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 § 102/103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-6, 8, 21, 22, 24-26 are finally rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (9,592,589).
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (WEDGE)] Wang discloses all of the limitations of claim 1, i.e., a plier device comprising:
a bottom jaw 2 having a top handle 5;
a top jaw 1 having a bottom handle 9 and a slot 91 and a series of ridges 92 located on at least one surface of the slot, and a wedge annotated partial Fig. 1 that protrudes from an outer surface of the bottom handle and configured to stop movement of the top handle; and
a pawl pivot 3 that extends through the slot to enable gripping by a user on either side of the slot via 41 and 10, the pawl pivot operable for rotatable attachment to the bottom jaw to extend below the bottom jaw Fig. 1, wherein the pawl pivot has on at least one surface an engagement element teeth Fig. 2 configured to engage at least one of the series of ridges in a first position maximum opening for movement along a first axis along the slot from the first position e.g., bottom max jaw opening to a number of second positions e.g., near top minimum jaw opening along the first axis, Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 3, PA (prior art, Wang) meets the limitations, i.e., the plier device of claim 1, wherein the engagement element teeth 36 meeting the narrative/functional language of is configured for disengagement or engagement with the ridges by either force on at least one surface of the pawl pivot or force on at least one of the bottom handle or the top handle at least capable of.
Regarding claim 4, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the plier device of claim 1, further comprising an opening between the top jaw and lower jaw Fig. 1 meeting the narrative/functional language of can be made smaller size of the opening or larger by applying force on at least one surface of the pawl pivot 3 or force on at least one of the bottom handle or the top handle to move the bottom jaw toward or away from the top jaw.
Regarding claim 5, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the plier device of claim of 1, further comprising: the pawl pivot having a recess receiving spring and pin 11, Fig. 3 on at least one surface, each recess of the pawl pivot can be one of circular receiving compression spring, rectangular, oval, or any polygonal shape adapted to house at least one of an elastic member, dowel pin, and/or ball bearing configured to operate within a recess of the pawl pivot and against a surface spring 8 biasing against the opposite handle, Fig. 3 of at least a portion of at least one jaw handle.
Regarding claim 6, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the plier device of claim 1, wherein the pawl pivot 3 is configured to abut via the spring against a surface of at least a portion of at least one jaw handle 5, Fig. 3 during opening of at least one plier handle.
Regarding claim 8, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the plier device of claim 1, further comprising: meeting the narrative/functional language of a force applied on at least one of one plier handle or the pawl pivot transfers said force onto or away from the ridges of the slot and along the first axis Fig. 1.
CLAIM 21
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (WEDGE)]Wang discloses all of the limitations of claim 21, i.e., a dual mode adjustable plier device comprising:
a first/bottom 2 jaw attached to a first/top handle 5;
a second jaw 1 attached to a second handle 9 having a slot 91, a plurality of ridges 92 on at least one surface of the slot, and a protruding wedge annotated partial Fig. 1 that protrudes from an outer surface of the second handle and configured to stop movement of at least a part of the first handle; and
a pawl pivot 3 including a shoulder body extending through the slot, a tactile surface 41, 10 on opposite sides of the shoulder to facilitate gripping of the pawl pivot by a user on either side of the slot, and an engagement element teeth arranged on a surface of the shoulder and configured to engage or disengage the plurality of ridges 92 and facilitate translation of the pawl pivot between a first position maximum opening and a plurality of second positions e.g., near top along a first axis defined by the slot,
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the pawl pivot 3 being configured to pivot about a second axis defined by the pin 11, Fig. 4 perpendicular to the first axis to facilitate movement of the first jaw away from second jaw to release or compress on an object.
Regarding claim 22, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the dual mode adjustable plier device of claim 21, wherein the shoulder body of pawl 3 includes a shoulder opening accommodating spring 8 configured to receive at least one elastic member 8 and a pin member 31.
Regarding claim 24, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the dual mode adjustable plier device of claim 21, wherein the engagement element teeth meeting the narrative/functional language of is configured to disengage or engage the plurality of ridges 92 in response to application of force on the tactile surface.
Regarding claim 25, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the dual mode adjustable plier device of claim 21, wherein the engagement element teeth meeting the narrative/functional language of is configured to disengage or engage the plurality of ridges 92 in response to application of force on the first handle.
Regarding claim 26, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the dual mode adjustable plier device of claim 21, wherein the engagement element is configured to disengage or engage the plurality of ridges 92 in response to application of force on the second handle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14 and 16 are allowed.
Claim 23 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: art of record considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious a pliers comprising top and bottom jaws as recited, a pawl pivot including a shoulder extending through the slot, a tactile surface on opposite sides of the shoulder, a shoulder opening configured to receive at least one elastic member and a pin member, and an engagement element arranged on a surface of the shoulder to facilitate translation of the pawl pivot between a first position and a plurality of second positions along a first axis, the pawl pivot being pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to engage or disengage the plurality of ridges to cause the pin member to compress the elastic member by engagement of the pin member with another surface of the slot that is opposite to the ridges, together in combination with the rest of the limitations as recited in claim 9 and 23.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HADI SHAKERI whose telephone number is (571)272-. The fax phone number for forwarding unofficial documents for discussion purposes only is (571) 273-4495. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
October 12, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
