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 .
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following claimed features must be shown, without entering any new matter: all of the fasteners in claim 10 going through the holes in claim 8, and all the shapes of the decorative panels in claim 13, multiple sizes, including a carry-on size and a larger size, wherein both the carry-on size and the larger size include respective removable decorative panels on at least the front wall in claim 20.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 8 recites three set of holes on the for the fastener to pass through. Claim 10 depends on claim 8 reciting the “fasteners comprise snap buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, magnetic fasteners, quarter-turn fasteners, screws, twist-lock fasteners, or push-pin fasteners”. The only type of fastener being disclosed to go through the three set of holes are 122 to be mated with 134 (fig. A). The specification fails to show other type of fasteners, e.g., magnetic fasteners, snap buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners which are commonly used on surface to surface attachment but would not go through the three holes recited in claim 8. See drawings objection above.
Claim 13 is 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.
Claim 8 recites “a recess area substantially a same size as the front wall”, claim 13 then recites various shapes “square, circular, oval, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, trapezoidal, rhomboidal, star-shaped, heart-shaped, crescent-shaped, teardrop-shaped, diamond-shaped, cross-shaped, L-shaped, T- shaped, U-shaped, S-shaped, irregular shapes”, providing some of these shapes would be impossible to sastify the recitation “a recess area substantially a same size as the front wall” because of different shapes between the luggage and the claimed numerous shapes, e.g., star-shaped, heart-shaped. Also “irregular” is a relative term rendering the claim indefinite since it is unclear what encompasses “irregular”.
SET I:
Claims 8-10, 12-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lawton (GB2474528) in view of Pollins et al. (10070709) or Fink (DE20120865U1).
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The display frame allows the artwork / image(s)! wording to be held securely in place, sandwiching the picture between the container or case surface and the underneath of the display frame, a transparent or laminate viewing panel can protect the image(s).
A display frame of the type used in conjunction with a transport case, item of luggage or a like container to hold graphics, artwork, signage or an owner's identity tag comprises includes a transparent viewing panel 4 and an exterior frame 2 that sits proud of the viewing panel and is secured to the surface of the transport case, item of luggage or the like by fixing devices 3. A void for the graphics, artwork, signage or an owner's identity tag 6 is defined between the surface of the transport case, item of luggage or the like and the viewing panel. The frame may be provided with gaskets or seals 5 to protect the graphics, artwork, signage or an owner's identity tag from outside elements. In one embodiment, the viewing panel is pivotally attached to the frame by a hinge 5 along one edge thereof. The display frame may be fixed to a transport case, item of luggage or the like within a recess in an outer surface thereof so as to allow the display frame to sit proud, flush or below the plane of the outer surface. In use, the display frame allows the user to customize the appearance of a transport case, item of luggage or the like so as to make it more readily identifiable.
FIGURE 7: A display frame for container or case on which an exterior frame (2) is attached to viewing panel (4). The said viewing panel and exterior frame along with gasket! sealant (5) can be positioned on container or case surface (1). Using said exterior frame as a template fixing devices (3) can be passed through said surface and affixed to gasket / sealant and reinforced back plate (6) on the inside of the container or case thereby securing the display frame to the container or case surface. To add or change the artwork / wording undo fixing devices and remove exterior frame / viewing panel.
Lawton teaches comprising a front wall (1), a back wall (fig. 13) opposite the front wall; a first set of holes (holes on portion 1) along a perimeter of a recess, a removable panel (4) located within recess. Note a) panel 4 by itself comprises the decorative material, b) alternatively the decorative panel comprises both the panel 4 and the artwork at 6. Note that the claim does not limit how many layers comprises the decorative material or what material comprises the decorative panel), and c) note the teaching of a “laminate” which is the artwork is attached to the protector which make the artwork in one piece. Lawton a second set of holes (note screw 3 going through the panel 4 in figs. 1, and 2) along a perimeter of the removable panel; a frame (2) over the removable panel, the frame having sides that form an open interior void of any material so that so that the removable panel is visible through the interior of the frame; a third set of holes (note the note screw 3 going through the frame 2 in figs. 1, and 2 ) along sides of the frame; and a set of fasteners (3) inserted into the first set of holes, the second set of holes, and the third set of holes (fig.1) to attach the frame and the removable panel to the front wall.
