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 § 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) 1-5, 8-13 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GARRETSON [US20190353448], in view of Kronengold et al. [US8240299], hereinafter Kronengold.
Regarding claim 1, GARRETSON discloses a crossbow, comprising: a frame; a first flexible limb coupled to the frame; a second flexible limb coupled to the frame (Fig. 1A);
a draw string coupled to the first flexible limb and the second flexible limb and configured to move between a released position and a drawn position (Fig. 1A, bow string 176); and
a projectile rest rotatably coupled with the frame and configured to selectively engage a projectile along a projectile axis (Fig. 1A, arrow rest 100); wherein, during operation of the crossbow, as the draw string moves from the drawn position to the released position, the projectile rest is configured to rotate relative to the frame from a first position to a second position to disengage from the projectile ([0085], “upon the firing of bow string 176, movement of arrow rest 100 from the encapturing configuration to the discharge configuration triggered. In response to this triggering, tabs 120 and 130 and their respective arms 126 and 136 rotate 124, 134 very quickly from their starting positions in the second stage of the encapturing configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E) through the first stage of the encapturing configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C) until ending at the discharge configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1F and FIG. 1G)”).
However, GARRETSON does not explicitly disclose a trigger box movably coupled with the frame and configured to move the draw string from the released position to the drawn position.
Nevertheless, Kronengold teaches in a like invention, a trigger box movably coupled with the frame and configured to move the draw string from the released position to the drawn position (abstract, “A movable bowstring release is used both to retract the bowstring into a drawn position, and to release the bowstring under the operation of a trigger assembly”).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the crossbow disclosed by GARRETSON, to have the trigger box, as taught by Kronengold, in order to make it easier to operate the draw string.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, wherein during operation of the crossbow, as the draw string moves from the drawn position to the released position and the projectile rest disengages from the projectile, only a second end of the projectile is engaged with the crossbow via the draw string (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, further comprising a trigger assembly actuatable to cause the draw string to move from the drawn position to the released position, wherein the projectile rest is operatively coupled with the trigger assembly such that, responsive to an actuation of the trigger assembly, the projectile rest rotates from the first position to the second position (Kronengold, abstract, “A movable bowstring release is used both to retract the bowstring into a drawn position, and to release the bowstring under the operation of a trigger assembly” and GARRETSON, [0085], “upon the firing of bow string 176, movement of arrow rest 100 from the encapturing configuration to the discharge configuration triggered. In response to this triggering, tabs 120 and 130 and their respective arms 126 and 136 rotate 124, 134 very quickly from their starting positions in the second stage of the encapturing configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E) through the first stage of the encapturing configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C) until ending at the discharge configuration (illustrated in FIG. 1F and FIG. 1G)”).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, further comprising: a power cable journal rotatably coupled with the first flexible limb, the power cable journal defining a power cable groove; and a power cable including an end portion, the power cable engaged with the power cable groove with the end portion coupled to the second flexible limb (GARRETSON, [0068], “A first drive cable 178 is strung between opposing cam 173 and limb 174, while a second drive cable 182 is strung between opposing cam 175 and limb 172”).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 4, further comprising: a cable coupled with the projectile rest and the power cable; wherein, during operation of the crossbow, movement of the power cable causes the cable to move; wherein, during operation of the crossbow, movement of the cable causes the projectile rest to rotate from the first position to the second position (GARRETSON, [0075], “Body 110 is coupled to drive cable 178 at connecting point 141 by a cord 140 which runs between connecting point 141 and a crank arm 145 (see FIG. 1B)… Pulling of cord 140 causes crank arm 145 to rotate, on its axis, toward bow string 176” and [0076], “In the transition from the depiction in FIG. 1A to the depiction in FIG. 1B, crank arm 145 has been rotated downward and tabs 120 and 130 have pivoted with respect to body 110 to create an aperture (illustrated in FIG. 1C) which encaptures the circumference of arrow 190. Responsive to the movement from the discharge configuration to this first stage of the encapturing configuration a first portion (portion 122) of the first arm (e.g., arm 126 of FIG. 1C) and a first portion (portion 132) of the second arm (e.g., arm 136 of FIG. 1C) operate to move away from each other while a second portion (portion 121) of the first arm (e.g., arm 126 of FIG. 1C) and a second portion (portion 131) of the second arm (e.g., arm 136 of FIG. 1C) operate to move toward each other.”).