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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 9 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the shoulder mouth lateral edges" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-5 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Keyaki, U.S. Patent 9,930,939.
Regarding Claim 1, Keyaki teaches:
a lower blade (22);
an upper blade (21); oppositely disposed above the lower blade;
a guide pillar (23), disposed between the lower blade and the upper blade, and
connecting a front end portion of the lower blade and a front end portion of the upper blade in a front-rear direction (see fig. 8); and
a pair of flanges (24), respectively disposed on two opposite lateral edges of one of the lower blade and the upper blade on a width direction and extending toward another one of the lower blade and the upper blade, wherein
an inner surface of the another one of the lower blade and the upper blade and an end surface of the flanges are opposite to each other and separated by a gap (28),
a first groove (see below) is provided on a side surface of the guide pillar, and
the first groove corresponds to the gap in an up-down direction (see below).
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Regarding Claim 2, Keyaki teaches:
a tab pull installing lug (26), disposed above the upper blade, the first groove being disposed at an end of the guide pillar close to the tab pull installing lug (see above).
Regarding Claim 3, Keyaki teaches:
wherein, the first groove is disposed on two opposite side surfaces of the guide pillar in the width direction (see drawing selection above, see fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 4, Keyaki teaches:
wherein, the first groove is disposed on a rear side surface of the guide pillar in the front-rear direction (see drawing selection above, see fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 5, Keyaki teaches:
an inner surface of the upper blade facing the lower blade is provided with a second groove, and the second groove is located at a position on the inner surface of the upper blade close to the guide pillar (see below).
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Regarding Claim 7, Keyaki teaches:
the lower blade has a front end edge located at the front end portion, and a pair of
shoulder opening lateral edges respectively extending rearward from the front end edge on opposite sides in the width direction, wherein
the front end edge is configured as an arc shape that protrudes outward, and
the shoulder opening lateral edges are configured as inwardly concave arc shapes, while avoidance portions are formed on opposite sides of the lower blade in the width direction (see below).
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Regarding Claim 8, Keyaki teaches:
the upper blade has a front end edge (see above) located at the front end portion, and a
pair of shoulder opening lateral edges (see above) respectively extending rearward from the front end edge on opposite sides in the width direction, wherein
the front end edge is configured as an arc shape (see below) that protrudes outward, and
the shoulder opening lateral edges are configured as arc shapes that protrude outward (see below).
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Regarding Claim 9¸ insofar as the claim is understood, see the rejection of Claim 8 above and note the “shoulder mouth lateral edges” as they are best understood.
Regarding Claim 10, Keyaki teaches:
a pair of fastener stringers (4); and
the slider according to claim 1 (see fig. 6), installed on the pair of fastener stringers to open or close the pair of fastener stringers, wherein
the pair of fastener stringers comprise a fastener tape (4) and an element column coil (3) installed on a first surface of the fastener tape,
a boundary between the first groove and a side surface of the guide pillar forms a step portion, and
the step portion is located between a second surface of the fastener tape opposite to the first surface and an end surface of the element column coil opposite to the fastener tape (see below).
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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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Keyaki ‘939 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Keyaki, U.S. Patent 9,038,249.
In addition to the aspects of the claims taught above, Keyaki ’939 teaches:
The guide pillar connects the front end edge of the lower blade and the front end portion of the upper blade, and is separated from the front end edge of the upper blade by a distance (see 21-23 in fig. 2).
Keyaki ‘249 does teach:
a front end edge of the front end portion of the lower blade (Fig. 6A, 23a) is further rearward than a front end edge of the front end portion of the upper blade in the front-rear direction (Fig. 6A, 21)…and a retreat portion is formed between a front end side of the guide pillar and the front end edge of the upper blade (see area 26 in Fig. 6A).
it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide Keyaki ‘939 with the teachings of Keyaki ‘249 because the overhanging front top edge would reduce the likelihood of water ingress when the zipper is closed which would enhance user comfort.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J SULLIVAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5218. The examiner can normally be reached IFP, Typically M-Th, 8:00-6:00, regular Fr availability.
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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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/M.J.S/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677