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 .
Status of the Application
Claims 1-11 are pending and have been examined in this application. As of the date of this application, no Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) has been filed on behalf of this case.
Response to Amendment
In the amendment dated 03/31/2026, the following has occurred: Claims 1, 4, 6, and 9-10 have been amended; Claims 2-3 have been canceled; No claims have been added. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 4-11have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Additionally, the amendment has overcome the 112 rejection set forth in the previous action.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “at least one fasterner”. This should read “at least one fastener” (emphasis added). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1 and 4-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Spencer et al. (US 2012/0291229) in view of Whaley (US 2012/0005867).
In regards to Claim 1, Spencer discloses an apparatus for holding and securing one or more items with adjustable length, the apparatus comprises: a rope (Spencer: Fig. 3; 40) made of a stretchable and weatherproof material (Spencer: [0025]); at least one fastener (Spencer: Fig. 6; 60) at each end of the rope for removably attaching the rope to external elements during operation; a plurality of joining elements (Spencer: Fig. 3; 30) on the rope to form one or more junctions, such that the rope is divided into one or more segments by the one or more junctions, wherein each of the one or more junctions corresponds to a loop of rope (Spencer: Fig. 3; 90) and includes at least one retention unit (Spencer: Fig. 6; 60; [0037]) for holding and securing the one or more items during operation.
Spencer fails to disclose one or more length adjusting units attached in the one or more segments for adjusting length of the corresponding segment and consequently the apparatus, wherein each of the one or more length adjusting units forms a sub-junction in the corresponding segment, and wherein the sub-junction includes at least one fastener for facilitating coupling to at least one of: another apparatus and the external elements. However, Whaley teaches one or more length adjusting units (Whaley: Fig. 1; 106) attached in one or more segments for adjusting length of a corresponding segment and consequently the apparatus, wherein each of the one or more length adjusting units forms a sub-junction in the corresponding segment, and wherein the sub-junction includes at least one fastener (Whaley: Fig. 1; 104A, 104B) for facilitating coupling to at least one of: another apparatus and the external elements.
Spencer and Whaley are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. flexible supports. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus in Spencer with the length adjusting unit forming a sub-junction and fasteners from Whaley, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a means of adjustable forming a loop, thereby enabling the apparatus to support an increased number of fasteners within the loop, expanding its utility and adjustability (Whaley: [0018]).
In regards to Claim 4, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length adjusting unit (Whaley: Fig. 1; 106) includes at least one of: a tensioner, an adjustable buckle, a cam lock, a ratchet strap, a cord lock, a cleat, a pulley, and a slip knot.
In regards to Claim 5, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rope includes at least one of: a shock cord, an elastic cord, and a bungee cord (Spencer: [0025]).
In regards to Claim 6, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stretchable and weatherproof material is selected from a group of materials including at least one of: nylon, polypropylene, polyester, rubber (Spencer: [0025]), and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE).
In regards to Claim 7, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener (Spencer: Fig. 6; 60) includes at least one of: a carabiner, a hook, a ring, and a clasp.
In regards to Claim 8, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external elements include at least one of: hooks of a bag, a branch of a tree, rings of tents, rings of outdoor gears (Spencer: Fig. 6; 50), tent poles, flagpoles, fence posts, tent stakes, handles, eyebolts, ground pegs, closet rods, wall hooks, door handles, and shelving units.
In regards to Claim 9, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of joining elements (Spencer: Fig. 3; 30) include at least one of: a clamp, a ferrule, a connector, a stitch, a knot, a splice, an eyelet, and a heat shrink tubing.
In regards to Claim 10, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the loop of rope (Spencer: Fig. 3; 90) is formed to facilitate coupling of the at least one retention unit (Spencer: Fig. 6; 60).
In regards to Claim 11, Spencer, as modified, teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention unit (Spencer: Fig. 6; 60) includes at least one of: a clip, a hook, a strap, a peg, a gripper, and a fastener.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for cited references.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Taylor Morris whose telephone number is (571)272-6367. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10AM-6PM PST / 1PM-9PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Taylor Morris/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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