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 § 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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishii et al. (GB 2338915 A).
Regarding claim 2, Ishii discloses a nitrided cut tap (pg. 11, lines 4-7, 10, 13, and 14) comprising a nitrogen diffusion layer (pg. 13, lines 1-6; pg. 14) in flank and rake surfaces sandwiching a cutting edge portion, wherein a difference between a thickness of the nitrogen diffusion layer in the cutting edge portion of the cut tap and a thickness of the nitrogen diffusion layer in another portion which is other than the cutting edge portion and which includes parts of the flank and rake surfaces, is not larger than 5 µm (i.e., 2 µm to 190 µm for a tap; pg. 15, lines 7-8 and pg. 10, lines 13-16).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3, and 4 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references listed on the attached PTO-892 are cited to show coated cutting tools and taps.
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/JERMIE E COZART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
December 27, 2025
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