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
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11-12-2025 has been entered.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1, 5-6, 15 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPGPUB 20160363510, Kanack, in view of USPGPUB 5907970, Havlovick, and USPN6551037, Gifford, and as evidenced by USPGPUB 20190186550, Bergman, USPGPUB 20180355919, Livengood, USPN 5391091, Nations and USPN 6855888, Jacke.
Regarding Claim 1, Kanack discloses a hydraulic device (abstract) comprising:
a tool unit 10 having a hydraulic pump 14 for generating pressure oil by rotation of a rotary member (46, per par 0045), a first rotary shaft 50 connected to the rotary member (per par 0046), and a tool 72 that operates by the pressure oil generated by the hydraulic pump (par 0047); and
a driving unit (12 and 1) having a motor 12 for driving rotation of the rotary member of the hydraulic pump (via the connection of the output shaft of the motor with the rotary member, par 0038), and a second rotary shaft rotated by the motor (output shaft of motor, shown in fig 1, and described as rotating the part 50 in par 0046).
Kanack lacks:
Feature I the driving unit being detachably mounted to the tool unit, wherein a connected portion is disposed at an end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit and a connecting portion which is connected to the connected portion is disposed at an end of the other, the connected portion has a guide shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotary shaft or the second rotary shaft, wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular, and a plurality of engaged portions disposed around the guide shaft, the connecting portion has a guide hole into which the guide shaft is inserted, and engaging portions with which the engaged portions are engaged and which are disposed around the guide hole, each engaged portion is a conical projection, and each engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits, and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide shaft, and is tilted relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft such that in a case where the guide shaft is pushed toward the inside of the guide hole, even if the enraged portions are not aligned with the engaging portions, the connected portion rotates relative to the connecting portion such that, by contact of a tapered surface disposed at the end of each engaged portion with the outer circumferential edge of the engaging portion, the misalignment of the engaged portions relative to the engaging portions is corrected, and therefore, when the guide shaft has been pushed into the guide hole, each engaged portion is fully inserted into the engaging portion and
Feature II: three or more engaged portions disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft.
Regarding feature I, Havlovick discloses a flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive, in the same field of endeavor as the flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes: a driving unit 100 being detachably mounted to a tool unit 200, wherein a connected portion (tip and shaft of 302) is disposed at an end of a rotary shaft 302 of the driving unit 100, and a connecting portion (305 and 304) which is connected to the connected portion (when attached thereto) is disposed at an end of the other (end of 200), the connected portion has a guide shaft (shaft portion of part 302) that rotates integrally with the rotary shaft (since it is integral therewith), wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular (see fig 3), and a plurality of engaged portions 207 disposed around the guide shaft (fig 3), the connecting portion has a guide hole 305 into which guide shaft is inserted (col. 5, 50-67), and engaging portions 211 with which the engaged portions are engaged and which are disposed around the guide hole (see fig 3), each engaged portion 207 is a conical projection (fig 3), and each engaging portion 211 is a recess into which the conical projection fits (fig 3), and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide shaft, and is tilted relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft (inasmuch as the conical shape of the tips of the parts 207 are tilted in these directions by being tapered away from the longitudinal-axis of the shaft in the directions all around the shaft) in order to in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost (col 1 lines 15-40).
