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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “first connection grooves”, “first connection blocks”, “third connection grooves” and “third connection blocks”, but there is no mention of ‘second connection grooves’ or ‘second connection blocks’ rendering the claim unclear and indefinite. Appropriate clarification and correction is required. Claims 2-9 are rejected as being dependent on, and failing to cure the deficiencies of rejected independent claim 1.
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(s) 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9, as best understood, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye Jun (CN217150040U) in view of Zheng (US D1,039,227 S), further in view of Hsu (US 5,579,848).
Regarding Claim 1, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu discloses the Pet Excrement Cleaning Device (see Fig. 1-9), comprising an inner sleeve (1)(see Fig. 2), wherein an outer sleeve (see Fig. 2) is provided on an outer side of the inner sleeve, guide blocks (21) (see Fig. 9) are fixedly mounted on the outer side of the inner sleeve, guide grooves (23)(see Fig. 1) are provided on an inner side of the outer sleeve, springs (4) (see Fig. 1) are sleeved inside the guide grooves, an inner sleeve upper cover (6)(see Fig. 2) is mounted on an upper end of the inner sleeve, first connection grooves (see Fig. 6) are provided on an inner side of the inner sleeve, first connection blocks (see Fig. 6) and a limiting ring (11)(see Fig. 8) are provided on an outer side of the inner sleeve upper cover, first lugs (see Fig. 4-7) are fixedly mounted on an end of the inner sleeve away from the inner sleeve upper cover, clamping jaws (3) (Fig. 6-7) are rotatably mounted on inner sides of the first lugs, second lugs (see Fig. 4-7) are fixedly mounted on an end of the outer sleeve close to the clamping jaws, connection rods (8) (see Fig. 7) are rotatably mounted on inner sides of the second lugs, the clamping jaws are rotatably connected to lower ends of the connection rods, a lift handle (see Fig. 1) is mounted on the upper end of the outer sleeve, a through-hole (22)(see Fig. 8-9) is provided on one end of the inner sleeve close to the first lugs, a first push block (see Fig. 1) is fixedly mounted inside the inner sleeve, a second push block (see Fig. 1) is fixedly mounted inside the inner sleeve upper cover, a sleeve cover (7)(see Fig. 2) is detachably mounted on a lower end of the outer sleeve, third connection grooves (23)(see Fig. 8) are provided on an inner side of the sleeve cover, and third connection blocks (21)(see Fig. 8) are fixedly provided on the outer side of the outer sleeve.
Ye Jun fails to disclose a pull handle fixedly mounted on and end of the inner sleeve upper cover away from the inner sleeve.
However, Zheng teaches a pull handle fixedly mounted on an end of the inner sleeve upper cover away from the inner sleeve (figures 1-4).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a pull handle on the Pet Poop Pick-Up Device of Ye Jun as taught by Zheng for ease of excrement pick-up (see Fig. 1-4 and 9)
Ye Jun fails to disclose an external thread provided on an outer side of the outer sleeve, an inner thread is provided on an inner side of the lift handle, and the outer sleeve is fixedly connected to the lift handle by means of the outer thread and the inner thread.
However, Hsu teaches an external thread (34) provided on an outer side of the outer sleeve, an inner thread (27) provided on an inner side of the lift handle, the outer sleeve is fixedly connected to the lift handle by means of the outer thread and the inner thread (see Fig. 1-2).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a external thread provided on an outer side of the outer sleeve, an inner thread provided on an inner side of the lift handle, and the outer sleeve is fixedly connected to the lift handle by means of the outer thread and the inner thread on the Pet Poop Pick-Up Device of Ye Jun as taught by Hsu so that the handle may be easily and quickly secured to the beam which has a tool body secured thereto (Col. 2, lines 45-50)
Regarding claim 2, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu discloses the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the inner sleeve (1) is movably connected to the inner side of the outer sleeve, there are at least two guide blocks (21) annularly arranged with respect to a center line of the inner sleeve, the guide blocks are fitted with inner sides of the guide grooves (23), and the guide grooves and the guide blocks are in one-to-one correspondence (see Fig. 4-7 and 9) but does not specifically teach three guide blocks. The addition of an extra guide block appears to be a mere duplication of parts and an obvious design choice and expedient. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide three guide blocks that are fitted with the inner sides of the guide grooves for a tighter fit when assembling the Poop Pick-Up Device.
