Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-03-28)

CLAIMS:
Amendments to the Claims

This listing of claims replaces all prior versions and listings of claims in the application:

Listing of Claims:

1\. (Original) A partition comprising:
a first body comprising a foldable material, the first body having a first side and a second side, the first body having a planar configuration when unfolded;
a plurality of substrates, each substrate of the plurality of substrates having a flat geometric shape and being resistant to folding; and
an adhesive,
wherein each substrate of the plurality of substrates is adhered to the second side of the first body by the adhesive and arranged in a repeating pattern defining a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each column of the plurality of columns being spaced apart from each neighboring column to define a plurality of longitudinally extending gaps between columns and each row of the plurality of rows being spaced apart from each neighboring row to define a plurality of laterally extending gaps between rows,
wherein the first body is configured to fold in a lateral direction along the plurality of longitudinally extending gaps in an accordion-like manner and to contemporaneously fold in a longitudinal direction along the plurality of laterally extending gaps between rows in the accordion-like manner,
wherein the partition contracts both laterally and longitudinally when the first body contemporaneously folds in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the partition extends both laterally and longitudinally when the first body contemporaneously unfolds in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

2\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein the flat geometric shape of each substrate is substantially identical to the flat geometric shape of each other substrate.

3\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a lateral contraction of the partition to a longitudinal contraction of the partition is at least 2:1.

4\. (Currently Amended) The partition of claim 1, wherein the first foldable body comprises a a plastic film comprised of polyester polyethylene terephthalate material.

5\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein each substrate of the plurality of substrates comprises a plexiglass material.

6\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern is printed on the second side.

7\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein the first body has a configuration when unfolded that conforms with an opening associated with the partition.

8\. (Original) The partition of claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern comprises a herring bone pattern.

9\. (Currently Amended) A partition comprising:
\[\[A\]\] a first body comprising a foldable material, the first body having a first side and a second side, the first body having a planar configuration when unfolded;
a plurality of substrates, each substrate of the plurality of substrates having a flat geometric shape and being resistant to folding;
a second body comprising a decorative, foldable material, the second body having the planar configuration when unfolded;
a third body comprising the decorative, foldable material, the third body having the planar configuration when unfolded; and
an adhesive;
wherein each substrate of the plurality of substrates is adhered to the second side of the first body by the adhesive and arranged in a repeating pattern defining a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each column of the plurality of columns being spaced apart from each neighboring column to define a plurality of longitudinally extending gaps between columns and each row of the plurality of rows being spaced apart from each neighboring row to define a plurality of laterally extending gaps between rows,

wherein the second body is adhered to the first side of the first body by the adhesive,
wherein the third body is adhered to the second side of the first body and to a back side of the plurality of substrates by the adhesive,
wherein the first body and the second body and the third body are configured to fold in a lateral direction along the plurality of longitudinally extending gaps in an accordion-like manner and to contemporaneously fold in a longitudinal direction along the plurality of laterally extending gaps between rows in the accordion-like manner,
wherein the partition contracts both laterally and longitudinally when first body, the second body, and the third body contemporaneously fold in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the partition extends both laterally and longitudinally when the first body, the second body, and the third body contemporaneously unfold in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

10\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein the flat geometric shape of each substrate is substantially identical to the flat geometric shape of each other substrate.

11\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein a ratio of a lateral contraction of the partition to a longitudinal contraction of the partition is at least 2:1.

12\. (Currently Amended) The partition of claim 9, wherein the first body comprises a a plastic film composed of polyester polyethylene terephthalate material.

13\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein each substrate of the plurality of substrates comprises a plexiglass material.

14\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein the second body and the third body each comprise a leather material.

15\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein the repeating pattern is printed on the second side of the first body.

16\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein the first body has a configuration when unfolded that conforms with an opening associated with the partition.

17\. (Original) The partition of claim 9, wherein the repeating pattern comprises a herring bone pattern.

18\. (Original) The partition of claim 10, wherein the laterally extending gaps extend laterally in a zig-zag pattern.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: As indicated in the previous office action, the claims are allowable over the closest prior art of record and the claims have been amended to overcome the rejections made under 35 USC 112.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKSClaim Status Claims 1-18 are pending in the present application, claims 1-3, 5-11, and 13-18 have been allowed, claims 4 and 12 have been rejected, and claim 9 has been objected to. By this paper, claims 4, 9, and 12 have been amended, no claims have been canceled, no new claims have been added, and no new matter has been introduced. Accordingly, claims 1-18 remain pending and under consideration. Favorable reconsideration is respectfully requested in light of the amendments presented above and the arguments presented below.ARGUMENTSResponse To Objections To The Specification The Office Action objected to the use of the term "mylar" in the specification for allegedly failing to respect a proprietary trademark. By this paper, Applicants have amended the use of that word in the specification by capitalizing the letter M and by using the "®" symbol following the trade name such that this word now appears in the specification as follows: "Mylar®".Applicants submit that this objection has been overcome and respectfully request that it be withdrawn.Response To Objections To The Claims The Office Action objected to claim 9 for having used a capital letter ("A") at the beginning of the first element. Applicants have amended claim 9 by deleting the capital "A" and inserting a lowercase letter "a" in its place.Applicants submit that this objection has been overcome and respectfully request that it be withdrawn.Response To The Office Action's Rejection Of Claims 4 And 12 Under 35 USC §112 The Office Action rejected claims 4 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. §112 for allegedly being indefinite and failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventors regard as the invention. Applicants respectfully traverse this rejection.Specifically, the Office Action alleged that claims 4 and 12 each used the claim term "mylar" and that this is allegedly improper because this is a tradename. As explained in the Office Action, use of a tradename in a patent claim is not appropriate because a tradename identifies the source of goods rather than the goods itself. To expedite prosecution, Applicants have amended claims 4 and 12 by deleting the term "mylar" and by replacing it with a definition well known in the art of the material marketed under the tradename "Mylar®".Applicants submit that this rejection has now been overcome. Accordingly, Applicants respectfully request that this rejection be withdrawn. Applicants further submit that the rejected claims are now in condition for allowance and respectfully request a notice to that effect.CONCLUSIONIn view of Applicant's amendments and remarks, it is respectfully submitted that Examiner's rejections have been overcome. Accordingly, Applicants respectfully submit that the application, as amended, is now in condition for allowance, and such allowance is therefore earnestly requested. Should the Examiner have any questions or wish to further discuss this application, Applicants request that the Examiner contact the Applicants' attorneys at 480-385-5060.If for some reason Applicants have not requested a sufficient extension and/or have not paid a sufficient fee for this response and/or for the extension necessary to prevent abandonment on this application, please consider this as a request for an extension for the required time period and/or authorization to charge Deposit Account No. 50-2091 for any fee which may be due.Respectfully submitted, Dated: 5 March 2025