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
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 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LUO [US20140296002].
Regarding claim 1, LUO discloses a golf practice net (Fig. 1), comprising:
a support rod (1),
a support frame, including a mounting base (22), a plurality of first links (24), a plurality of second links (23), and a net (4);
wherein the mounting base is slidably mounted at one end of the support rod (Figs. 1 and 2), the first links are rotatably mounted on the periphery of the mounting base, the second links are movably mounted on the support rod, and the first links and the second links are movably connected to form a telescopic support structure, so that the support frame has a first unfolded state (Fig. 1), a second unfolded state (any state between Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), and a stowed state (Fig. 2);
in the first unfolded state, the first links and the net are relatively unfolded, and the net forms a hitting plane for hitting a golf ball; and in the second unfolded state, the net is bent; in the stowed state, the first links, the second links, and the net are folded together outside the support rod (Figs. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 13, LUO discloses the golf practice net according to claim 1, wherein the middle of the net is provided with a receiving hole, and the side of the net facing the second links is provided with a net pocket, and the net pocket is disposed corresponding to the receiving hole (Fig. 8, [0039], “As shown in FIG. 8, the net 4 has a window hole 42 for a ball to pass therethrough. The user can aim the ball at the window hole 42 for playing a game or training. If the ball is not thrown into the window hole 42, it will rebound for the user to pick up the ball conveniently. Furthermore, the net 4 is provided with a ball collection bag 43 behind the window hole 42 to collect the ball passing through the window hole 42”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12 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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas Weiss can be reached at (571) 270-1775. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YINGCHUAN ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
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