Also, Bergman discloses that in a coupling device, for a rotary drive shaft device, abstract, wherein engaging portions 24 are arranged on a circumferential edge of a connecting portion 12 and these portions are designed to form a quick connect with an engaged portion 14, by engaging with engaged portions 28 on a circumferential edge of the said engaged portion, wherein the engaging portions are tapered fig 1, and par. 0059, that it is known that such a shape helps to self-align the parts with one another (via rotating when the parts contact oner another, since the engaged and engaging parts are both rotatably connected) to correct any misalignment of the parts when connecting to each other (par’s. 0082 and 0083). Similarly, Livengood discloses a quick connect assembly which has tapered male parts 203-204 that connect to holes 104 and 105, and discloses that “The taper of the alignment dowels allows then to be inserted even when the components are not positioned exactly in line, thus facilitating easier, quicker and safer connection.” (par. 0032) (emphasis added), and Nations, shows a similar tapered connector having pins 6 that are tapered and allow for alignment, and discloses that such a tapered connection “allows for an initial slight misalignment which is automatically aligned as the guide pin is further inserted into the bore of the guide pin socket”, and Jacke discloses that a tapered connection “has holes assigned to the individual core guidance channels, the holes, as viewed from the core guidance channels, having a tapering cross section. The holes can be made funnel-shaped or cone-shaped. By this configuration of the positioning aid, solely by pushing the cores through the core guidance channels into the tapering holes, "self-alignment" of the inserted cores is accomplished. Substantially exact, permanent alignment of the center lines of the cores, regardless of their diameter within a range, is accomplished by the funnel-shaped or cone-shaped execution of the holes. If the contact elements of the plug part are arranged such that they are centered to the holes of the positioning aid, it is ensured that the contact elements also meet the end face of the cores to be connected in the center (col 3 lines 60-68 and col 4 1-18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by having the drive unit be detachable from the tool unit via the driving unit being detachably mounted to the tool unit, wherein a connected portion is disposed at an end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit 40 and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit and a connecting portion which is connected to the connected portion is disposed at an end of the other, the connected portion has a guide shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotary shaft or the second rotary shaft, wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular, and a plurality of engaged portions disposed around the guide shaft, the connecting portion has a guide hole into which the guide shaft is inserted, and engaging portions with which the engaged portions are engaged and which are disposed around the guide hole, each engaged portion is a conical projection, and each engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits, and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide shaft, and is tilted relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft in order to in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost as taught in Havlovick.
Also, in making the modification in view of Havlovick, in use, such a quick connect with the tapering of the engaging portions, the connecting would also involve in a case where the guide shaft is pushed toward the inside of the guide hole, even if the enraged portions are not aligned with the engaging portions (e.g. angular displacement), the connected portion would rotate relative to the connecting portion such that, by contact of a tapered surface disposed at the end of each engaged portion with the outer circumferential edge of the engaging portion, the misalignment of the engaged portions relative to the engaging portions is corrected, and therefore, when the guide shaft has been pushed into the guide hole, each engaged portion is fully inserted into the engaging portion as taught in Bergman, Nations, Jacke, and Livengood.
Regarding feature II, of the number of engaged portions is to be three or more engaged portions and the portions being arranged disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft:
Gifford discloses a removable coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool, in the same field of endeavor as the removable coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes a tool chuck 20 comprising a series of engaged portions 70 which engage with connecting holes 82, in a tool lock member assembly 80, where the number of engaged portions is to be three and the portions being arranged/disposed around the guide shaft 68, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft (fig 3), and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft (See fig . 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by having the connecting portions be three or more engaged portions disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft in order to better secure the pieces to one another since, generally in manufacturing having additional connecting portions provides a more secure connection.
And feature III: (the device, when being used to connect the connecting portion and the connected portion) such that in a case where the guide shaft is pushed toward the inside of the guide hole, even if the enraged portions are not aligned with the engaging portions, the connected portion rotates relative to the connecting portion such that, by contact of a tapered surface disposed at the end of each engaged portion with the outer circumferential edge of the engaging portion, the misalignment of the engaged portions relative to the engaging portions is corrected, and therefore, when the guide shaft has been pushed into the guide hole, each engaged portion is fully inserted into the engaging portion.
Regarding Claim 15, Kanack discloses a hydraulic device (abstract) comprising:
a tool unit 10 having a hydraulic pump 14 for generating pressure oil by rotation of a rotary member (46, par 0045), a first rotary shaft (50) connected to the rotary member (par 0046), and a tool 72 that operates by the pressure oil generated by the hydraulic pump (par 0046): and
a driving unit (12 and 1) having a motor 12 for driving rotation of the rotary member of the hydraulic pump (via the connection of the output shaft of the motor with the rotary member, par 0038), and a second rotary shaft rotated by the motor (output shaft of motor, shown in fig 1, and described as rotating the part 50 in par 0046).
Kanack lacks feature I the driving unit being detachably mounted to the tool unit, wherein a connected portion is disposed at an end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, and a connecting portion which is connected to the connected portion is disposed at an end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, the connected portion has a guide shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotary shaft or the second rotary shaft wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular, and a plurality of engaging portions disposed around the guide shaft, the connecting portion has a guide hole into which the guide shaft is inserted, and engaged portions to which the engaging portions engages and which are disposed around the guide hole, each engaged portion is a conical projection, and each engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits, and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole and is tiled relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide hole, such that in a case where the guide shaft is pushed toward the inside of the guide hole, even if the enraged portions are not aligned with the engaging portions, the connected portion rotates relative to the connecting portion such that, by contact of a tapered surface disposed at the end of each engaged portion with the outer circumferential edge of the engaging portion, the misalignment of the engaged portions relative to the engaging portions is corrected, and therefore, when the guide shaft has been pushed into the guide hole, each engaged portion is fully inserted into the engaging portion (Claim 15), and feature II the number of engaged portions is to be three or more engaged portions and the portions being arranged disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft.
