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 § 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lill (US 2013/0087089).
At to claim 1, Lill discloses (see annotated Figure 2) a wave resistant dock assembly configured for deployment on a body of water and resistant to wave action in the body of water, comprising:
a dock frame 22;
a dock body 26 supported by the dock frame, the dock body having an upper dock body surface and a lower dock body surface;
at least one water discharge gap in the upper dock body surface; and
at least one water flow space in the lower dock body surface, the at least one water discharge gap in the upper dock body surface communicating with the at least one water flow space in the lower dock body surface, the at least one water flow space converging toward the at least one water discharge gap, whereby water is directed to flow from the body of water through the at least one water flow space and discharge through the at least one water discharge gap responsive to wave action in the body of water. The at least one water flow space is considered converging due to the rounded corners of the deck 26 (i.e. converges from rounded corners and narrows through middle of plank/board 26).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FREDERICK L LAGMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7043. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Friday 8am-6:00pm.
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/FREDERICK L LAGMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
