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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-9, and 19-30 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on the merits.
As of the date of this action, an information disclosure statement (IDS) has been filed on 10/23/2025 and reviewed by the Examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because figures 1-6 contain figures that utilize grayscale shading, per 37 C.F.R. 1.84(m) and section 608.02 IV of the MPEP, the shading of figures must not reduce the legibility of the figures. The examiner believes that the shading in these figures would reduce the legibility of the figures and obscure the details of the system, especially when the figures are reproduced.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Element 700 shown in figure 7. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The specification does not appear to include element 700 which is shown in figure 7.
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.
Claim 2 is 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.
Claim 2 states “wherein the connector nut comprises a non-circular cross-section and the housing comprises a corresponding channel configured to receive the connector nut and prevent rotation of the connector nut while allowing linear translation.”, it is not clear to the examiner if the channel that receives and prevents rotation of the connector nut is the same element that constrains the rotation of the connector nut in the housing as is introduced in claim 1 or if there are two separate elements that act on the nut to help constrain the rotation of the nut.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-9, and 19-30 are allowed.
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 1 is allowable because the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing; a reel rotatably mounted within the housing; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter configured to engage with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; and a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter, wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
Claim 19 is allowable because the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing; a reel rotatably mounted within the housing; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter engaged with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter; and a gearing mechanism comprising: a drive gear coupled to the drive shaft; an adjustment gear coupled to the limiter; and at least one intermediate gear meshed between the drive gear and the adjustment gear, wherein the at least one intermediate gear is configured to selectively engage the adjustment gear, and wherein the gearing mechanism is configured to maintain a fixed relative position between the drive shaft and the limiter when the at least one intermediate gear is engaged, wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
Claim 21 is allowable because the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing having a handle portion and a reel compartment, wherein the handle portion defines a longitudinal handle axis; a reel rotatably mounted within the reel compartment, such that the reel compartment defines a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal handle axis, and the reel is configured to rotate about the longitudinal handle axis; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel about the longitudinal handle axis; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter engaged with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; and a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter, wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
The best prior art of record is Wang (US #6,695,101) which does teach a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing; a reel rotatably mounted within the housing; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; and a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to a braking system, additionally Wang teaches that the system has a threaded system that contacts the reel. But does not teach a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter configured to engage with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; that the manual control is coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter; wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
Another prior art of record is Burkhardt (US #11,033,003) which does teach a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing; a reel rotatably mounted within the housing; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; and a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to a braking system. But does not teach a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter configured to engage with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; that the manual control is coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter; wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
Another prior art of record is Mugford (US #7,036,459) which does teach a retractable leash apparatus comprising: a housing; a reel rotatably mounted within the housing; a leash wound around the reel and extendable from the housing; and a manual control accessible from an exterior of the housing and coupled to a braking system. But does not teach a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter configured to engage with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; that the manual control is coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter; wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
Additional prior arts of record include Bogdahn (US #6,148,773), Bogdahn (US #5,483,926), Talo (US #4,501,230), Croce (US #3,693,596), Solick (PGPub #2026/0041064), Shi (PGPub #2022/0232804), Zhang (PGPub #2021/0045356), Soyuzov (PGPub #2020/0060238), O’Brien (PGPub #2017/0347630), Holmstrom (PGPub #2013/0008392), and Perkitny (PGPub #2007/0131177) which all teach retractable pet leashes with a user actuatable system on the housing but do not teach a threaded drive shaft coupled to the reel and configured to rotate with the reel; a threaded connector nut engaged with the drive shaft and constrained from rotation within the housing; a limiter configured to engage with the connector nut and positioned to contact the drive shaft; that the manual control is coupled to the limiter to allow user adjustment of a position of the limiter; wherein rotation of the reel causes the drive shaft to rotate and advance the connector nut along the drive shaft until the drive shaft contacts the limiter to limit extension of the leash.
It would not have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify any of the prior arts to teach the untaught limitations because there is no obvious motivation for the change without the use of hindsight reconstruction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM LAWRENCE GMOSER whose telephone number is (571)270-5083. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu 7:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kimberly Berona can be reached at 571-272-6909. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM L GMOSER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3647
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