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 .
Non-Final Rejection
General Information
In light of the Notice of Withdrawal From Issue dated 03/12/2026, the indication of allowability set forth in the previous action is withdrawn and prosecution is reopened in view of the following new ground of rejection.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and (b)
The claim is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and (b), first and second paragraphs, as the claimed invention is not described in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the same, and fails 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
The claim is indefinite and nonenabling for the following reasons.
1) In Reproduction 8.4 the nature of the features disclosed in the section indicated in the examiners’ illustration are not understandable without resorting to conjecture. The examiner is not clear on the depth of the various features indicated in the examiner’s illustration. Nor is the three dimensional nature including shape and location understandable without resorting to conjecture. The view provided is insufficient for the understand of the three dimensional nature of the features disclosed. See examiner’s illustration below:
2) In Reproduction 8.7 the nature of the features disclosed on the bottom of the article cannot be determined without resorting to conjecture. The examiner is not clear on the depth of the various features indicated in the examiner’s illustration. Are they all coplanar with one another? Are some features recessed in comparison to the others? The view provided is insufficient for understanding the three dimensional nature of the features disclosed. See examiner’s illustration below:
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Because of the inadequate visual disclosure of the figure drawings, the claimed design is subject to multiple interpretations such that one of ordinary skill in the art would not be able to reproduce the design without resorting to conjecture. This renders the claim indefinite and non-enabled.
To attempt to overcome this rejection, it is suggested that the applicant submit replacement
drawings of the claimed design that disclose the design clearly and consistently across all
views. If non-enabled portions of the design cannot be enabled without the introduction of new
matter, the applicant may remove from the claim those areas or portions of the design that are
considered indefinite and nonenabling by converting them to broken lines.
If new drawings are submitted in an attempt to overcome this rejection, care must be exercised to avoid the introduction of anything which could be construed to be new matter prohibited by 35 USC 132 and 37 CFR 1.121. The original drawing disclosure represents the claimed design. All features, elements, and lines as presented are the basis from which examination of the claim is conducted. It is critical that the original disclosure filed with the office be of the highest quality, and be the most accurate rendering of the claimed design as possible. The overall design as well as that of individual features must be rendered in such a way that no amount of conjecture is necessary in understanding the claim. New matter is anything (structure, features, elements) which was not apparent (seen) in the drawings as originally filed. It is possible for new matter to consist of the removal as well as the addition of structure, features or elements. For example, it is possible that the removal of lines showing changes in elevation in CAD drawings, which cannot be clearly understood to be such without resorting to conjecture, may also introduce new matter. 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.
Conclusion
The claim stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) and (b).
The references are cited as pertinent prior art. Applicant may view and obtain copies of the cited references by visiting http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html and pressing the “Patent Number Search” button.
When preparing new or replacement drawings, be careful to avoid introducing new matter. New matter is prohibited by 35 U.S.C. 132 and 37 CFR 1.121(f).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Darryl Dardenne whose telephone number is 571-272-9967. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 8:30AM-5:00PM EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in person, and via 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, Jae Liang, can be reached at (571) 270-0229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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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). For assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/D.J.D./Examiner, Art Unit 2921
/JAE LIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2921
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