Regarding claim 4, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu discloses the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1, wherein there are six first lugs annularly arranged with respect to the center line of the inner sleeve (see Fig. 7), the clamping jaws (3) are in one-to-one correspondence with the first lugs, the other end of each of the connection rods (8) is rotatably connected to an inner side of a respective one of the clamping jaws, and the connection rods are in one-to-one correspondence with the clamping jaws (See Fig. 4-7).
Regarding claim 5, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu discloses the Pet Excrement
Cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the through-hole has an oval structure (see Fig. 9), and the first push block and the second push block are respectively located at centers of a circle of the inner sleeve and the lift handle (see Fig. 1, 4-5, 7, 9).
Regarding claim 9, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu disclose the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the lower end of each of the clamping jaws (3) is converged inward and bent (see Fig. 6-7).
Regarding claim(s) 3 and 6, as best understood, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye Jun (CN217150040U) in view of Zheng (US D1,039,227 S), further in view of Hsu (US 5,579,848), further in view of Wanner (US 5,687,890).
Regarding claim 3, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu, further in view of Wanner discloses the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1, wherein there are two first connection grooves annularly arranged (see Fig. 8), the first connection blocks and the first connection grooves are snap-fitted with each other (see Fig. 6), the first connection blocks and the first connection grooves are in one-to-one correspondence, the limiting ring (11) is located on the sides of the first connection blocks away from the inner sleeve (see Fig. 3), and the diameter of the limiting ring is larger than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve (see Fig. 3).
Ye Jun fails to disclose that the first connection grooves have an L-shaped structure.
However, Wanner teaches first connection grooves have an L-shaped structure (24) (see Fig. 1-3)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide first connection grooves that have an L-shaped structure on the Pet Poop Pick-Up Device of Ye Jun as taught by Wanner so that various groove configurations may be utilized to secure the inner sleeve to the outer sleeve (Col. 5, lines 60-65).
Regarding claim 6, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu, further in view of Wanner discloses the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1 wherein, there are three third connection grooves annularly arranged (23) (see Fig. 8), the third connection blocks and the third connection grooves are snap-fitted with each other, the third connection blocks and the third connection grooves are in one-to-one correspondence, and the sleeve cover (7) is located outside the clamping jaws (see Fig. 1-2).
Ye Jun fails to disclose that the first connection grooves have an L-shaped structure.
However, Wanner teaches the first connection grooves have an L-shaped structure (24) (see Fig. 1-3)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide first connection grooves that have an L-shaped structure on the Pet Poop Pick-Up Device of Ye Jun as taught by Wanner so that various groove configurations may be utilized to secure the inner sleeve to the outer sleeve (Col. 5, lines 60-65).
Claims 7 and 8, as best understood, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye Jun (CN217150040U) in view of Zheng (US D1,039,227 S), further in view of Hsu (US 5,579,848), further in view of Jing (CN202110788127A).
Regarding claim 7, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu disclose the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 1, but fail to disclose wherein each of the clamping jaws is rotatably connected to a respective one of the first lugs by means of a pin shaft, each of the second lugs is rotatably connected to the upper end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft, and each of the clamping jaws is rotatably connected to a lower end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft.
However, Jing teaches that each of the clamping jaws (100) is rotatably connected to a respective one of the first lugs by means of a pin shaft (7), each of the second lugs is rotatably connected to the upper end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft (8), and each of the clamping jaws is rotatably connected to a lower end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft (11) (see Fig. 1-2).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide that each of the clamping jaws is rotatably connected to a respective one of the first lugs by means of a pin shaft, each of the second lugs is rotatably connected to the upper end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft, and each of the clamping jaws is rotatably connected to a lower end of a respective one of the connection rods by means of the pin shaft on the Pet Poop Pick-Up Device of Ye Jun as taught by Jing to ensure simultaneous movement of left and right, which not only ensures the stability and accuracy of grasping, but also is easy to process (Par. 0053).
Regarding claim 8, Ye Jun in view of Zheng, further in view of Hsu disclose the Pet Excrement Cleaning device of claim 7 wherein claim 8 describes the pin shaft as a notoriously well-known elastic pin construction. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a pin having a well-known elastic pin construction to facilitate connecting the clamping jaws to the lugs and pin shaft such requiring the mere selection of an art recognized connecting device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REHMAN A QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-6262. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571)272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GENE O CRAWFORD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651