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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
This application repeats a substantial portion of prior Application No. 18/438,866, filed February 12, 2024, and adds disclosure not presented in the prior application. Because this application names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application, it constitutes a continuation-in-part of the prior application.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informality: Paragraph 307 Lines 1-2 could read, “fixation holes A12.”
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 14 does not appear to be reprintable or reproducable. It also looks crowded.
Figure 20 has the view at the lower right upside-down.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “701” has been used to designate both corner [Paragraph 297 Line 3] and connection rails [Paragraph 297 Line 4]. The corner can be made of two connections rails orthogonal to each other; however, the two are different entities.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 15-18 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.
Claims 15 and 16 recite the limitation "…each of said reinforcing rib …" in Lines 1-2, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, because there is no initial reference of a reinforcing rib in Claims 1, 2, 9, or 10.
Regarding claim 15, the phrase "…a U-shaped wave-like structure …" renders the claim(s) indefinite because the claim(s) include(s) elements not actually disclosed (those encompassed by "or the like"), thereby rendering the scope of the claim(s) unascertainable. Is the rib a U-shaped wave, or a structure that is similar to a wave structure? See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claims 17 and 18 recite the limitation "…said first layer of said first layer panel …" in Lines 1-2, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, because there is no initial reference of a first layer panel in Claims 1, 2, 9, 10, 15, or 16.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14, 19, and 20 appear to have allowable subject matter. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Re Claim 1, the prior art discloses most of the claimed invention regarding storage containers with layers formed by a first layer and second layer to form a cavity. However, the prior art does not expressly disclose that a plurality of portions of said second panel member is recessed in a direction toward said first panel member to form a predetermined number of supporting structures distributed in a predetermined manner, wherein each of said predetermined number of supporting structures forms a recessed cavity, wherein each of said predetermined number of supporting structures and said first panel member are at least partially fused with each other.
Claims 15-18 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892 Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J HICKS whose telephone number is (571)270-1893. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30-5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Orlando Aviles-Bosques can be reached at 571-270-5531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT J HICKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3736