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. General Information Restriction Election Applicant’s election of Group I in the reply filed on 28 November 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Applicant’s response filed on 28 November 2025 and the cancelation of Group II (FIGS. 2.1 – 2.4 ) is acknowledged. In view of the cancelation of the patentably distinguished group, the restriction requirement of 09 October 2025 is hereby withdrawn. Specification Objection The specification is objected to as follows: The title of the design, “ Pipe Coupling ” is objected to because it is directed to less than the claimed design shown in full lines in the drawings (MPEP 1503.01 (I)). The title of the design being claimed must be descriptive, accurate, clear and correspond to the name of the article in which the design is embodied or applied by the generic name generally known and used by the public. The term “thermally insulating structural component” is claimed and the design is clearly depicting more than just a pipe coupling. The title must be amended so that it is directed to the entire claim. To overcome this objection the title, and each occurrence of the language of the title, should be amended throughout the application, except for the Design No./Product(s) section and original oath or declaration, to read , for example : -- Thermally Insulated Pipe Fitting -- -- Thermally Insulated structural Pipe Fitting -- -- Thermally Insulated structural Connector -- -- Thermally Insulated structural Component -- In view of the election of Group I and the cancelation of drawing reproductions 2.1-2.4, a n amended specification is required including applicant’s cancelation of the reproduction descriptions. The brief statement of the nature of intended use of the claim is acknowledged, however, the description loosely follows the format of a claim, and if so, improperly indicates that the claim is directed to more than the ornamental design . For clarity (MPEP 2920.04(a)) , the following description must be canceled from the specification: “ The ornamental design for a thermally insulating structural component for connecting a building component to a structural body, in particular for connecting a balcony slab to a building structural body, such as a ceiling and/or a wall, as shown and described. ” Claim Rejection - 35 U.S.C. § 112 ( b ) The claim is rejected for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention as required in 35 U.S.C. 112(b). The claim is indefinite because the reproductions include, in figures 1.1 – 1.6 , broken lines that are not described in the specification, and the scope of the claimed design cannot be determined. If the broken lines represent portions of the article or environmental structure for which protection is not sought, applicant may overcome this rejection by inserting a statement similar to the following into the specification immediately preceding the claim, provided such statement does not introduce new matter (see 35 U.S.C. 132) : --The broken line showing the p ipe connectors is for the purpose of illustrating environmental structure and forms no part of the claimed design.-- Conclusion The claim stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112( b) as set forth above. Contact Information Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASSAM Y FITTAHY whose telephone number is (703) 756-1030. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm ET. 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, Shawn T Gingrich can be reached on (571) 270-0218. 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. /A.Y.F./ Examiner, Art Unit 2934 /KAREN E KEARNEY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2953