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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 3, 8, and 12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on July 29, 2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of species 2 of figures 11-20, directed to claims 1, 2, 4-7, 9-11, and 13 in the reply filed on July 29, 2026 is acknowledged.
However, claims 6 and 7 are further withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Claim 6 has required first and second fixing grooves (15, 16) of figures 5-6 of the non-elected species 1 and claim 7 (which depends from claim 6) has further required at least one first fixing buckle (30) of figures 5-6 of the non-elected species 1.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the recitation “the inclined surface” (line 8) should be replaced with -- the at least one inclined surface --; and the recitation “the first inclined groove wall” (lines 8-9) should be replaced with -- the at least one first inclined groove wall --. 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.
Claim 2 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.
Regarding claim 2, the term “waist-like-shaped” (line 2) is a relative term of degree. The specification has not provided a standard for ascertaining how the hole contour must resemble a waist to fall within the term. Clarification and appropriate correction are required.
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, 2, 4, 5, 9-11, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chuan, US 2016/0338455.
Regarding claim 1, Chuan discloses a slide fastener pull tab (B) with a pull tab auxiliary part (A) configured to be rotatably assembled and disassembled, the slide fastener pull tab (B) comprising: a pull tab main body (B1); and the pull tab auxiliary part (A), wherein the pull tab main body (B1) is provided with an attachment hole (the cavity of B1 comprising slots B2 and B3) penetrating therethrough (see figures 3-5 and 8-10) and an auxiliary part attachment portion (inner side walls of the slot B2, which bounds and defines the attachment hole) located on an outer periphery of the attachment hole, the pull tab auxiliary part (A) includes an auxiliary part main body (A1), an auxiliary part column portion (A2) extending from the auxiliary part main body (A1), and an auxiliary part head portion (A3) fixed at an outer end of the auxiliary part column portion (A2), the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is an elastically deformable body (the convex portion A3 is squeezed radially and recovers to the initial state; paragraph [0039]), the attachment hole (B2, B3) has different hole diameters in at least two intersecting directions, the auxiliary part head portion (A3) has different lengths in at least two intersecting directions (when measuring across A3 in comparison with just A2 alone, in the intersecting direction; see figures 2 and 7), the auxiliary part column portion (A2) is configured to be rotatably accommodated in the attachment hole (see paragraph [0038]), when a length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is consistent with a length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), the attachment hole (B2, B3) allows the elastically deformable auxiliary part head portion (A3) to pass therethrough (slots B3 adapted for axial insertion of A3 such that the convex portions of A3 traverse the slots B3 axially; see figure 3), and when the pull tab auxiliary part (A) whose auxiliary part head portion (A3) passes through the attachment hole (B2, B3) is rotated until the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) intersects with the length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), the auxiliary part head portion (A3) abuts against the auxiliary part attachment portion (the inner side wall of slot B2).
Regarding claim 2, as best understood, Chuan discloses the slide fastener pull tab of claim 1, wherein the attachment hole (B2, B3) is a waist-like-shaped hole (tapering features with B4 accounted for) and the attachment hole extends straightly along a width direction of the pull tab main body (B1) and penetrates through the pull tab main body (B1) along a thickness direction of the pull tab main body (see figures 1 and 3-5).
Regarding claim 4, Chuan discloses the pull tab according to claim 1, wherein the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3), a length direction of the auxiliary main part body (A1) and a length direction of the pull tab main body (B1) are consistent (same direction).
Regarding claim 5, Chuan discloses the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary part head portion (see an annotated figure 2 below; hereinafter “AF2”) has first protruding portions (see AF2) extending outward from the auxiliary part column portion (A2) along the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (see AF2), and a second protruding portion (see AF2) extending outward from the auxiliary part column portion (A2) along a width direction of the auxiliary part head portion (see AF2), an extension length of each of the first protruding portions (see AF2) is greater than an extension length of the second protruding portion (see AF2), and when the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (having said protruding portions) intersects with the length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), the first protruding portions abut against the auxiliary part attachment portion (sidewalls of B3).
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Regarding claim 9, Chuan discloses the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 5, wherein a second fixing buckle (wall segment of B1 between B5 and B4 in figure 1) protruding along a thickness direction of the pull tab main body (B1) is fixed on the surface of the auxiliary part attachment portion (the inner side walls of the slot B2) of the pull tab main body (B1), the second fixing buckle (between B4 and B5) is provided with a pair of third fixing grooves (B4) formed on a surface of the auxiliary part attachment portion (of the slot B2) and located on both sides of the attachment hole (B2, B3) along the length direction of the pull tab main body (B1), and when the pull tab auxiliary part (A) whose auxiliary part head portion (A3) passes through the attachment hole (B2, B3) is rotated until the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is consistent with the length direction of the pull tab main body (B1), the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) intersects with the length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), and the two first protruding portions (see AF2) at both ends in the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (see AF2) are clamped in the pair of third fixing grooves (B4) respectively.
