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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgement is made of the response filed on January 14, 2026.
Restriction/Election
Groups II – IV (Reproductions 2.1 – 2.7, 3.1 – 3.7, and 4.1 – 4.7) are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being for the nonelected design. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on January 9, 2026.
Groups II – IV (Reproductions 2.1 – 2.7, 3.1 – 3.7, and 4.1 – 4.7) directed to a design or designs nonelected without traverse, and without the right to petition such Groups have been cancelled.
Objection to the Specification
In accordance with Rule 9 under the Hague System, the preamble and the paragraph thereunder must be cancelled.
According to Hague Rule 7(5)(a) (See MPEP 2909), the specification heading must be amended to read:
--Design No./Product(s):
1. Door Handle.--
According to Hague Rule 7(5)(a) (See MPEP 2909), the reproduction description heading that reads “DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES” must be cancelled and replaced with the following heading:
--Description of the Reproduction(s):--
In accordance with Rule 9 under the Hague System, the reproduction 1.1 – 1.7 descriptions should be amended to read:
--1.1 : Perspective
1.2 : Front
1.3 : Back
1.4 : Left
1.5 : Right
1.6 : Top
1.7 : Bottom--
Claim Rejection – 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) and (b)
The claim is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and (b) 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 applicant regards as the invention.
The claim is indefinite and nonenabling because it is not possible to ascertain the exact depth and spatial relationship of certain elements shown in reproduction 1.3. Without additional perspective or cross-section views it is unlikely that said portions can be clarified. Since the introduction of additional views at this time would be considered new matter under 35 U.S.C. 132, 37 CFR 1.121, it is suggested that applicant reduce the features within the bold circles and rectangles shown in the below annotation to broken lines:
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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. If all the figures on a drawing sheet are canceled, a replacement sheet is not required. A marked-up copy of the drawing sheet (labeled as “Annotated Sheet”) including an annotation showing that all the figures on that drawing sheet have been canceled must be presented in the amendment or remarks section that explains the change to the drawings. 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.
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).
Conclusion
Accordingly, the claim stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) and (b) as outlined above.
The references cited, but not applied, are considered cumulative art related to the claimed design.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to L. Calve whose telephone number is (571) 272-7939, and whose work schedule is Monday-Friday 10am-7pm. 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, Wendy Arminio, can be reached at (571) 270-0221. As of 7/15/05 the Right FAX number for this group is (571) 273-8300 for both Official faxes and After Finals.
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/LAUREN R CALVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2923