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.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the connectors" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim depends on claim 12, while connectors are not introduced until claim 13. As best understood, the claim will be further treated on the merits as though dependent on claim 13.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2010/0282058 to Nelson et al. (“Nelson”).
Re: claim 1, Nelson discloses the claimed invention including a foot for a rifle (Nelson discloses weapon 16, e.g., Figs. 1-7, can be a rifle, ¶ [0031]) bipod, inter alia, 24, the rifle bipod having left and right legs (shown), the foot comprising: a. A table contact member 32 having a lower end (shown, e.g., Fig. 6), a muzzle-ward end and a breech-ward end (each shown, same or, e.g., Fig. 5); b. A leg support member 36 (part of 24/30, e.g., ¶ [0036]); and c. Movable mounting means 34 attaching the leg support member 36 to the table contact member 32, the movable mounting means being adapted for, upon a translation of a rifle's recoil to the leg support member, permitting a movement of the leg support member toward the table contact member's breech-ward end (shown and/or adequately disclosed).
Re: claim 2, Nelson further discloses wherein the table contact member comprises a bar or a sleeve (rightmost housing member 44, e.g., Fig. 8, suffices to meet at least a sleeve).
Re: claim 3, Nelson further discloses wherein the lower end of the table contact member comprises a shoe (second housing member 44, ¶ [0047]).
Re: claim 10-12, Nelson fairly discloses a plurality of the elements, one each on either side of the weapon 16 (shown).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 and 13-17 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.
Claim 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record neither discloses nor fairly teaches the combination of structural features including but not limited to:
The combination of elements of claims 1-3 and 10-12, respectively, further comprising a connector fixedly attached to each leg support member, each connector being adapted for joining one of the rifle bipod's legs with the leg support member.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Bret Hayes at telephone number (571) 272 – 6902, fax number (571) 273-6902, or email address bret.hayes@uspto.gov, which is preferred, especially for requesting interviews, general questions, etc. Note, however, that return correspondence cannot be made in the event that information subject to the confidentiality requirement as set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 122 has been included. See MPEP §§ 502.03 and 713.01, I, regarding email communications. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays through Fridays from 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Eastern.
The Central FAX Number is 571-273-8300.
If attempts to contact the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers, can be reached at (571) 272 – 6874.
/Bret Hayes/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
25-Feb-26