Regarding feature I, Havlovick discloses a flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive, in the same field of endeavor as the flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes: the driving unit 100 being detachably mounted to the tool unit 200, wherein a connected portion (tip of shaft 302) is disposed at an end of one of the first rotary shaft 300 of the tool unit 200 and the second rotary shaft 302 of the driving unit, and a connecting portion (305, 304 and 210) which is connected to the connected portion is disposed at an end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit (fig. 3), the connected portion has a guide shaft (304) that rotates integrally with the first rotary shaft or the second rotary shaft (see fig 3, col 5, 55-60), wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular (fig. 2-3) and a plurality of engaging portions 211 disposed around the guide shaft (fig 3), the connecting portion has a guide hole (fig 3, hole which receives 302) into which the guide shaft is inserted (fig 3), and engaged portions 211 to which the engaging portions engages 207 and which are disposed around the guide hole (fig 3), each engaged portion 207 is a conical projection (tilted tips of pins 302) (fig 3), and each engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits (see fig. 3, and also col 4 lines 40-70), and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole and is tiled relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide hole (in as much as the conical shape of the tips of parts 207 are tilted in these directions by being tapered) (Claim 15), in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost (col 1 lines 15-40).
Also, Bergman discloses that in a coupling device, for a rotary drive shaft device, abstract, wherein engaging portions 24 are arranged on a circumferential edge of a connecting portion 12 and these portions are designed to form a quick connect with an engaged portion 14, by engaging with engaged portions 28 on a circumferential edge of the said engaged portion, wherein the engaging portions are tapered fig 1, and par. 0059, that it is known that such a shape helps to self-align the parts with one another (via rotating when the parts contact oner another, since the engaged and engaging parts are both rotatably connected) to correct any misalignment of the parts when connecting to each other (par’s. 0082 and 0083). Similarly, Livengood discloses a quick connect assembly which has tapered male parts 203-204 that connect to holes 104 and 105, and discloses that “The taper of the alignment dowels allows then to be inserted even when the components are not positioned exactly in line, thus facilitating easier, quicker and safer connection.” (par. 0032) (emphasis added), and Nations, shows a similar tapered connector having pins 6 that are tapered and allow for alignment, and discloses that such a tapered connection “allows for an initial slight misalignment which is automatically aligned as the guide pin is further inserted into the bore of the guide pin socket”, and Jacke discloses that a tapered connection “has holes assigned to the individual core guidance channels, the holes, as viewed from the core guidance channels, having a tapering cross section. The holes can be made funnel-shaped or cone-shaped. By this configuration of the positioning aid, solely by pushing the cores through the core guidance channels into the tapering holes, "self-alignment" of the inserted cores is accomplished. Substantially exact, permanent alignment of the center lines of the cores, regardless of their diameter within a range, is accomplished by the funnel-shaped or cone-shaped execution of the holes. If the contact elements of the plug part are arranged such that they are centered to the holes of the positioning aid, it is ensured that the contact elements also meet the end face of the cores to be connected in the center (col 3 lines 60-68 and col 4 1-18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by having wherein the driving unit being detachably mounted to the tool unit, wherein a connected portion is disposed at an end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, and a connecting portion which is connected to the connected portion is disposed at an end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, the connected portion has a guide shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotary shaft or the second rotary shaft, wherein the guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the guide hole is circular, and a plurality of engaging portions disposed around the guide shaft, the connecting portion has a guide hole into which the guide shaft is inserted, and engaged portions to which the engaging portions engages and which are disposed around the guide hole, each engaged portion is a conical projection, and each engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits, and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole and is tiled relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide hole in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost, taught in Havlovick.
