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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12-10-2025 has been entered.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6-8, 10-16, 18-21 are pending. Claims 2, 5, 9, 17 were cancelled. Claims 18-20 were withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-4, 6-8, 10-15, 18-21 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
None of the cited prior art teach a power tool guide assembly with a “connector including a first engagement peg on a first surface and a second engagement peg on a second surface transverse to the first surface, wherein the first engagement peg is configured to engage a reciprocal first peg hole in the reciprocal recess and the second engagement peg is configured to engage a reciprocal second peg hole in the reciprocal recess.” The Examiner notes that transverse in view of Applicant’s specification (see Applicant’s Fig. 8, #500 and #808) was interpreted as made at right angles to the long axis of the body, or in other words, oriented at 90 degrees relative to each other. Prior art teaches multiple different constructions of “pegs” but they are 180 degrees from each other (see DE 10 2008 002 159 A1 teaches only one “peg,” US 4,106,695 to Carmella, teaches a peg #40a and the divot 180 degrees from #40a, in Fig. 2, US 4,084,746 to Cheng teaches #79 opposite from #80 in Fig.3, US 4, 231,517A teaches #26 in Fig. 3, and US 4,286,752 to Cheng teaches #26 in Fig. 3). There was no reason uncovered during the search to orientate the pegs a 90 degrees from each other. As such, Claim 1 is allowed. Dependent Claims 1, 3-4, 6-8, 10-15, 18-21 are allowed by virtue of their dependence to Claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11,325,215 to Clark in view of DE 10 2008 002 159 A1 and US 2013/0247738 to Stoffel.
In re Claim 16, Clark teaches an edge protector (see Clark, Figs. 12-17, #14; see also Col. 15, ll. 12 – Col. 17, ll. 68) comprising:
a body (see Clark, Figs. 12-17, #14) having a workpiece side configured to engage a workpiece (see Clark, Fig. 12, “bottom” side of #14) and a power tool side configured to engage a power tool (see Clark, Fig. 12, “top” side);
at least one connector configured to engage an elongate body of the power tool guide (see Clark, Figs. 12-17, #94/96/96; see also Col. 16, ll. 24-Col. 17, ll. 31),
at least one rail profile portion (see Clark, Fig. 12, #92/92/108/108) configured to align with an elongate rail of the power tool guide (see Fig. 8, #38/38; see also Col. 16, ll. 24-Col. 17, ll. 31).
Clark does not teach:
at least one connector including a biased arm that exerts a gripping force with a first surface of the biased arm against a wall of a reciprocal recess in the elongate body, the biased arm including an engagement peg on a second surface of the biased arm that is transverse to the first surface that engages a reciprocal peg hole in the elongate body; and
wherein the at least one rail profile portion of the edge protector is configured to be disposed in an engage a reciprocal channel in the power tool.
However, DE 10 2008 002 159 A1 teaches that it is known in the art of power tool connecting structures to provide at least one connector including a biased arm that exerts a gripping force with a first surface of the biased arm against a wall of a reciprocal recess in the elongate body (see Figs. 1-2, the middle connector, which includes “side surfaces” – the examiner notes that the claims are directed to the structure of the “edge protector” only and not the aperture in which the edge protector is inserted. When inserting the “middle connector” into an unclaimed aperture the side surface is capable of receiving a force from the wall of the unclaimed recess/aperture), the biased arm including an engagement peg on a second surface of the biased arm that is transverse to the first surface that engages a reciprocal peg hole in the elongate body (see Fig. 1-2, #30).
In the same field of invention, connecting structures for power tools it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the earliest effective filing date, to add the connecting structure of DE 10 2008 002 159 A1 to the device of Clark. Doing so is the substitution of one known connecting structure for another known connecting structure to secure two structures together (see MPEP 2143, I, B).
Additionally, Stoffel teaches at least one rail profile portion of the edge protector is configured to be disposed in an engage a reciprocal channel in the power tool (see Stoffel, Fig. 2, #110a/110b/104/106).
In the same field of invention, guides for circular saws, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the earliest effective filing date, to add an ramp to the end of the elongate body of Stoffel, by providing structure for securing the ramp to the elongate body as well as structure for “starting” and connecting the saw structure to the elongate body, as taught by Clark. Dong so provides a resting point or starting point for cutting device to start the cutting operation while providing clearance for the blade guard that covers blade of cutting device, as well as start the blade guard before workpiece is engaged thereby increasing the accuracy of the cutting operation by eliminating any interaction between the blade guard and the workpiece (see Clark, Col. 15, ll. 13-22).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN RILEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7786. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/JONATHAN G RILEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724