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 .
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 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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Conover (US 4387902).
Regarding claim 1, Conover discloses a sealing ring 10 Fig. 1, comprising an annular base 11 comprising an inner annular side and an outer annular side; an inside sealing portion 16 protruding inwardly from the inner annular side wherein the inside sealing portion has a contour undulating in an axial direction of the annular base or inclined with respect to a radial direction of the annular base. However, Fig. 1 of Conover fails to explicitly disclose an outside sealing portion protruding outwardly from an outer annular side. Fig. 7 of Conover shows this to be well known in the art. Fig. 7 of Conover discloses the use of an outside sealing portion 16’ protruding outwardly from an outer annular side 20 wherein the outside sealing portion has a contour undulating in an axial direction of the annular base or inclined with respect to a radial direction of the annular base. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to provide the outer side of Conover Fig. 1 with a sealing portion as taught by Conover Fig. 7 with a reasonable expectation for success providing sealing on either surface. Regarding claim 2, Conover as modified discloses wherein the undulating contour 16 forms a wavy contour.
Regarding claim 3, Conover as modified discloses wherein the inclined contour 16 comprises one highest point and one lowest point.
Regarding claim 4, Conover as modified discloses wherein the undulating contour 16 comprises at least two highest points and at least two lowest points, wherein the at least two highest points are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to an axis of the annular base, and the at least two lowest points are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the axis of the annular base Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 5, Conover as modified discloses wherein each of the inside sealing portion 16 and the outside sealing portion 16’ has the contour undulating in the axial direction of the annular base 11 or inclined with respect to the radial direction of the annular base. Regarding claim 6, Conover as modified discloses wherein the contour of the inside sealing portion 16 and the contour of the outside sealing portion 16’ undulate or are inclined synchronously with respect to the annular base 11.
Regarding claim 7, Conover as modified discloses wherein the contour of the inside sealing portion 16 and the contour of the outside sealing portion 16’ undulate or are inclined asynchronously with respect to the annular base.
Regarding claim 8, Conover as modified discloses wherein the inside sealing portion 16 and the outside sealing portion 16’ each have a sealing surface with arc-shaped cross-sections.
Regarding claim 9, Conover as modified discloses wherein: the annular base 11 comprises a first end and a second end in the axial direction; and the contour 16’ Fig. 7 comprises a first portion which is closer to the first end and a second portion which is closer to the second end, and the contour is configured such that during deformation of the contour being pressed by a component in dynamic contact therewith, the first portion of the contour is pressed and deformed by the component before the second portion, and when the first portion of the contour is pressed and deformed by the component, the second portion of the contour has not been in contact with the component or is not pressed and deformed by the component.
Regarding claim 10, Conover as modified discloses wherein: the annular base 11, the inside sealing portion 16 and the outside sealing portion 16’ are integrally formed. Regarding claim 11, Conover as modified discloses a connector assembly Fig. 7, comprising: a female connector 23; a male connector 22 inserted into the female connector; and a sealing ring 20, wherein the sealing ring is arranged between an outer side of the male connector and an inner side of the female connector to achieve a sealing between the outer side of the male connector and the inner side of the female connector.
Regarding claim 12, Conover as modified discloses wherein: the outer side of the male connector 22 Fig. 7 is provided with a male connector accommodation groove 21 in which the sealing ring 20 is at least partially retained; or the inner side of the female connector Fig. 6 is provided with a female connector accommodation groove 12 in which the sealing ring 10 is at least partially retained.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/17/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that it would not have been obvious to modify the Conover reference to provide a sealing portion on an inner and outer annular side. This is not persuasive since the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). In response to applicant’s argument that one of ordinary skill in the art would not have added an interfering outside sealing portion, the examiner recognizes that obviousness can only be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Fine, 837 F. 2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988) and In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992). In this case, the Conover reference discloses a sealing ring 10, comprising: an annular base 11 comprising an inner annular side and an outer annular side; an inside sealing portion 16 protruding inwardly from the inner annular side, wherein the inside sealing portion has a contour undulating in an axial direction of the annular base or inclined with respect to a radial direction of the annular base. Conover’s Fig. 7 teaches an outside sealing portion 16’ protruding outwardly from the outer annular side. It is this teaching that is being applied to Conover Fig. 1. Conover Fig. 1 already disclose all the other features required by the claims. Moreover, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention since it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960)
Applicant further argues that the Conover reference only shows one highest point and one lowest point. This is not persuasive, since as illustrated in Fig. 7 shows to two high point and two low points. Also see Annotated Fig. 7, below
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Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 EUGENE G BYRD whose telephone number is (571)270-1824. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached on 5712727376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EUGENE G BYRD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675