Also, in making the modification in view of Havlovick, in use, such a quick connect with the tapering of the engaging portions, the connecting would also involve in a case where the guide shaft is pushed toward the inside of the guide hole, even if the enraged portions are not aligned with the engaging portions (e.g. angular displacement), the connected portion would rotate relative to the connecting portion such that, by contact of a tapered surface disposed at the end of each engaged portion with the outer circumferential edge of the engaging portion, the misalignment of the engaged portions relative to the engaging portions is corrected, and therefore, when the guide shaft has been pushed into the guide hole, each engaged portion is fully inserted into the engaging portion as taught in Bergman, Livengood, Nations and Jacke.
Regarding feature II, of the number of engaged portions is to be three or more engaged portions and the portions being arranged disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft:
Gifford discloses a removable coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool, in the same field of endeavor as the removable coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes a tool chuck 20 comprising a series of engaged portions 70 which engage with connecting holes 82, in a tool lock member assembly 80, where the number of engaged portions is to be three and the portions being arranged/disposed around the guide shaft 68, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft (fig 3), and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft (See fig . 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by having the connecting portions be three or more engaged portions disposed around the guide shaft, wherein the engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the guide shaft, and wherein the engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft in order to better secure the pieces to one another since, generally in manufacturing having additional connecting portions provides a more secure connection.
Regarding Claims 5-6 and 19-20, Kanack also lacks wherein where the engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center of the guide hole (Claim 5), wherein the engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide hole (Claim 6), wherein the engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center of the guide shaft (Claim 19), wherein the engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide shaft (Claim 20).
Havlovick also includes the engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center of the guide hole (fig 3) (Claim 5 and 19), wherein the engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide hole (see fig 3) (claim 6 and 20), in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost (col 1 lines 15-40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by including/having:
where the engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center of the guide hole (Claim 5 and 19), wherein the engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the guide hole (claim 6 and 20), in order to allow a single drive assembly to be used with a plurality of tools thus reducing the overall cost as taught by Havlovick.
Claims 7-14, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanack in view of Havlovick and Gifford, and as evidenced by Bergman, Livengood, Nations and Jacke, as applied to claim 1, and further in view of US 20130174424, Whited.
Regarding Claim 7, Kanack discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1 as discussed above.
Kanack as modified over Havlovick and Gifford lacks Features (A) the hydraulic device further comprising a torque transmission connecting tool configured to be detachably mounted to the tool unit at one end and detachably mounted to the driving unit at, the other end of the torque transmission connecting tool, and configured to transmit a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit to the rotary member of the tool unit, wherein the torque transmission connecting tool has a rod-like shaft having flexibility, and a cover that has flexibility and covers an outer circumferential surface of the shaft, and the torque transmission connecting tool transmits a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit, by rotation of the shaft in the cover, to the rotary member of the tool unit, the flexibility of each of the shaft and the cover allows the torque transmission connecting tool to be bent, the torque transmission connecting tool has, at an end thereof, a second connecting portion to which the connected portion disposed at the end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit is connected at another end thereof, and a second connected portion which is connected to the connecting portion disposed at the end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, the second connected portion has a second guide shaft, the second connecting portion has a second guide hole (claim 7), and features (A) a plurality of second engaged portions disposed around the second guide shaft and second engaging portions disposed around the second guide hole each second engaged portion is a conical projection, a tip of which is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole, and is tiled relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide hole (Claim 7), wherein the second guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the second guide hole is circular (claim 8), wherein the second engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the second guide shaft (claim 9), wherein the second engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the second guide shaft (Claim 10) wherein the second engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center f the second guide hole (Claim 11), wherein the second engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the second guide hole (Claim 12), wherein the shape of each second engager portion is identical to the shape of each engaged portion (Claim 13) wherein the shape of each second engaging portion is identical to the shape of each engaging portion (Claim 14).
