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 § 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.
Claims 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication 20220087389 by Wulff (Here forth “Wulff”) in view of Foreign Publication CN118986051 by Lai (Here forth “Lai”), and US Publication 2008/0236712 by Chislom (Here forth “Chislom”).
Regarding claim 1, Wulff discloses a card holder wallet comprising: a main body having a front surface and a rear surface (Para 56 of Wulff, Fig 1 of Wulff, front panel 110, back panel, 120); a pocket disposed between the front surface and the rear surface (Para 56 of Wulff, throat is formed between front panel 110, back panel, 120); [Not taught: a bottle opener disposed within the rear surface of the main body, the bottle opener comprising:
a rigid insert positioned within the main body;
an aperture formed through the rigid insert and the rear surface, the aperture having an arcuate edge configured to engage a bottle cap]; a magnetic attachment assembly embedded [Not taught: within] the main body, the magnetic attachment assembly comprising a plurality of magnets arranged in a predefined pattern (Para 58 of Wulff, Fig 3B of Wulff, magnets 190 attached to inner shunt 160 attached to back panel 120).
Wulff as modified does not expressly disclose a magnetic attachment assembly embedded within the main body.
Lai discloses a magnetic attachment assembly embedded within the main body (Annular magnet 21 fits within annular groove 31).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wallet of the modified Wulff to have the magnets integrally attach to the main body instead of having separate attachment panels. Such a modification involves a reduction in the amount of material used to attach the magnets, and a device having the magnets integrally attached to the main body would not perform differently than the prior art device. Such modification would involve no change in function (see MPEP 2144.04 VB). Further Applicant has not disclosed criticality for the claimed material.
Wulff does not expressly disclose a bottle opener.
Chislom discloses a similar wallet that teaches a bottle opener (Fig 3 of Chislom, opening 152) disposed within the rear surface of the main body (Fig 5 of Chislom, rear surface of casing 100), the bottle opener comprising:
a rigid insert positioned within the main body (Fig 6 of Chislom, instrument 150 is within casing 100);
an aperture formed through the rigid insert and the rear surface, the aperture having an arcuate edge configured to engage a bottle cap (Fig 3 and 6 of Chislom, bottle opener 152; when modifying the modified Chislon, a portion of the magnetic attachment assembly is disposed between the bottle opener and a portion of the rear surface; a raised platform 154 formed on the base plate and extending outwardly from the second surface of the base plate; the aperture defined within the raised platform; a contoured edge of platform 154 is shaped to engage a bottle cap; and
a catching lip disposed along a portion of the contoured edge of 154, the catching lip comprising the arcuate edge).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Wulff and Chislom before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the card holder wallet of Wulff to include a rigid insert include a bottle opener and include an opening around the bottle opener of the back layer, as taught by Chislom, to advantageously be able to open bottles when on the go.
Regarding claim 2, Wulff as modified includes all of the limitations including wherein the magnetic attachment assembly is disposed between the bottle opener and the rear surface (See the detailed description of the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 3, Wulff further discloses wherein the predefined pattern of the plurality of magnets in the magnetic attachment assembly is a substantially ring-shaped configuration (Fig 3B of Wulff, magnets 190).
Regarding claim 4, Wulff as modified includes all of the limitations including wherein the rigid insert comprises: a base plate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface facing an interior of the main body and the second surface facing the rear surface of the main body (Fig 3B of Wulff, rigid insert 160 has first and second surface); a raised platform formed on the base plate and extending outwardly from the second surface of the base plate; the aperture defined within the raised platform, the aperture including (See the detailed description of the rejection of claim 3, Fig 3 of Chislom):
a contoured edge shaped to engage a bottle cap; and
a catching lip disposed along a portion of the contoured edge, the catching lip comprising the arcuate edge (See the detailed description of the rejection of claim 3, Fig 3 and 6 of Chislom).
Regarding claim 6, Wulff as modified includes all the limitations including wherein the plurality of magnets is disposed in the predefined pattern substantially around the raised platform (See the detailed description of the rejection of claim 1).
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wulff, Lai and Chislom in view of US Publication 2017/0112248 by Haarburger (Here forth “Haarburger”).
Regarding claim 5, Wulff as modified does not expressly disclose wherein the raised platform is substantially circular.
Haarburger discloses a similar raised platform that teaches wherein the raised platform is substantially circular (Fig 1 of Haarburger, prying protrusion 126).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Wulff as modified and Haarburger before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the card holder wallet of Wulff to have the raised platform be circular, as taught by Haarburger, to advantageously fit the shape of a bottle cap and make it easy to pry a cap off.