Regarding claim 10, Chuan discloses the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 9, wherein each of the third fixing grooves (B4) has at least one first inclined groove wall (after B4 along the circumferential direction in figure 1) extending in an inclined manner such that the farther away from the attachment hole (B2, B3), the closer to a central axis of the pull tab main body (B1), each of the first protruding portions (see AF2) has at least one inclined (beveled) surface on an outer periphery thereof (see AF2), and when the first protruding portion (AF2) is clamped in the corresponding third fixing groove (B4), the at least one inclined (beveled) surface has an inclination direction consistent with an inclination direction of the at least one first inclined groove wall (after B4 in figure 1) and is in abutting fit with the first at least one inclined groove wall.
Regarding claim 11, Chuan discloses the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral surface of an outer end of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is provided with an attachment guide inclined (beveled) surface extending in an inclined manner such that the farther away from the auxiliary part column portion (A2), the closer (as the inclined surface is directed toward the column portion) to a central axis of the auxiliary part head portion (A3).
Regarding claim 13, Chuan discloses a slide fastener slider (zipper), comprising: a slider main body (inherent feature of a slide fastener or a slider of a zipper); and the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 1, wherein the pull tab main body (B1) is connected to the slider main body (via the flexible connection member C).
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, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Terada et al., 5,090,096 in view of Chuan, US 2016/0338455.
Regarding claim 1, Terada discloses a slide fastener pull tab with a pull tab auxiliary part (D) configured to be rotatably assembled and disassembled, the slide fastener pull tab comprising: a pull tab main body (11); and the pull tab auxiliary part (D), wherein the pull tab main body (11) is provided with an attachment hole (14) penetrating therethrough and an auxiliary part attachment portion (upper and lower surface regions of 11 against which the parts 16 and 17 seat on) located on an outer periphery of the attachment hole (14), the pull tab auxiliary part (D) includes an auxiliary part main body (17), an auxiliary part column portion (20) extending from the auxiliary part main body (17), and an auxiliary part head portion (16, 18) fixed at an outer end of the auxiliary part column portion (20); and the attachment hole (14) has different hole diameters in at least two intersecting directions (slot 14 is rectangular; see figure 1).
Terada does not explicitly disclose that the auxiliary part head portion (16) is an elastically deformable body, the auxiliary part head portion has different lengths in at least two intersecting directions, the auxiliary part column portion (20) is configured to be rotatably accommodated in the attachment hole (14), when a length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (16) is consistent with a length direction of the attachment hole (14), the attachment hole allows the elastically deformable auxiliary part head portion to pass therethrough, and when the pull tab auxiliary part whose auxiliary part head portion passes through the attachment hole is rotated until the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion intersects with the length direction of the attachment hole, the auxiliary part head portion abuts against the auxiliary part attachment portion.
Chuan teaches a fastener for pull tabs of a zipper slider comprising a male fastener (A) having an auxiliary part main body (A1), an auxiliary part column portion (A2) extending from the auxiliary part main body (A1), and an auxiliary part head portion (A3) fixed at an outer end of the auxiliary part column portion (A2), wherein: the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is an elastically deformable body (“the convex member body A2 is an elastic circular column” in paragraph [0009]; and the convex member “is released in the locking slot B4 and recovers to the initial state” in paragraph [0039]); the auxiliary part head portion (A3) has different lengths in at least two intersecting directions (see dimensions of A3 exceeding diameter of A2; figure 2); the attachment hole (receiving cavity of B1) has different hole diameters in at least two intersecting directions (see B2 for receiving A2 and B3 for receiving A3 in figure 1 and paragraph [0038]); the auxiliary part column portion (A2) is rotatably accommodated in the attachment hole (B2, B3); when a length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) is consistent with a length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), the attachment hole (B2, B3) allows the elastically deformable auxiliary part head portion (A3) to pass therethrough (B3 is adapted for insertion of A3 and the insertion is permitted only in the aligned orientation); and when the pull tab auxiliary part is rotated until the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (A3) intersects with the length direction of the attachment hole (B2, B3), the auxiliary part head portion (A3) abuts against the auxiliary part attachment portion (B4 is formed on inner wall of B2, for preventing the portion A3 from separating axially, the rotation angle from the second slot to the locking slot is 90 degrees).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the auxiliary part (D) and the attachment hole (14) of Terada to adopt the elastically deformable insert and rotate retention configuration as taught by Chuan in order to permit the wearer to attach and replace the auxiliary part by hand alone.
Regarding claim 2, as best understood, the combination of Terada and Chuan teaches the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 1, Terada further discloses wherein the attachment hole (14) is a waist-like-shaped hole or a rectangular hole (an elongated rectangular slot), and the attachment hole (14) extends straightly along a width direction (see figure 1) of the pull tab main body (11) and penetrates through the pull tab main body (11) along a thickness direction of the pull tab main body (11).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Terada and Chuan teaches the slide fastener pull tab according to claim 1, Terada further discloses wherein the length direction of the auxiliary part head portion (16, 18), a length direction of the auxiliary part main body (17) and a length direction of the pull tab main body (11) are consistent (figure 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for similar art cited. For example, US 5,860,192 discloses a pull tab arrangement wherein the coupling device has a U-shaped spring wire rod for connection; US 2004/0034974 discloses a pull tab with decorative members interchangeably connected via a snap hook configuration; US 2005/0022346 discloses a pull tab with a ball joint connection to the tab; and US 3,641,634 discloses a pull tab with a link assembly connected to the slider.
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/R.D./ Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/ SPE, Art Unit 3677
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