Regarding feature (A) Whited discloses a flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive in the same field of endeavor as the flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes a torque transmission connecting tool 700 configured to be detachably mounted to a tool unit (combination of parts 100 and 714 and 710) at one end (par 0066-0068) and detachably mounted to the driving unit at, the other end of the torque transmission connecting tool (fig 1), and configured to transmit a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit to the rotary member of the tool unit (par 0066) wherein the torque transmission connecting tool has a rod-like shaft (802) having flexibility (par 0069), and a cover 704 that has flexibility and covers an outer circumferential surface of the shaft (par 0070-0071) and the torque transmission connecting tool transmits a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit, by rotation of the shaft in the cover, to the rotary member of the tool unit (par 0071-0073), the flexibility of each of the shaft and the cover allows the torque transmission connecting tool to be bent (see par. 0068-0071), the torque transmission connecting tool has, at both ends thereof, a second connecting portion to which the connected portion disposed at the end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit is connected at another end there of, and a second connected portion which is connected to the connecting portion disposed at the end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, the second connected portion has a second guide shaft and the second connecting portion has a second guide hole, and each second engaging portion is a recess into which the conical projection fits (fig 1 and par 0069-0071).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by making the hydraulic device further comprise a torque transmission connecting tool configured to be detachably mounted to the tool unit at one of the torque transmission connecting tool and detachably mounted to the driving unit at the other end, and configured to transmit a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit to the rotary member of the tool unit, wherein the torque transmission connecting tool has a rod-like shaft having flexibility, and a cover that has flexibility and covers an outer circumferential surface of the shaft, and the torque transmission connecting tool transmits a rotational torque generated by the motor of the driving unit, by rotation of the shaft in the cover, to the rotary member of the tool unit, the flexibility of each of the shaft and the cover allows the torque transmission connecting tool to be bent, the torque transmission connecting tool has, at both ends thereof, a second connecting portion to which the connected portion disposed at the end of one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit is connected, and a second connected portion which is connected to the connecting portion disposed at the end of the other one of the first rotary shaft of the tool unit and the second rotary shaft of the driving unit, the second connected portion has a second guide shaft, the second connecting portion has a second guide hole, in order to allow an operator more easily carry the separate parts of the device (since the parts would no longer to always be carried together), and to have more flexibility in the use of the device (since the device is able to be extend more and bent to reach harder to reach spaces).
Regarding features (B) of a plurality of second engaged portions disposed around the second guide shaft and second engaging portions disposed around the second guide hole each second engaged portion is a conical projection, a tip of which is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole, and is tiled relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide hole, Havlovick discloses a flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive, in the same field of endeavor as the flexible coupling assembly for a rotatably driven drive tool of the present invention (as noted above) and discloses that such a system includes: a driving unit 100 being detachably mounted to a tool unit 200, wherein a plurality of engaged portions 207 disposed around the guide shaft (fig 3), and engaging portions 211 with which the engaged portions are engaged and which are disposed around the guide hole (see fig 3), each engaged portion 207 is a conical projection (fig 3), and each engaging portion 211 is a recess into which the conical projection fits (fig 3), and a tip of the projection is tilted relative to a longitudinal direction of the guide shaft, and is tilted relative to a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft (inasmuch as the conical shape of the tips of the parts 68b are tilted in these directions by being tapered away from the longitudinal-axis of the shaft in the directions all around the shaft), (claim 15), wherein the second guide shaft is cylindrical and the cross section of the second guide hole is circular (fig 3), (claim 8), wherein the second engaged portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the axis center of the second guide shaft (fig 3), (claim 9), wherein the second engaged portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the second guide shaft (fig 3), (Claim 10) wherein the second engaging portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center f the second guide hole (fig 3), (Claim 11), wherein the second engaging portions are equally spaced to line up along the circumferential direction of the second guide hole (fig 3), (Claim 12), wherein the shape of each second engager portion is identical to the shape of each engaged portion (fig 3), (Claim 13) wherein the shape of each second engaging portion is identical to the shape of each engaging portion (fig 3), (Claim 14), in order to more easily align the parts (col 5 lines 20-35).
In modifying Kanack to have the hydraulic device further comprise a torque transmission connecting tool configured to be detachably mounted to the tool unit at one end and detachably mounted to the driving unit at, the other end, it would also have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kanack by making the connections between the Kanack drive unit and tool unit and the torque transmission tool comprise features (B), in order to more easily align the parts as taught in Havlovick.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 11/12/2025, with respect to the prior art rejections as the claims are now amended, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Applicants amendments to the claims have overcome all of the previously filed claim rejections. However, a new rejection over the evidentiary disclosure of Bergman, nations, and Livengood, Jacke as discussed above.
Conclusion
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.”
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPN/PGPUBs 20130233669 20070293325 5564981 7883423 20040185945 20190186550 each disclose state of the art quick connecting devices, and thus, disclose elements of the present application/invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FERNANDO A AYALA whose telephone number is (571)270-5336. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern standard.
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/FERNANDO AYALA/
Examiner, Art Unit 3724
/BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724