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 Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 3, “the mounting assembly are provided” should be “the mounting assembly is provided”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 12 and 13 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.
In claim 12, the claim language “form of a flattened plate-like” is indefinite, as “plate-like” is an adjective and does not have a form. Also, “the flat side of the toy body is a curved surface is indefinite, as the side cannot be both flat and curved.
In claim 13, line 2, it is not clear what is meant by “in a length direction”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4, 7-11 and 14 are allowed.
Claims 12 and 13 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose or suggest a device having each of the recited limitations. While various magnetic toy devices are known, including devices comprising mechanisms for connecting and retaining a magnet on a toy body for magnetic connection to another toy body, the specific configuration of structural elements as recited in claim 1 is not disclosed in the prior art, nor is there any motivation or suggestion to modify the teachings of the prior art to create the claimed invention without using impermissible hindsight. As a result, claim 1 and its dependent claims 4 and 7-14 contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/KURT FERNSTROM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
July 13, 2026
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