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 .
Reopen Prosecution after IDS QPIDS
The IDS filed on March 27, 2026 was considered. This IDS necessitated prosecution of this application to be reopened, and the Notice of Allowability mailed on February 24, 2026 is withdrawn. Claims 1-18 and 20 are pending and have been examined. Claims 3-5, 12, 13, 18 and 20 include allowable subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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, 6, 7, 9-11, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lai 20130305887.
Regarding claim 1, Lai discloses a tool comprising:
a handle 1 having distal (upper end of handle 1 as shown in Fig. 1) and proximal ends (lower end of handle 1 as shown in Fig. 1), the distal end having a handle bore 111, 121 including a splined bore portion having a first diameter (internal ends of 111, 121 having teeth 112, 122) and an unsplined bore portion having a second diameter (external ends of 111, 121), wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter (Fig. 1, wherein bores of 111, 121 have smooth external ends that are larger than splined internal ends because respective spline teeth reduce diameter as shown in Fig. 3);
a head 2 having a head bore 22; and
a joint-pin 3 axially disposed in the handle and head bores coupling the head to the handle (Fig. 2), wherein the joint-pin is adapted to axially move relative to the handle bore between locked (paragraph 20 along with Figs. 3 and 4) and unlocked positions (paragraph 21 along with Figs. 5 and 6);
wherein when the joint-pin is disposed in the locked position, an angular orientation of the head relative to the handle is fixed (paragraph 20 along with Figs. 3 and 4), and when the joint-pin is disposed in the unlocked position, the angular orientation of the head relative to the handle is adjustable (paragraph 21 along with Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 2, Lai discloses that the joint-pin includes a joint-pin spline portion 32, 33 that is adapted to engage the splined bore portion internal ends of 111, 121 having teeth 112, 122 when the joint-pin is disposed in the locked position (paragraph 20 along with Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Lai discloses that the joint-pin 3 includes an unsplined section 31, wherein when the joint-pin is disposed in the unlocked position, the joint-pin spline portion 32, 33 disengages the splined bore portion (internal ends of 111, 121 having teeth 112, 122) of the handle bore 111, 121 and the unsplined section is disposed adjacent to the splined bore portion of the handle bore (paragraph 21 along with Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Lai discloses that the tool head 2 includes a fork (paragraph 18 along with Fig. 1, wherein head 2 includes an operating head with a plurality of prongs, like a fork).
Regarding claim 9, Lai discloses an indexable tool comprising:
a handle 1 having distal (upper end of handle 1 as shown in Fig. 1) and proximal ends (lower end of handle 1 as shown in Fig. 1), the distal end having a handle bore 111, 121 including a splined bore portion having a first diameter (internal ends of 111, 121 having teeth 112, 122) and an unsplined bore portion having a second diameter (external ends of 111, 121), wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter (Fig. 1, wherein bores of 111, 121 have smooth external ends that are larger than splined internal ends because respective spline teeth reduce diameter as shown in Fig. 3);
a tool head 2 having a tool head splined bore 22; and
a joint-pin 3 axially disposed in the handle splined bore portion and the tool head splined bore (Fig. 2), the joint-pin including:
an external splined section 32, 33 disposed on a first portion of the joint-pin; and
an unsplined section (pivoting rod 31 between gears 32 and 33) disposed on a second portion of the joint-pin, wherein the tool head splined bore is coupled to the external splined section (Fig. 3);
wherein the joint-pin is adapted to axially move between locked and unlocked positions (paragraphs 20 and 21),
wherein when the joint-pin is disposed in the locked position, the external splined section meshingly engages the handle splined bore portion (paragraph 20 along with Fig. 3), and when the joint-pin is disposed in the unlocked position, the external splined section disengages the handle splined bore portion and the unsplined section is disposed adjacent to the handle splined bore portion (paragraph 21 along with Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10, Lai discloses that the tool head splined bore is press-fit to a portion of the external splined section (the limitation “is press-fit” is construed as a product by process limitation met by bore 22 coupling to gears 32, 33 as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Lai discloses a retention mechanism 36 adapted to selectively retain the joint-pin in one of the locked and unlocked positions (paragraphs 20 and 21, wherein spring 36 selectively retains the joint pin 31 in one of the locked and unlocked positions).
Regarding claim 14, Lai discloses that the tool head 2 includes a fork (paragraph 18 along with Fig. 1, wherein head 2 includes an operating head with a plurality of prongs, like a fork).
Regarding claim 15, Lai discloses that the joint-pin 31 includes a shoulder 35 having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the external splined section 32, 33 (Fig. 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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. The text of sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at
issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 8 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lai in view of Su 11667028.
Regarding claims 8, 16 and 17, Lai teaches the claimed invention as shown above except for a grip or a grip portion coupled to the proximal end of the handle.
In a related tool, Su teaches a device having a grip or grip portion 14 coupled to a proximal end of the handle 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The grip or grip portion 14 enables gripping by one or both hands of a user to improve hand engagement with the tool and ease of operability as advantageously taught by Su (col. 1, lines 14-16 and 50-53).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lai to provide a grip or grip portion coupled to the proximal end of the handle to improve hand engagement with the tool and ease of operability as advantageously taught by Su (col. 1, lines 14-16 and 50-53).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 20 are allowed.
Claims 3-5 and 12-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 LEE D WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4499. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6;30-4;30.
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LEE D. WILSON
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
Ldw
/LEE D WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
April 19, 2026
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