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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-14 and 22-25 in the reply filed on 8/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: [0056] recites, “Integrated slate supports 116 are slate support rails 118…”. This is not understood.
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 10, 11, 13, and 14 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 10, 11, and 14, the integrated slate support 116 and slate support rails 118 are confusing. What is the difference? The figures show the same rails. Claim 13, the lift system is not supported by the pockets. Should this be the slate support system? Claim 14, the lift system does not comprise two slate support rails. Should this be the slate support system?
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) 1-3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 22, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Spoerl et al. (6,132,320) in view of Rhodes (6,926,255). Claim 1, Spoerl discloses a billiards table comprising a one-piece bed supported by a frame; and a lift system supported by the frame and located below the one-piece bed (col. 2, lines 10-15; col. 11, lines 59-61). Spoerl does not disclose a tub or cabinet along with the frame. Rhodes teaches a pool table comprising a cabinet or tub. One of ordinary skill in the art would have included the tub/cabinet with the frame as an obvious design choice since cabinets are common for billiards tables. Claim 2, Spoerl discloses the one-piece bed comprising a single piece of slate without manufactured joints (one piece indicates a solid piece without joints) (col. 2, lines 11-14). Claim 3, Spoerl discloses the lift system comprising a scissors lift (col. 11, lines 59-61). Claim 6, Spoerl discloses the lift system having at least a lowered configuration and a raised configuration; the one-piece bed supported directly by the frame in the lowered configuration (fig 1A) and indirectly by the frame and directly by the lift system in the raised configuration (fig 1B). Claim 8, Spoerl discloses a slate support system inside the frame (10 cross supports) (fig 1A)(col. 5, lines 50-51). The lift system is supported by the slate support system (fig 1A where 10 supports 18). Claim 10, Spoerl discloses the slate support system comprising two integrated slate supports (10 cross supports) (fig 1A)(col. 5, lines 50-51). The slate support system (10 cross supports) is supported by the frame/tub. Claim 12, Spoerl discloses the billiards table of the frame comprising opposed end sections and opposed side sections; the end sections each comprising an end under rail and an end wall; and the side sections each comprising a side under rail and a side wall (Fig 1A). Claim 22, Spoerl discloses the frame/tub comprising opposed end sections and opposed side sections; the end sections each comprising an end under rail and an end wall; and the side sections each comprising a side under rail and a side wall (fig 1A). Spoerl discloses a slate support system inside the frame (10 cross supports) (fig 1A)(col. 5, lines 50-51); the slate support system (10 cross supports) is supported by the side sections. Spoerl also discloses a one-piece bed (slate). The one-piece bed is supported by the slate support system and the end sections and the side sections. Spoerl does not disclose a tub or cabinet along with the frame. Rhodes teaches a pool table comprising a cabinet or tub. One of ordinary skill in the art would have included the tub/cabinet with the frame as obvious variation since cabinets are common for pool tables. Claim 24, Spoerl discloses the end walls joined edgewise to the end under rails; the side walls joined edgewise to the side walls; and the side walls and end walls each having an outward-facing larger face oriented substantially vertically (fig 1A pocket). One of ordinary skill in the art would have included the tub/cabinet with the frame as obvious variation since cabinets are common for pool tables.
Claim(s) 4-5 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Spoerl et al. (6,132,320) in view of Rhodes (6,926,255), and further in view of Larson (3,246,876). Claim 4, Spoerl discloses the lift system but does not disclose the mechanics and details. Larson teaches a scissor lift comprising an upper push plate above the scissors lift; and a lower push plate below the scissors lift (fig 2). Claim 5, Larson teaches the scissors lift comprising an anchored lower end; and a moving lower end (fig 1); and Spoerl discloses the standard crank extension that would connect to the anchored lower end and the moving lower end (col. 12, lines 1-5). Claim 25, Spoerl discloses a lift system, the lift system comprising a scissors lift supported by the slate support system (fig 1A where 10 supports 18 which is replaced with the scissor lift, see col. 11, lined 60-67). Larson teaches the scissors lift comprising an anchored lower end; a moving lower end; and a crank extension (Spoerl col. 12, lines 1-5) that would connect to the anchored lower end and the moving lower end. One of ordinary skill in the art would modify the scissor lift as an obvious design choice since the claimed features are standard features for a scissor lift.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, and 23 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.
Conclusion
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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
September 30, 2026
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