Regarding claim 8, Wulff discloses a card holder wallet comprising: a main body having a front surface and a rear surface (Para 56 of Wulff, Fig 1 of Wulff, front panel 110, back panel, 120), the main body comprising:
a rigid insert disposed within the main body between the front surface and the rear surface (Fig 3B of Wulff inner shunt 160), the rigid insert comprising:
a base plate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface facing an interior of the main body and the second surface facing the rear surface of the main body (Fig 3B of Wulff, inner shunt 160 has two sides);
[Not taught: a raised platform formed on the base plate and extending outwardly from the second surface of the base plate;
an aperture defined within the raised platform, the aperture including:
a contoured edge;
a catching lip disposed along a portion of the contoured edge]; and
a plurality of magnets disposed on the second surface and arranged in a predefined pattern substantially [Not taught: around the raised platform] (Para 58 of Wulff, Fig 3B of Wulff, magnets 190 attached to inner shunt 160 attached to back panel 120).
Wulff does not expressly disclose a raised platform with aperture.
Chislom disclose a similar wallet that teaches a raised platform formed on the base plate and extending outwardly from the second surface of the base plate; an aperture defined within the raised platform, the aperture including: a contoured edge; a catching lip disposed along a portion of the contoured edge (Fig 3 and 6 of Chislom, bottle opener 152; when modifying the modified Chislom, a portion of the magnetic attachment assembly is disposed between the bottle opener and a portion of the rear surface; a raised platform 154 formed on the base plate and extending outwardly from the second surface of the base plate; the aperture defined within the raised platform; a contoured edge of platform 154 is shaped to engage a bottle cap; and a catching lip disposed along a portion of the contoured edge of 154, the catching lip comprising the arcuate edge).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Wulff and Chislom before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the card holder wallet of Wulff to have the rigid insert include a bottle opener and include an opening around the bottle opener of the back layer, as taught by Chislom, to advantageously be able to open bottles when on the go.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 9-14 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.
Regarding claim 7, US Publication 20220087389 by Wulff as modified does not expressly disclose further comprising an intermediate casing disposed within the main body between the front surface of the main body and the first surface of the rigid 1 insert, the intermediate casing comprising an exposed surface on a rear facing side of the intermediate casing, the exposed surface configured to substantially align with the raised platform of the rigid insert and wherein the exposed surface is visible through the aperture in the rigid insert.
Regarding claim 9, US Publication 20220087389 by Wulff as modified does not expressly disclose comprising a filler layer disposed adjacent to second surface between the rigid insert and the rear surface of the main body, wherein the filler layer comprises a first cutout corresponding to the raised platform of the rigid insert and a second cutout corresponding the plurality of magnets.
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Regarding claim 15, US Publication 20220087389 by Wulff disclose a card holder wallet assembly comprising: an outer casing comprising a front layer (Fi 1 of Wulff, front panel 110), a middle layer (Fig 3B of Wulff inner shunt 160), and [Not taught: an innermost liner]; a second layer disposed adjacent to the outer casing (Fig 3B of Wulff inner shunt 160); a pocket formed between the second layer and the outer casing (Para 56 of Wulff, throat is formed between front panel 110, back panel, 120); a spring bar disposed adjacent to the second layer (Fig 3B of Wulff, Spring tab 162 attached to inner shunt 160 is adjacent to back panel 120); [Not taught: an intermediate casing comprising an exposed surface on a rear facing side of the intermediate casing; a rigid insert disposed proximate to the intermediate casing, the rigid insert comprising a raised surface having an aperture with an arcuate edge configured to engage a bottle cap; a magnetic attachment assembly disposed proximate to the rigid insert; and a rear outer casing comprising an opening corresponding to the raised surface of the rigid insert].
Wulff does not expressly disclose a liner.
US Patent 3659640 issued to Fenster (Here forth “Fenster”) discloses a similar wallet that teaches an innermost liner (Column 3, lines 12-16; liner panel 23).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Wulff and Fenster before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the card holder wallet of Wulff to include an innermost lining, as taught by Fenster, to advantageously add an additional layer of protection to the contents within the wallet.
Wulff does not expressly disclose a rigid insert.
US Publication 2008/0236712 by Chislom discloses a similar wallet that teaches that the rigid insert (Fig 3 of Chislom, plate 150) comprising a raised surface having an aperture (Fig 3 of Chislom, opening 152) with an arcuate edge configured to engage a bottle cap (Fig 3 of Chislom, lip 164); a magnetic attachment assembly disposed proximate to the rigid insert (When modifying Wolf, the magnetic attachment assembly is disposed proximate to the rigid insert); and a rear outer casing comprising an opening corresponding to the raised surface of the rigid insert (Fig 3 and 6 of Chislom, through-hole 110).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art having the teachings of Wulff and Chislom before them, when the application was filed, to have modified the card holder wallet of Wulff to include a rigid insert include a bottle opener and include an opening around the bottle opener of the rear outer casing, as taught by Chislom, to advantageously be able to open bottles when on the go.
Wulff as modified does not expressly disclose an intermediate casing comprising an exposed surface on a rear facing side of the intermediate casing; a rigid insert disposed proximate to the intermediate casing.
Conclusion
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/JESSICA KAVINI TAMIL/Examiner, Art Unit 3733
/NATHAN J JENNESS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3733 8 June 2026
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