Regarding claim 15, note Lawton teaches the step of provide providing a suitcase body having a front wall and a back wall, forming a recess in the front wall, inserting a removable decorative panel (4) into the recess (at 1); placing a frame (2) over the removable decorative panel, the frame having an open interior void of any material to allow visibility of the removable decorative panel; and securing the frame and the removable decorative panel to the front wall using a set of detachable fasteners, wherein the removable decorative panel is replaceable with different panels (cited above).
Regarding the new limitation form an open interior void of any material, note the frame in fig. 1 and 2 is void of any material for the viewing of the removable panel (4). Lawton meets all claimed limitations except for the decorative panel substantially a same size as the front wall.
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The invention relates to a suitcase, preferably a hard-shell suitcase with narrow and wide sides, in which at least one of the two wide sides is provided with a foil print, preferably an advertising and/or decorative foil, housed in a frame.In the exemplary embodiment, the image area 4 enclosed by the frame 3 is protected against external influences by a transparent cover 11. The transparent cover 11 is a lightfast polyester film that is shockproof and washable. The surface of the cover 11 facing away from the case is roughened to avoid any mirror effects. The cover 11, like the frame 3, is designed with rounded corners 12.
The strips mentioned can be screwed or riveted to the surface of one of the broad sides of the case
The frame 3 can also be made in one piece within the scope of the invention. The aluminum strips 14 are joined together to form the frame 3, forming rounded corners 12.
In addition, the cover 11 has screw holes 13 on its edges for the screws 5 of the frame 3.
The elegant and practical frame 3 allows the permanent and, if necessary, replaceable attachment of advertising logos to the cases
The invention relates to a suitcase, preferably a hard-shell suitcase with narrow and wide sides, in which at least one of the two wide sides is provided with a foil print, preferably an advertising and/or decorative foil, housed in a frame.
In an advantageous further development, the frame of the case is designed as a removable frame. This means that the frame is provided with a releaseable and/or lockable insertion opening in order to insert the decorative
the transparent cover is a lightfast polyester film
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14) Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the briefcase 10 further comprises a pair of panels 34 and 36 that are removably attachable to the case body 12.
For example, as depicted, panel 34 is attached to the door panel 30 by a plurality of fasteners 40a-40d that are disposed around the perimeter of the door panel and engage with panel 34 to secure the panel to the door panel. Additionally, as shown, panel 34 includes an aperture 42 formed therethrough through which latch 32 is accessibly when the panel is attached to the door panel 34… Additionally, as shown, panel 34 includes an aperture 42 formed therethrough through which latch 32 is accessibly when the panel is attached to the door panel 34.
(16) As illustrated, each fastener 40a-40h comprises a peg that is removably received by a corresponding grommet disposed on or through panel 34 or 36. 17) In one aspect, the panels 34 and 36 are ornamental and provide a decorative appearance to the briefcase 10.
Fink or Polins, each teaches that it is known in the art to provide an area for a decorative panel having the same size as the front wall and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the decorative panel having the same size as the front wall to provide the desired size for artwork and/or aesthetic purposes.
Also in the alternative, Polins teaches that it is known in the art to provide a decorative panel not having a transparent panel. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a decorative panel without the transparent panel to provide the desired type of material for decoration.
Regarding claims 9 and 16, note the transparent material in Lawton is plastic as claimed, also note the transparent material of Lawton in view of Fink is plastic (polyester is plastic). The material of Lawton in view of Polins comprises leather as claimed. Also, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the removable panel of Lawton of plastic, e.g., acrylic to provide the desired material for the removable panel.
Regarding claims 10 and 17, note the screw in fig. 1.