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 5, wherein the cable is coupled with the projectile rest at a location spaced apart from an axis of rotation of the projectile rest such that, when the cable moves, the projectile rest rotates from the first position to the second position (GARRETSON, [0075], “Body 110 is coupled to drive cable 178 at connecting point 141 by a cord 140 which runs between connecting point 141 and a crank arm 145 (see FIG. 1B)… Pulling of cord 140 causes crank arm 145 to rotate, on its axis, toward bow string 176” and [0076], “In the transition from the depiction in FIG. 1A to the depiction in FIG. 1B, crank arm 145 has been rotated downward and tabs 120 and 130 have pivoted with respect to body 110 to create an aperture (illustrated in FIG. 1C) which encaptures the circumference of arrow 190. Responsive to the movement from the discharge configuration to this first stage of the encapturing configuration a first portion (portion 122) of the first arm (e.g., arm 126 of FIG. 1C) and a first portion (portion 132) of the second arm (e.g., arm 136 of FIG. 1C) operate to move away from each other while a second portion (portion 121) of the first arm (e.g., arm 126 of FIG. 1C) and a second portion (portion 131) of the second arm (e.g., arm 136 of FIG. 1C) operate to move toward each other.”).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, further comprising a magnet configured to bias the projectile rest to the first position when the draw string is in the released position (GARRETSON, [0116], “As depicted, biasing means 450 is a torsion spring that is disposed coaxially with shaft 135 and cam 460. However other biasing means such as stretched strings, clock springs, magnets, and/or elastic bands may be utilized to similarly bias the rotation of shaft 135 and cam 460”).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, wherein the projectile rest further includes a housing and a pivot, the housing coupled to the frame, wherein the pivot of the projectile rest is at least partially disposed within the housing (GARRETSON, Fig. 1C).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism coupled with the projectile rest and configured to adjust a vertical height of the projectile rest relative to the frame (GARRETSON, [0072], “In some embodiments, arrow rest 100 can be adjustably positioned, such as via arrow rest mount 150, such that no portion of arms 126 and 136 are above shelf 179 during the encapturing configuration of arrow rest 100 or during both the encapturing and discharge configuration of arrow rest 100”).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 1, wherein the projectile rest is configured to rotate about a pin defining an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the projectile axis (GARRETSON, Fig. 1B, [0075], “Pulling of cord 140 causes crank arm 145 to rotate, on its axis, toward bow string 176”).
Regarding claim 13, please refer to the claim rejections of claims 1, 4 and 5.
Regarding claims 16-18, please refer to the claim rejections of claims 10 and 12.
Regarding claim 19, please refer to the claim rejections of claims 1, 4, 5 and 9.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GARRETSON, in view of Kronengold, further in view of Basik et al. [US5606961], hereinafter Basik.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold discloses the crossbow of claim 19. However, the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold does not explicitly disclose wherein the magnet is a first magnet coupled with the pivot, the crossbow further comprising: a second magnet coupled with a housing of the projectile rest; wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are magnetically attracted to each other such that with the projectile rest in the second position, a magnetic attraction between the first magnet and the second magnet biases the pivot to move the projectile rest to the first position.
Nevertheless, Basik teaches in a like invention, wherein the magnet is a first magnet coupled with the pivot, the crossbow further comprising: a second magnet coupled with a housing of the projectile rest; wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are magnetically attracted to each other such that with the projectile rest in the second position, a magnetic attraction between the first magnet and the second magnet biases the pivot to move the projectile rest to the first position (Figs. 20 and 21, col. 9, lines 5-12, “With this arrangement, the stop means may further include magnetic means including attracting magnets 88a and 88b operatively associated with the axial stop arm 544 and the forwardly facing surface 528a of the body member 528 for limiting pivotal movement by magnetically maintaining the body member 528 in the arrow passage position (broken lines) after the body member 528 has pivoted from the arrow supporting position (solid lines).”).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the crossbow disclosed by the combination of GARRETSON and Kronengold, to have the first magnet and the second magnet magnetically attracted to each other for biasing, as taught by Basik, in order to provide another way to bias the arrow rest.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, 14 and 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YINGCHUAN ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1375. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 - 4:30 M-F.
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/YINGCHUAN ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
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