and second external surfaces (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 9. The buckle part of claim 7, wherein the injection-molded portion includes a third window (140 or 240) that is recessed in a direction opposite to the direction the first window is recessed at least in the thickness direction of the buckle part so as to partially expose the magnetic body (see Fig. 1D).
Re: 10. The buckle part of claim 9, wherein the magnetic body has a third surface region (surfaces of 140 or 240) exposed by the third window, and the third surface region includes a partial surface region located on an opposite side of one of the first and second partial surface regions (see Fig. 1D).
Re: 11. The buckle part of claim 9, wherein the magnetic body is a hexahedron, and the injection-molded portion is shaped such that five external surfaces except one of the six external surfaces of the hexahedron are partially exposed (see 11/12 or 21/22 having at least six external surfaces).
Re: 12. The buckle part of claim 1, wherein the magnetic body is a polyhedron, and the injection-molded portion covers all corners of the polyhedron (see Fig. 1A-1D).
Re: 13. The buckle part of claim 1, wherein the magnetic body has a width exceeding 1/2 of a maximum width of the buckle part in a width direction of the buckle part (see Fig. 1A-1D).
Re: 14. The buckle part of claim 1, wherein the injection-molded portion includes a webbing attachment portion (13 or 23) and an engagement portion (upper portion of 15 or 25) connected to the webbing attachment portion, and the magnetic body is embedded in the engaging portion in such a manner that the magnetic body is partially exposed (see Fig. 1A-1D).
Re: 15. The buckle part of claim 14, wherein the magnetic body is a magnet (10 or 20), and the engagement portion includes:
at least one female groove (groove of 15 or 25 encircling magnet 10 or 20) extending along a width direction of the buckle part; and
at least one male portion (11A or 22A) arranged adjacent to the at least one female groove on one side of the at least one female groove which is a farther side from the webbing attachment portion, and wherein the at least one male portion is arranged orthogonal to or intersecting with a magnetic axis of the magnet when viewed along the thickness direction of the buckle part (see Fig. 1A).
Re: 16. The buckle part of claim 1, wherein the magnetic body is elongated along a width direction of the buckle part, and is embedded in the injection-molded portion so as to be not displaceable in an elongation direction thereof (see Figs. 1A-1D).
Re: 17. The buckle part of claim 16, wherein the magnetic body have two external surfaces (external surfaces of 11/12 or 21/22)orthogonal to the elongation direction thereof, one of the two external surfaces is partially covered by the injection-molded portion and the other one is entirely covered by the injection-molded portion (see Figs. 1A-1D).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Zook et al. (U.S. 2023/0329399) and LeMarbe (U.S. 2020/0229547) discloses analogous buckle parts pertinent to Applicant’s invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M UPCHURCH whose telephone number is (571)270-7957. The examiner can normally be reached 6AM-3PM EST M-F.
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, Jason San can be reached at (571)272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID M UPCHURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677
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