Regarding claims 12 and 19, Polins teaches that it is known in the art to provide a second removable panel with decorative features on the back wall. it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a second removable panel with decorative features on the back wall to provide further customization of the desired area of the luggage.
Regarding claim 13, note the shape in Lawton or Lawton in view of either Fink or Polins comprises rectangular shape as claimed.
Regarding claim 14, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the removable panel have different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm as claimed to provide the desired thickness for protection.
Claim 8-10, 12-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lawton rejection, as set forth above, and further in view of Quinnan (20130306206).
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[0024] Decorative Outer Panels
[0025] In some embodiments, the system can include a plurality of decorative outer panels. As discussed herein, the panels can be detachably affixed to an outside surface of the base bags and provide for customized appearances of the bags. In preferred embodiments, a panel can be formed of rigid, semi-rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible material. For example, and without limitation, a panel can be formed of denim or cloth. It is to be appreciated that systems in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention can include a panel with varying aesthetic features on the outer exposed side of the panel, for example and without limitation, sequins, rhinestones, semi-precious stones, garland, different patterns, different materials (such as cotton, silk, cashmere, plastic, acrylic, corduroy, felt, elastane (e,g, spandex), suede, velvet, paper, corkboard, fur, faux fur, leather, suede, wool, linen, hemp, ramie, jute, lastex, nylon, polyester, rayon, pleather, feathers, mesh, wood, chain link, and combinations thereof), and combinations thereof.
a panel can have an outer surface comprising a solid material (e.g., a white board, a monochromatic fabric, a metal, etc.). The solid surface may permit a user to create customized drawings or text by means of using a permanent pen, highlighter, crayon, marker, or other writing implements. For example, and without limitation, a panel can include a dry erase board permitting a user to decorate the panel with markers. In other non-limiting implementations, a panel may be magnetic, allowing different decorative magnets to be added thereto.
Alternatively in claims 8 and 15, Quinnan teaches that it is known in the art to provide decorative panel of different material without any transparent material. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the decorative panel in Quinnan to provide the desired type of decoration for the suitcase in Fink.
Alternatively in claim 14, Quinnan teaches that it is known in the art to provide decorative material of different material which inherently has different thickness. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the decorative panel of Quincy of different thickness as taught by Quincy to provide the desired material decorative panel for personal aesthetic. Also, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the removable panel have different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm as claimed to provide the desired thickness for the desired material of the decorative panel.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lawton rejection, as set forth above and further in view of Rienacker (4621716). Lawton meets all claimed limitations except for the providing the suitcase in multiple sizes, including a carry-on size and a larger size.
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Rienacker teaches that it is known in the art to provide suitcases in a set of various sizes. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the suitcases of Fink in multiple sizes including a carry-on size and a larger size for aesthetic and/or for cost saving for manufacturer and buyers.
SET II:
Claims 8-10, 12-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink (DE20120865) in view of Lawton et al. (2474528).
Regarding claim 8, Fink teaches a luggage case comprising: a front wall (2), a back wall opposite the front wall; the front wall further comprising a frame (3) over the removable panel, the frame having sides that form an open interior void of any material so that so that the removable panel is visible through the interior of the frame; a set of holes (128C) along sides of the frame; and a set of fasteners (screw cited above) and a removable panel (11) substantially the same size as the front wall, a set of hole. Note a) note panel 11 by itself comprises the decorative material, and b) alternatively the decorative panel comprises both the panel 11 and the between panel 11 and wall of the luggage. Note that the claim does not limit how many layers comprises the decorative material). With respect to the first set of holes, note the screw attaching the three set of holes in Fink inherently has three set of holes for the screw fasten on to panel 11 and the frame 3.
Regarding claim 15, note Fink teaches the step of provide providing a suitcase body having a front wall (2) and a back wall (opposite), placing a frame (3) over the removable decorative panel (11), the frame having an open interior void of any material to allow visibility of the removable decorative panel; and securing the frame and the removable decorative panel to the front wall using a set of detachable fasteners. Fink meets all claimed limitations except for the recess area and a first set of holes along a perimeter of a recess.
