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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
1. 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.
2. Claims 1-11 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 1, on lines 17-18 and in claim 11, on line
10, each occurrence of “the presser motor moves the presser bar from the lowered position to the
normal position” and on lines 20-22 and in claim 11, on lines 16-17, each occurrence of
“the sewing machine motor moves the needle bar in the upper-lower direction in a state
where the presser bar is located at the normal position” is indefinite since it is unclear if the
presser motor and the sewing machine motor are synced in sequence with each other, etc. to
move the presser bar at the normal position? Correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 1-11 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112
(pre-AIA ), second paragraph rejection as set forth in this Office action. Claims 1 and 11 with its
respective dependents are allowable because the prior art(s) of Nishimura et al.‘053 discloses
first and second control accelerating/decreasing the main shaft having the needle bar and the
Zheng ‘ 002 discloses a workpiece feeder module being independent from a fabric pricking
spindle but the respective prior art(s) are structurally distinct and does not teach or suggest the
recitation therein including a sewing machine having a controller with a sewing machine moving
a needle bar from a lower needle position to an upper needle position and a presser motor
moving a presser bar from a lowered position to a normal position in combination a second stitch
operation in which the needle bar is moved in sequence while the presser bar is located in the
normal position to prevent a sewing needle attached the needle bar from being pulled from a
workpiece based on a detection result that could alter finish of the stitching thereon and between
subsequent restarts of the sewing machine.
Conclusion
4. 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 a sewing machine having
a presser bar controlling position by a controller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEJASH PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-4993. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am -5pm.
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, Clinton Ostrup can be reached at (571) 272-5559. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available
to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit:
https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more
information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about
filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC)
at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service
Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
January 8, 2026 /TAJASH D PATEL/ Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3732
Prosecution Insights