DETAILED ACTION
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 1-2, 4-5, 8-12 and 14-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, on line 7; claim 2, on line 4; lines 4 of claims 11 and 12, the “Or” after the
semicolon of each occurrence should be lowercased. In claim 3, on line 2, “One” after
the semicolon should be lowercased. Also, in claims 4-5, 8-10, on line ; on lines 3 of each
of claim, 14 and 15, “The” after the semicolon of each occurrence should be lowercased.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 3 illustrates 2 separate embodiments that
should be provided with a bracket or lead lines to indicated how each of the embodiments
are related. Also, another option would be to label each of the embodiments in figure 3 as
-- Fig. 3A -- and -- Fig 3B -- while updating the description of figures on page 3.
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
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-15 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.
In claim 2, on line 4; in claim 3, on line 3-4; in claim 12, on line 4 and in claim 13, on line 3, each occurrence of “functional buttons” is unclear if it is the same or different than each occurrence of “function buttons” recited in claim 1. Further, in claim 14, on line 4, “the protruding features” and in claim 9, on line 2, “the main control structure” is indefinite since it
lacks proper antecedent basis. Correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xie
(CN 113622107A). Xie discloses an embroidery machine including an embroidery machine
body (120), a display (600) and a thread clamping device cooperating with the machine
head with the thread clamping device defining a thread clamping device mounting
seat on a front surface of a panel/main control structure (110) and a corresponding thread
regulator component/thread passing wheel assembly (500) on the front surface as shown in
figures 1 and 2. Further, the front surface of the thread clamping device mounting seat is
provided with several functional buttons depicted with up, down and return arrow as shown in
upper left corner of the panel (110) as shown in figure 1. The embroidery machine is equipped
with a control panel/circuit board (325). However, Xie does not show the functional buttons
controlling one or both of embroidery frame and the machine head.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention that the functional buttons provided on the panel of the embroidery machine can but not limited to control one of the embroidery frame, the machine head, related driving control mechanism, etc. in order to efficiently control quality of embroidery pattern sewn without the operator moving to multiple positions as known in the textile art or depending on particular application thereof.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 2-7, 9-10, and 12-15 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. Claims 2-7, 9-
10, and 12-15 are allowable because the prior art does not teach or suggest an embroidery
machine having an operation panel defining a thread clamping device mounting seat having at
least one side protrusion integrally extending from the mounting seat that has a plurality of
function buttons thereon in order to efficiently control embroidery frame and/or multiple
machine heads.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
disclosure. Each of the prior art references cited on PTO-892 discloses an embroidery machine
having a thread clamping device mounting seat with spaced apart control display having buttons
thereon.
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November 10, 2025 /TAJASH D PATEL/ Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3732