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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 11 August 2025 has been considered and new rejections based on applicant’s amendment are recited below.
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.
Claims 4 and 18-23 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 1 is the only independent claim and it recites a “router guide consisting of:”. The use of consisting of requires the router guide to have only the claimed structure. As these dependent claims add additional structure, they are improper and thus it is unclear what applicant is claiming. Accordingly, they are not being further examined.
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.
(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) 1, 3, 8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 9,802,333 to Krohmer et al (Krohmer).
Concerning claim 1, Krohmer discloses, in the figure reproduced below, a router guide, consisting of:
a planar body (E1) having a first elongated opening (E2) and a second elongated opening (E3) therethrough;
wherein the first elongated opening (E2) perpendicularly intersects the second elongated opening (E3), such that a single T-shaped opening is formed; and
wherein the second elongated opening (E3) intersects the first elongated opening (E2) at a midpoint thereof.
Concerning claim 3, Krohmer discloses the first and second elongated openings (E2 and E3) are disposed centrally along the planar body (E1).
Concerning claim 8, Krohmer discloses the first elongated opening (E2) is disposed parallel to the upper edge of the planar body (E1).
Concerning claim 18, Krohmer discloses the planar body (E1) comprises a plurality of edges defined about a central portion.
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(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krohmer.
Concerning claim 7, Krohmer does not disclose a length of the first elongated opening is double a length of the second elongated opening.
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan at the time of the invention to construct the apparatus of Krohmer such that a length of the first elongated opening is double a length of the second elongated opening as such determination would result during routine engineering practices and experimentation. Further, Applicant has not positively recited any criticality to this exact sizing difference (¶7 of the filed specification). Accordingly, such a shape was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed shape was significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). As applicant has not recited any criticality to this then such a shape is not significant.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
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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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew Katcoff whose telephone number is (571)270-1415. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 8-4, Fri: Flex.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Templeton can be reached at (571) 270-1477. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Matthew Katcoff/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
10/24/2025