Lawton (fig. 1) teaches that it is known in the art to provide a recess for the decorative panel and the frame. Lawton also teaches that it is known in the art to provide a removable fastener going through the three set of hole on the removable frame and the case at the recess portion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the frame and the removable panel as taught by Lawton for added safety, i.e., against snagging onto clothes or sharp corners.
Regarding claims 9 and 16, note the removable panel comprises plastic (polyester is plastic).
Regarding claims 10 and 17, note the screws cited.
Regarding claims 12 and 19, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a second removable panel with decorative features on the back wall to provide further customization of the desired area of the luggage.
Regarding claim 13, note the shape comprises a rectangular shape as claimed.
Regarding claim 14, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the removable panel have different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm as claimed to provide the desired thickness for protection.
Claims 8-10, 12-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink (DE20120865) in view of Lawton et al. (2474528), as set forth above, and further in view of (JP’2017184792) or Pollins’709 or Wishnia (2656870. In the alternative, Pollins or Wishnia, each teaches that it is known in the art to provide a decorative panel for a luggage with holes or aperture accommodating a fastener without any transparent cover. JP’792 teaches that it is known in the art to provide an integral laminate decorative panel. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the decorative panel in anyone of JP’792 or Pollins or Wishnia to provide the desired type of decoration for the suitcase in Fink.
Claims 8-12, 14, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink rejection, as set forth above in claims 8 and 15, and further in view of Quinnan,
Regarding claim 8, and 15, in the alternative, Quinnan teaches that it is known in the art to provide decorative panel of different material without any transparent material. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the decorative panel in Quinnan to provide the desired type of decoration for the suitcase in Fink.
Regarding claims 12 and 19, Quinnan teaches that it is known in the art to provide second removable panel with decorative features on the back wall. it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a second removable panel with decorative features on the back wall as taught by Quinnan to provide the further customization of the desired area of the luggage.
Regarding claim 14, note that the panels in Fink as modified by Quinnan does not teach the removable panel and the second removable panel have different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm. Note that Quinnan teaches various material including fabric, plastic, cardboard, metal. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the removable panel and the second removable panel have different thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm to provide the desired protection depending on the material being used on each side.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink rejection, as set forth above in claims 8 and 15 and further in view of Rienacker (4621716). Fink teaches plural suitcases:it is also conceivable that appropriately designed "advertising suitcases" can be sold at a cheaper price than otherwise identical suitcases that do not have such an advertising print.
Fink meets all claimed limitations except for the providing the suitcase in multiple sizes, including a carry-on size and a larger size.
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Rienacker teaches that it is known in the art to provide suitcases in a set of various sizes. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the suitcases of Fink in multiple sizes including a carry-on size and a larger size for aesthetic and/or for cost saving for manufacturer and buyers.
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant gernally argues that either Fink or Lawton fails to teach the new limitation of the frame "void of any material.", i.e., the decoration is view without the transparent material. As set forth above, in Lawton, it is noted a) panel 4 by itself comprises the decorative material since the claim does not exclude what comprises a decorative panel, b) alternatively the decorative panel comprises both the panel 4 and the artwork at 6 since the claim does not limit how many layers comprises the decorative material or what material comprises the decorative panel), and c) note the teaching of a “laminate” which is the artwork is attached to the protector which make the artwork in one piece. Similar with Fink, a)the transparent panel 11 by itself comprises the decorative material since the claim does not exclude what comprises a decorative panel, b) alternatively the decorative panel comprises both the panel 11 and the artwork immediate next to it comprises the decorative panel since the claim does not limit how many layers comprises the decorative material. Also note that in this art, decorative panel can comprise different type of material and stand by itself without any transparent cover as applied above (JP’2017184792) or Pollins or Wishnia and Quinnan.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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TRI M. MAI
Examiner
Art Unit 3733
/TRI M MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733
Prosecution Insights