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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 12/2/25. As directed by the amendment: claims 13 and 14 have been amended, no claims have been cancelled, and no new claims have been added. Thus, claims 1-14 are presently pending in this application.
The amendment to claim 13 is sufficient to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) from the prior action.
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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Willoughby et al. (US 20160279332).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Willoughby et al. discloses an autoinjector assembly (par. 0002; fig. 1-8) comprising a sealable joint (illustrated in fig. 5) comprising a first component 48, a second component (comprising 62, 64, and the proximal flange from which they form), and a third component (comprising 28, 62a, 64a); the first component comprising a stem (body of 48) having a bore 50 therethrough for passage of a fluid; the second component being disposed on the first component (see fig. 5); and the third component comprising a sealing surface (interior surface of 28)and one or more radially inwardly projecting members (62a, 64a); and wherein one of the second component and the first component, or a combination of the second component and the first component comprise a first flange (proximal flange from which 62 and 64 form) and a second flange 74 that define an annular recess therebetween (space between the two, fig. 5); wherein in a sealing configuration (configuration of fig. 5), the second component is received by the third component to form a sealed joint (see fig. 5) in which at least part of the first flange deforms against the sealing surface (portions flange that forms 62, 64 deforming as 62 and 64 deform inwardly by the internal surface of 28), the one or more radially inwardly projecting members are disposed in the annular recess between the first flange and the second flange (see fig. 5), and an outer surface of the second flange is radially outward of at least part of the one or more radially inwardly projecting members (see fig. 5); and wherein in the sealing configuration fluid may flow through the bore from a first side of the sealed joint to a second side of the sealed joint (par. 0041, 0046).
Regarding claims 2-13, Willoughby et al. discloses (claim 2) the second component is affixed on an external surface of the first component (see fig. 5); (claim 3) the second component comprises a more resilient material relative to the first component (material is flexible, par. 0044); (claim 4) in the sealing configuration (fig. 5), the at least part of the first flange forms a sealed interference fit with the sealing surface (see fig. 5) ; (claim 5) the one or more radially inwardly projecting members comprise a plurality of radially flexible fingers (fig. 5; par. 0044); (claim 6) the outer surface of the second flange narrows relative to a longitudinal axis of the sealable joint (see fig. 5); (claim 7) the second flange comprises an abutment surface (surface of 66, visible in fig. 5 and labelled in fig. 7) that faces the one or more radially inwardly projecting members in the sealing configuration (see fig. 5, 7), wherein abutment between the abutment surface and the one or more radially inwardly projecting members limits axial movement of the second flange relative to the third component (see fig. 5 and fig. 7); (claim 8) the first component comprises a third flange (unlabeled flange extending around and away from the proximal end of 48, fig. 5), wherein the third flange is on a side of the first flange that is opposite to the second flange such that the first flange is between the second flange and the third flange (see fig. 5), and wherein abutment between the third flange and the third component limits axial movement of the first component relative to the third component (in the position in fig. 5, as opposed to the one shown in fig. 7); (claim 9) the first component and the second component form a single unitary part (positioned as shown in fig. 5, they are held together to form a unitary part); (claim 11) a propellant source 26, wherein the sealable joint seals the propellant source to another component of the auto-injector sub-assembly (such as the interior defined by 28 and the stopper 30); (claim 12) the propellant source comprises a propellant housing (housing of 46, see fig. 4) defining a reservoir (interior of 46, see fig. 4) for containing a propellant (par. 0041), and the first component is movable relative to the propellant housing to selectively put the bore in fluid communication with the reservoir (par. 0042); (claim 13) wherein the third component forms at least part of the another component (28 forms part of the combination of 28 and 30).
Regarding claim 14, Willoughby et al. discloses a propellant source 26 (fig.1-8) comprising a propellant housing (housing of 46, see fig. 4) defining a reservoir (interior of 46, see fig. 4) for containing a propellant (par. 0041), a first component 48 comprising a stem (body of 48) having a bore 50 therethrough, and a second component (comprising 62, 64, and the proximal flange from which they form) being disposed on the first component (see fig. 5), wherein one of the second component and the first component, or a combination of the second component and the first component, comprise a first flange (proximal flange from which 62 and 64 form) and a second flange 74 that define an annular recess therebetween (space between the two, fig. 5), and wherein the first component is moveable relative to the propellant housing so as to selectively put the bore in fluid communication with the reservoir (par. 0042), and wherein the annular recess provides a space for the second component to deform into to allow the first flange to deform against a sealing surface of a third component (portions flange that forms 62, 64 deforming as 62 and 64 deform inwardly by the internal surface of 28) to form a sealed joint (see fig. 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/2/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on pages 6-7 of the Remarks that the third component cannot be interpreted as elements 28, 62a, and 64a in combination from Willoughby et al. Examiner respectfully disagrees. The term component is broad enough to encompass any functional part of a whole, and in that sense, the combination of elements 28, 62a, and 64a can be interpreted, together, as a component of the whole as illustrated in Willoughby. Additionally, 62 and 64 are distinct elements relative to 62a and 64a in Willoughby et al. and are treated as such by the Examiner’s rejection; the rejection does not rely upon 62 and 64 to read on multiple claim elements as alleged by applicant on page 6 of the Remarks. Similarly, the proximal flange to which 62 and 64 are connected is identified in the rejection as a distinct element from 62 and 64; the rejection does not rely upon 62 and 64 to define the flange as argued by applicant on page 7 of the Remarks. The portion of the flange which connects to 62 and 64 is the portion of the flange which deforms as claimed in claims 1 and 14.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN R PRICE whose telephone number is (571)270-5421. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm Eastern time.
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/NATHAN R PRICE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783