Patent Application 17801616 - HARNESSES - Rejection
Patent Application 17801616 - HARNESSES
Title: HARNESSES
Application Information
- Invention Title: HARNESSES
- Application Number: 17801616
- Submission Date: 2025-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Effective Filing Date: 2022-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Filing Date: 2022-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
- National Class: 182
- National Sub-Class: 006000
- Examiner Employee Number: 81361
- Art Unit: 3636
- Tech Center: 3600
Rejection Summary
- 102 Rejections: 1
- 103 Rejections: 1
Cited Patents
The following patents were cited in the rejection:
Office Action Text
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because in Figure 2, the reference characters at the upper edge of the sheet have been cut off. In Figures 2, 9-12, and 14, the reference lines end at the border of the applicant’s device and do not extend to the elements which they purport to identify (for example, in Fig. 9, all of the reference characters appear to point to various locations on the edge of the substrate, while it is clear that they should extend inward and identify individual parts of the device). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. 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. 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 9-11, 13-15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miller in US Publication 2004/0058598.
Regarding Claim 1, Miller teaches a structural assembly suitable for use in construction of a waist band of a harness, the structural assembly comprising two primary load-bearing elements (30/34) and a semi-loadbearing flexible substrate sheet (6), wherein each primary load-bearing element is formed from elongate, flexible textile webbing that extends that passes through multiple apertures (22-28) in the sheet to form a woven structure with the sheet, wherein lengths of the two primary load-bearing elements extend from a center line of the sheet upon one another and form a structure having three or more layers including the sheet (see Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 2, Miller teaches that one or both primary load-bearing element is formed as a loop (see Figs 1-2).
Regarding Claim 3, Miller teaches that end portions of the or each load-bearing member are formed as a loop are connected together (such as at 60/64).
Regarding Claim 4, Miller teaches securing elements of elongate flexible textile webbing (32) connected to one of the primary load-bearing elements, which securing elements include releasable buckle components (74a/b) that allow the securing elements to be interconnected whereby the structural assembly is formed into a loop.
Regarding Claim 5, Miller teaches (see Fig. 2) that the securing elements are formed from two lengths (the outer ends of 32) of elongate flexible textile webbing connected to the primary load-bearing element at locations spaced from the center line.
Regarding Claim 6, Miller teaches that the securing elements are formed from a single length of elongate flexible textile webbing (32) connected to the primary load-bearing element and which extends across the center line in contact with the primary load-bearing element.
Regarding Claim 7, Miller teaches a restraint assembly (80) through which one or both of the primary load-bearing elements pass, the restraint assembly having formations (118) to maintain the primary load-bearing elements in position one upon the other.
Regarding Claim 9, Miller teaches that the restraint assembly includes an attachment component (116) to which a connector can be applied to secure the structural assembly to an external component.
Regarding Claim 10, Miller teaches that the restraint assembly further includes a base (82) disposed between the attachment component and the substrate sheet.
Regarding Claim 11, Miller teaches that the base and the attachment component have mutually-engaging surfaces (the face of 82 and the base of 80) that are shaped to allow the attachment component to pivot on the base.
Regarding Claim 13, Miller teaches one or more hardware assemblies (4/8) secured to the substrate sheet by the primary load-bearing elements.
Regarding Claim 14, Miller teaches that the hardware assemblies include side attachment arrangements (the faces of 4 and 8), each of which side attachment includes a load-bearing component secured to the substrate sheet by a primary load-bearing element.
Regarding Claim 15, Miller teaches a harness comprising a waist belt, in which the waist belt includes the structural assembly of claim 1.
Regarding Claim 17, Miller teaches two leg loops (40/50) suitable for surrounding a user's thighs and connected by flexible risers (46a/56a) to hardware components of the structural assembly through forward connection arrangements of the harness.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller as applied to Claim 15 above in view of Stibilj in US Publication 2017/0216635. Miller is silent on the use of padding. Stibilj teaches a harness including a substrate (40) with padding (42) secured to an inner surface of the substrate sheet to be disposed, in use, between the substrate sheet and a user's body. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Miller by adding padding as taught bs Stibilj in order to provide a more comfortable harness for the user.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-26 are allowed.
Claims 8, 12, and 18-22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kils et al., Rullo et al., Power, II et al., Carpenter et al., Jones, Glover et al., and Perner teach harnesses.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAH CHANDLER HAWK whose telephone number is (571)272-1480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5:30pm.
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, David Dunn can be reached at 5712726670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NOAH CHANDLER HAWK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3636
/Noah Chandler Hawk/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
