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 .
This is the first office action for application number 18/938,984, ARTICLE MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE, filed on November 6, 2024. This application is a continuation of 17/380,126 filed July 20, 2021.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: "32B" n Figs. 4E & 4G; "622" in Fig. 6B; "W4" in Fig. 8B; "180" in Figs. 11F & 11G; and "75" in Fig. 11F. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: "1110". Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because in reference character "70" in Figs. F, G, and I appears to be incorrect and should be --710--; and in Fig. 11F, reference character "1118C" does not have a lead line. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: reference number "84" is used for a sidewall and a plunger in paragraph [0087].
Appropriate correction is required.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: a latching system, in line 1 of claim 21.
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) 21, 25-30, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 8,602,702 to Roy et al., hereinafter, Roy. Roy discloses a latching system configured for use with a vehicle having a frame and a rail (120) supported by the frame, the rail having a longitudinal axis and defining a channel (122) along the longitudinal axis, the latching system comprising: a retainer (10) configured to couple to the rail, the retainer including, a housing (12) including, a base (22) configured to contact a portion of the rail and defining a base opening (48) therethrough, and a cover (59) coupled to the base, a plunger (34) having a plunger body (44), and a lever (51) operably coupled to the plunger, wherein the lever is rotatably coupled (Col. 7, lines 1-10) to the housing and is configured to transition between a locked position and an unlocked position; wherein the plunger body includes an engagement member (46) configured to be received within the channel, wherein a width of the engagement member is larger than a width of the plunger body; wherein the lever is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail in the locked position and the lever extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rail in the unlocked position; and wherein the housing is coupled to the rail via one or more fasteners (142) received through the base.
In regards to claims 28-30 and 32, Roy discloses a retainer (10) comprising: a housing (12) including, a base (22) defining a base opening (48) therethrough, and a cover (59) coupled to the base, a plunger (34) having a plunger body (44) having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a central portion therebetween, and a lever (51) operably coupled to the plunger, wherein the lever is rotatably coupled to the housing and is configured to transition between a locked position and an unlocked position; wherein the base defines a plunger receiver configured to receive a portion of the plunger body therein; wherein a spring (38) is positioned within the plunger receiver and contacts the first end of the plunger body; and wherein the second end of the plunger body includes an engagement member (46) and a width of the engagement member is larger than a width of the central portion of the plunger body.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22-24, 31, and 33-35 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Patent 11,685,473 to Labbe et al. is directed to an anchor for use with a base connected to a vehicle including an anchor case, a latch rotatably mounted to the case and a cam being configured to be inserted though a base aperture. U.S. Patent No. 10,900,607 to Newman et al. is directed to an accessory device for interlocking with a lot along an accessory mounting track. U.S. Patent No. 10,493,895 to Lamoureux is directed to an attachment device for attaching to a generally channel-section rail having rims forming a channel, a latch for inserting into the channel, and a locking member. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0374564 to Schroeder et al. is directed to an equipment mounting system having a quick mount track. U.S. Patent No. 8,550,757 to Anderson et al. is directed to a flexible cargo bed tie-down system. U.S. Patent No. 7,175,377 to Womack is directed to a fastener assembly that secured loads to a track in a truck bed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANITA M KING whose telephone number is (571)272-6817. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-4:00pm.
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, Terrell Mckinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANITA M KING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 April 4, 2026
Prosecution Insights