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.
Claims 11-15 are 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 11 recites “the zipper slider according to claim 1,” and the recitation begins to recite duplicate structure of the zipper slider according the claim 1, which is unclear to Examiner if there is an additional slider or Applicant intends to claim only the slider of claim 1. Applicant should make the language of the claim consistent with applicant's intent if the zipper slider of claim 1 is/are intended then the preamble should be update to "A zipper slider comprising…" However, in formulating a rejection on the merits, the examiner is considering that the claims are drawn a zipper slider since the recitation of claim 11 includes the claimed structure of claim 1 and claims will be rejected accordingly. If applicant indicated by amendment that "A combination" is the intention, the language in the preamble should be made consistent with that in the body of the claims. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 12-15 are rejected being dependent form claim 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: It appears the prior art fails to disclose and/or make obvious the configuration disclosed of the torsion member, elastic piece and first and second elastic members.
Claims 12-15 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. Theobald (U.S. 2015/0374076) discloses an analogous locking slider 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.
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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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/DAVID M UPCHURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677
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