This is Non-Final office action for serial number 18/278,859.
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 25 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 25 recites the limitation "the other flank" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The claims have been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 for the above reasons. Please note that the Examiner may not have pointed out each and every example of indefiniteness. The applicant is required to review all the claim language to make sure the claimed invention is clear and definite.
All words in a claim must be considered in determining the patentability of theclaim against the prior art. If no reasonably definite meaning can be ascribed to certainterms in the claim, the subject matter does not become obvious, the claim becomesindefinite. In re Wilson, 424F.2d 1382, 1385 (CCPA 1970). The examiner's analysis ofthe claims, in particular claim language within the claims as rejected under 35 USC 112 above, indicates that considerable speculation as to the meaning of the terms employed and assumptions as to the scope of the claims needs to be made, as the examiner does not understand what is exactly being claimed by the applicant. Any rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 should not be based on such speculations and assumptions. In re Steele, 305 F.2d 859,862 (CCPA 1962); Ex parte Head, 214 USPQ 551 (Bd.App. 1981). Accordingly, the applicant should not assume that any claims not rejected using prior art is considered allowable since the examiner can not clearly determine the limitations of the claim due to indefiniteness. The applicant should be aware that once the claims have been corrected to remove the problems concerning indefiniteness, prior art may be used to reject the claims and the next action made final or if the application is in a final status the amendment after final may not be entered as requiring further search and/or consideration.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 15-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Diekmeyer 20080089759.
Diekmeyer discloses:
Claim 15. A thread of a screw connection between a first module and a second module (paragraphs 4-64 and Figure 1-5), comprising: a first screw thread profile (3) of a first connecting element of the first module (1); a second screw thread profile (2) of a second connecting element of the second module , wherein the first screw thread profile (3) is configured such that the first connecting element is suited to be screw-connected to the second connecting element , and the first screw thread profile (3) has a reduced cross-sectional thread area in relation to a standardized screw thread profile (paragraph 0037, and See figure 5).
Claim 16. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile is a female screw thread profile (3), and the second screw thread profile is a male screw thread profile (2).
Claim 17. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the standardized screw thread profile is an ISO metric or a buttress thread profile (Figures 1-5).
Claim 18.The thread according to claim 15, wherein the second screw thread profile (2) is configured inverted to the first screw thread profile (3).
Claim 19. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) of the first connecting element defines threads, each of said threads having a first flank (12), a flat crest region, and a second flank (13), and at least one non-rounded edge is formed between the first or second flank and the flat crest region.
Claim 20. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) has a rounded root region formed between a first (12) and second flank (13).
Claim 21. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) has a first (12) and a second flank (13), which are asymmetric.
Claim 22. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) is configured to engage with the second screw thread profile (2) such that a non-rounded edge of the first screw thread profile (3) has a contact point, with a flank (14) of the second screw thread profile (2).
Claim 23. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first and/or second screw thread profile is configured as a modified V-shaped profile, such that the profile has an inverted crest region; and/or the first and/or second screw thread profile (3 and/or 2) is configured as a modified V- shaped profile, such that the profile has a broadened and/or deepened groove region (see figure 4).
Claim 24. The thread according to claim 23, wherein the modified V-shaped profile has a W-shaped or M-shaped thread profile (See figure 4).
Claim 25. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first (3) and/or second screw thread profile (2) is configured as a modified V- shaped profile, such that one flank (13) has a lower slope than the other flank (12).
Claim 26. The thread according to claim 15, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) is compatible with a standardized male thread profile (paragraph 0040-0046).
Claim 27. The thread according to claim 26, wherein the standardized male thread profile is a metric ISO screw thread profile and/or a buttress thread profile (see figures 1-5).
Claim 28. The thread according to claim 16, wherein the first screw thread profile (3) is configured such that an internal thread height is larger than an external thread height of a corresponding standardized male thread profile (2) .
Claim 29. The thread according to claim 26, wherein the standardized male thread profile is a metric ISO screw thread profile and/or a buttress thread profile.
Claim 30. A cartridge (1) for connecting with a system, comprising: an air dryer cartridge (1) configured to be connectible with a pressurized air system (8); a threaded connector (2/30 by which the air dryer cartridge is connectible with the pressurized air system, wherein the air dryer cartridge has either a first (3) or second thread profile (2) of the threaded connector, and the first screw thread profile (3) has a reduced cross-sectional thread area in relation to a standardized screw thread profile.
Claim 31. A system, comprising: a first module (1); and a second module (8), wherein the first and second module are connectable by a screw connection using a first connecting element of the first module (1) and a second connecting element of the second module (8) ; a thread of the screw connection between the first module and he second module, comprising: a first screw thread profile (3); a second screw thread profile (2), wherein the first screw thread profile (3) is configured such that the first connecting element is suited to be screw-connected to the second connecting element, and the first screw thread profile (3) has a reduced cross-sectional thread area in relation to a standardized screw thread profile (see paragraph 0035-0043).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The prior art discloses conventional threaded profiles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY T WOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-6826. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 9:00am-5:30pm flexible schedule.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLY T WOOD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631