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 10 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, section a should be amended to “ a. is configured to be attached to the host apparatus at a subsea location; or”
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 11-13 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.
Claims 11 and 13 both depend from claim 10 and recite the limitation " the contact portion ". However, claim 10 recites “a contact portion” in the alternative, and thus is not necessarily positively claimed. This makes claims 11 and 13 unclear.
It is suggested to positively claim the contact portion in each of these claims, or alternatively claim the “a contact portion of the cantilever member” positively in the body of claim 10, i.e. , ( also including with the suggested changes from the objection of claim 10 above)
10. The subsea umbilical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the cantilever member comprises a contact portion and the cantilever member
a. is configured to be attached to the host apparatus at a subsea location; or
b. supports the subsea line only at [[a]]the contact portion of the cantilever member, the contact portion being located at, near or on the distal end of the cantilever member and being spaced from the proximal end of the cantilever member.
Dependent claims are likewise rejected.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN MACDONALD whose telephone number is (571)272-8763. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 EST.
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/STEVEN A MACDONALD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
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