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.
Claims 14 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 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 14 recites the limitation "the connector" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Regarding claim 1, Foreign Publication EP4506042 by Berriex (Here forth “Berriex”) discloses a bag for carrying a set of golf clubs while playing golf and while traveling (Fig 1 of Berriex Below and Fig 2 of Berriex, The golf bag can be carried in travel mode and play mode), the bag comprising:
first, second, third and fourth panels (Examiner annotated Fig 1 of Berriex and Fig 2 of Berriex, cases 10 make up the first, second, third and fourth panels), each of which panels comprises:
a middle section with first and second opposing faces (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex, middle section includes cases 10 which are either the first, second, third or fourth panel and include all parts of the middle section except for the first and second side edges), and with first and second opposite sides edges (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex, the first and second side edges are at the ends of each case 10/panel);
[Not taught: a first wing section extending at a first angle from the first side edge of each panel;
a second wing section extending at a second angle from the second side edge of each panel];
a first hinge (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex) [Not taught: connecting the second wing section of the first panel to the first wing section of the second panel];
a second hinge (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex) [Not taught: connecting the second wing section of the second panel to the first wing section of the third panel];
a third hinge (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex) [Not taught: connecting the second wing section of the third panel to the first wing section of the fourth panel];
at least one closure releasably (Examiner annotated Fig 3 of Berriex, attachment means 215 is closure that can be releasably detached from axle 40) [Not taught: connecting the first wing section of the first panel to the second wing section of the fourth panel];
first, second, and third club holding components, each connected to one of the first, second, third and fourth panels, each of the club holding components comprising at least [Not taught: three] sleeves for receiving shafts of golf clubs (Examiner annotated Fig 3 of Berriex below, the first, second, third and fourth panels comprise at least one sleeve that have opening 11 for receiving golf clubs);
wherein all of the hinges and the closure allow the bag to be [Not taught: folded] into a playing mode (Examiner annotated Fig 2 of Berriex, the bag can be unfolded such that the bag folds into a playing mode that requires the bag to be flat ) [Not taught: with the connected wing sections touching each other] and the first faces of the middle sections and the club holding components facing outward (Fig 5 of Berriex and Examiner annotated Fig 2 of Berrix below, the first faces of the middle section face outward in a playing mode that requires the bag to be flat); and
wherein all of the hinges and the closure also allow the bag to be folded into a travel mode (Examiner annotated Fig 3 of Berriex below) with two of the first, second, third and fourth panels being adjacent with the middle sections facing and club holding components facing inward (Examiner annotated Fig 3 of Berriex below, the first-fourth panels are adjacent to cases 10 which are the middle sections of the first, second, third and fourth panels, certain faces and the club holding compartments face inward) and with an other two of the first, second, third and fourth panels are adjacent with the middle sections and club hold components facing inward (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex below, certain faces of the first, second, third, and fourth panels are adjacent with the middle sections and club hold components facing inward).
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Examiner Annotated Fig 1 of Berriex
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Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Berriex
Berriex does not expressly disclose the following Limitations:
Limitation A: wing sections
Limitation B: each of the club holding components comprising at least three sleeves
Limitation C: bag is folded into a playing mode with the connected wing sections touching each other
Foreign Publication DE29919158 by Cetin (Here forth “Cetin”) discloses a similar golf bag that teaches Limitation A, a first wing section extending at a first angle from the first side edge of each panel (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Cetin below, the first wing 4.4 extends at an angle from the first side edge of a panel); a second wing section extending at a second angle from the second side edge of each panel (Examiner Annotated Fig 3, of Cetin below, the second wing extends at an angle from the second side edge of a panel); a first hinge connecting the second wing section of the first panel to the first wing section of the second panel; a second hinge connecting the second wing section of the second panel to the first wing section of the third panel; a third hinge connecting the second wing section of the third panel to the first wing section of the fourth panel; (When modifying the hinge joins of Berriex to replace the hinge joints with the hinge and wing joints of Cetin, first hinge connects the second wing section of the first panel to the wing section of the second panel, the second hinge connects the second wing section of the second panel to the first wing section of the third panel, and the thirds hinge connects the second wing section of the third panel to the first wing section of the third panel) at least one closure releasably connecting the first wing section of the first panel to the second wing section of the fourth panel (Fig 4 of Berriex, closure 215 releasably connects the first wing section of the first panel to the second wing section of the fourth panel when modified to include wings attached to the hinges as show below in Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Cetin); all of the hinges allow the bag to be folded into a playing mode with the connected wing sections touching each other (When Berriex is modified with the wings of Cetin as show in Examiner annotated Fig 3 of Cetin below, the wing sections tough each other as the bag in playing mode as the bag is laid flat as shown in Fig 2 of Berriex).
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Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Cetin Below
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Berriex and Cetin before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the golf bag of Berriex to have the hinge include wings, as taught by Cetin, to advantageously prevent two golf club holding segments/sleeves from hitting each other creating wear and tear.
US Patent 1920308 issued to Hiles (Here forth “Hiles”) discloses a similar golf bag that teaches Limitation B, each of the club holding components comprising at least three sleeves (Examiner Annotated Fig 3 of Hiles, there are more than 3 tubular pockets 12 that are the sleeves on each panel; Body 11 contains two panels when it is folded).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Berriex as modified and Hiles before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the golf bag of Berriex to have each golf holding component comprising at least three sleeves, as taught by Cetin, to advantageously provide more separation between more clubs to prevent scuffing and damage to clubs.
Additionally and in the alternative, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have the golf bag have each golf holding component hold at least 3 sleeves instead of that taught by Berriex. Applicant has not disclosed why this number provide an advantage, are used for a particular purpose, or solve a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art, furthermore, would have expected Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with Berriex’s modified golf bag (details above) because they both would have the same reconfigurability, and operability. Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify Berriex’s modified golf bag (details above) to obtain the invention as claimed.
Berriex as modified does not expressly disclose, Limitation C, bag is folded into a playing mode with the connected wing sections touching each other mode.
Claims 2-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA KAVINI TAMIL whose telephone number is (571)272-6655. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am-5:00pm.
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/JESSICA KAVINI TAMIL/Examiner, Art Unit 3733
/DON M ANDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733