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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims in the reply filed on August 20, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is not a serious search burden associated with examining all of the claims. This is not found persuasive because Applicant has claimed 9 induvial and distinct inventions. Each having various components which would result in the searching of nine embodiments with their distinct features.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Status of Claims
Claims 1 – 2, 4 – 5 and 15 – 20 are pending. Claims 3 and 6 – 14 are withdrawn from consideration. Claim 6, although presented for examination, is directed toward embodiment 4A and B which has not been elected as is further withdrawn from consideration. Claims 7 – 9 and 11 are dependents of withdrawn claim 6.
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.
Claims 1 – 2, 4 – 5 and 15 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Warren (U. S. Patent No. 6,009,776).
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Regarding Independent Claim 1, Warren teaches a fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) comprising: a housing (Annotated Fig. 5) having: a central portion (Annotated Fig. 5), and first (first end, 30; Fig. 3) and second (second end, 32; Fig. 3) end portions extending from opposite end of the central portion (Annotated Fig. 5), the first end portion (30) and the central portion (Annotated Fig. 3) defining a first gear cavity (first recess, 34), the first gear cavity (34) having a first gear axis (Fig. 5), the second end portion (32) and the central portion (Annotated Fig. 5) defining a second gear cavity (second recess, 36), the second gear cavity (36) having a second gear axis (Fig. 5), the first and second gear axis being planar (Fig. 5), the second gear axis (Fig. 5) being at a predetermined angle relative to the first gear axis (90 degree angle; abstract; Fig. 5); a first gear (first gear assembly, 14) located within the first gear cavity (34) and being allowed to rotate about the first gear axis (Fig. 5); and, a second gear (second gear assembly, 14) located within the second gear cavity (36) and being allowed to rotate about the second gear axis (Fig. 5), the first and second gear (14 and 16) intersect such that rotation of one of the first and second gears (14 and 16) about a respective one of the first and second gear axis (Fig. 5) results in rotation of the other one of the first and second gears (14 and 16) about the other one of the first and second gear axis (Claim 6), wherein the each of the first and second gears (14 and 16) including a shaft (central shafts, 46 and 48) and a gear section (bevel gears, 42 and 44), each one of the shafts (46 and 48) includes an outer end (outer ends, 58 and 60) and a coupling mechanism (drive shaft, 74 and adapter, 76) affixed to the outer end ( Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 2, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein the gear section (42 and 44) is cone-shaped (Fig. 5) and includes a plurality of teeth located on the gear section ( Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 4, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein at least one of the coupling mechanisms (74 and 76) on the shafts (46 and 48) of the first and second gears (14 and 16) is an aperture (rectangular bore, 78) and the other one of the coupling mechanisms is one of an aperture and a drive stud (drive shaft, 74).
Regarding Claim 5, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) further including a first retention mechanism (bearing member, 50) and a second retention mechanism (bearing member, 52) configured to retain the first gear (14) and the second gear (16) in the first and second cavities (34 and 36), respectively.
Regarding Claim 15, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees (Fig. 5 and Abstract).
Regarding Independent Claim 16, Warren teaches a fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3), comprising: a housing (Annotated Fig. 5) having: a central portion (Annotated Fig. 5), and first (30) and second (32) end portions extending from opposite end of the central portion (Annotated Fig. 5), the first end portion (30) and the central portion Annotated Fig. 5) defining a first gear cavity (34), the first gear cavity (34) having a first gear axis (Fig. 5), the second end portion (32) and the central portion (Annotated Fig. 5) defining a second gear cavity (36), the second gear cavity (36) having a second gear axis (Fig. 5), the first and second gear axis being planar (Fig. 5), the second gear axis being at a predetermined angle relative to the first gear axis (90 degrees; Abstract; Fig. 5); a first gear (14) located within the first gear cavity (34) and being allowed to rotate about the first gear axis (Fig. 5); a second gear (16) located within the second gear cavity (36) and being allowed to rotate about the second gear axis (Fig. 5), the first and second gear (14 and 16) intersect such that rotation of one of the first and second gears (14 and 16) about a respective one of the first and second gear axis (Fig. 5) results in rotation of the other one of the first and second gears (14 and 16) about the other one of the first and second gear axis (Claim 6), wherein each of the first and second gears (14 and 16) includes a shaft (46 and 48) and a gear section (42 and 44), wherein the gear section (42 and 44) is cone-shaped and includes a plurality of teeth (Fig. 5) located on the gear section (Fig. 5) , wherein each one of the shafts (46 and 48) includes an outer end (outer ends, 58 and 60) and a coupling mechanism (drive shaft, 74 and adapter, 76) affixed to the outer end ( Fig. 5), wherein at least one of the coupling mechanisms (74 and 76) on the shafts of the first and second gears (14 and 16) is an aperture (78) and the other one of the coupling mechanisms is one of an aperture and a drive stud (74); and, a first retention mechanism (bearing member, 50) and a second retention mechanism (bearing member, 52) configured to retain the first gear and the second gear (14 and 16) in the first and second cavities (34 and 36; Fig. 5), respectively.
Regarding Claim 17, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein the each of the first and second gears (14 and 16) including a shaft (46 and 48) and a gear (42 and 44) section.
Regarding Claim 18, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein each one of the shafts (46 and 48) includes an outer end (58 and 60) and a coupling mechanism (74 and 76) affixed to the outer end (Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 19, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3) wherein at least one of the coupling mechanisms (74 and 76) on the shafts (46 and 48) of the first and second gears (14 and 16) is an aperture (78) and the other one of the coupling mechanisms is one of an aperture and a drive stud (74).
Regarding Claim 20, Warren teaches the fixed-angle adapter (right angle ratch wrench drive unit, 10; Fig. 3)wherein the predetermined angle is one of 45 degrees and 90 degrees (Abstract; 90 degrees).
Conclusion
Art made of record, however, not relied upon for the current rejection is as follows: U. S. Patent No. 6,216,562 B2 to Hsieh teaches a fixed-angle adapter, comprising: a housing having: a central portion, and first and second end portions extending from opposite end of the central portion, the first end portion and the central portion defining a first gear cavity, the first gear cavity having a first gear axis, the second end portion and the central portion defining a second gear cavity, the second gear cavity having a second gear axis, the first and second gear axis being planar, the second gear axis being at a predetermined angle relative to the first gear axis; a first gear located within the first gear cavity and being allowed to rotate about the first gear axis; and, a second gear located within the second gear cavity and being allowed to rotate about the second gear axis, the first and second gear intersect such that rotation of one of the first and second gears about a respective one of the first and second gear axis results in rotation of the other one of the first and second gears about the other one of the first and second gear axis, wherein the each of the first and second gears including a shaft and a gear section, each one of the shafts includes an outer end and a coupling mechanism affixed to the outer end.
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Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATINA N HENSON whose telephone number is (571)272-8024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday; 5:30am to 3:30pm.
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/KATINA N. HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723