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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karau et al. (US2020/0182473).
For claim 1, Karau et al. discloses a masonry block (fig. 3, 100a), comprising: a front face; a rear face disposed opposite the front face; a first side face disposed between the front face and the rear face; a second side face disposed between the front face and the rear face and opposite the first side face; a top face disposed adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face; a bottom face disposed opposite to the top face and adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face; and wherein the top face includes a slot (122) extending from the first side face to a point between the first side face and the second side face, the slot extending along the first side face and including a first sub slot (123) extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face.
For claim 2, Karau et al. further comprising one or more pin-receiving apertures [0037].
For claim 3, Karau et al. discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot [0037].
For claim 4, Karau et al. discloses a second sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face (fig. 3, 100a).
For claim 5, Karau et al. discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot, one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the second sub slot [0037].
For claim 6, Karau et al. discloses a second sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face and parallel to the first sub slot.
For claim 7, Karau et al. discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot, one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the second sub slot.
For claim 8, Karau et al. discloses a core (116a) disposed in the masonry block.
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) 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karau et al. (US2020/0182473) in view of MacDonald (US Patent No. 6,149,352).
For claim 9, Karau et al. discloses a wall, comprising: a first masonry block (fig. 3, 100a) having a front face, a rear face disposed opposite the front face, a first side face disposed between the front face and the rear face, a second side face disposed between the front face and the rear face and opposite the first side face, a top face disposed adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face, a bottom face disposed opposite to the top face and adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face and wherein the top face includes a slot extending from the first side face to a point between the first side face and the second side face, the slot extending between the top face and the bottom face including a first sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face; a second masonry block disposed on top of the first masonry block and having a core (see rejection of claim 1).
Karau et al. does not explicitly disclose a pin disposed in the slot and extending into the core.
MacDonald discloses a wall (fig. 5A-B) comprising a first masonry block (74) having a top face that has slot and a second masonry block (75) disposed on top of the first masonry block and having a core, and a pin (80) disposed in the slot and extending into the core.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to dispose a pin in the slot of Karau et al. as made obvious by MacDonald to provide a vertical alignment means and increase the rigidity of the wall.
For claim 10, the combination further comprising one or more pin-receiving apertures in the first masonry block (Karau et al. [0037]).
For claim 11, the combination discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot (Karau et al. [0037]).
For claim 12, the combination discloses a second sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face (Karau et al. fig. 3, 100a).
For claim 13, Karau et al. discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot, one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the second sub slot (Karau et al. [0037]).
For claim 14, the combination discloses a second sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face and parallel to the first sub slot (Karau et al. [0037]).
For claim 15, the combination discloses one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the slot, one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the first sub slot and one or more pin-receiving apertures disposed in the second sub slot (Karau et al. [0037]).
For claim 16, the combination discloses a core (Karau et al. 116a) disposed in the first masonry block.
For claim 17, Karau et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a wall (figs. 1-2), comprising: providing a first block having a front face (fig. 3, 100a), a rear face disposed opposite the front face, a first side face having a length disposed between the front face and the rear face, a second side face disposed between the front face and the rear face and opposite the first side face, a top face disposed adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face, a bottom face disposed opposite to the top face and adjacent to the front face, the rear face, the first side face and the second side face and wherein the top face includes a slot (122) extending from the first side face to a point between the first side face and the second side face, the slot extending along the length of the first side face and including a first sub slot extending orthogonal to the slot in the top face.
Karau et al. does not disclose placing a pin in the first block and aligning a core of a second block over the pin.
MacDonald discloses a wall (fig. 5A-B) comprising a first masonry block (74) having a top face that has slot and a second masonry block (75) disposed on top of the first masonry block and having a core, and placing a pin (80) in the first block and aligning a core of a second block over the pin.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to place a pin in the first block of Karau et al. and align a core of a second block over the pin as made obvious by MacDonald to provide a vertical alignment means and increase the rigidity of the wall.
For claim 18, the combination discloses that the pin is placed in pin-receiving aperture.
For claim 19, the combination discloses that the pin will be placed in a pin-receiving aperture disposed in the slot (Karau et al. [0037]).
Response to Arguments
In response to the arguments that the block of Karau et al. does not disclose a slot extending along the first side face, the examiner argues that block (fig. 3, 106a) has a slot 122 that extends along first side face 110. The slot does not completely extend through the first side face, but it definitely does extend partially along the first side face 110.
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.
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/JOSHUA K IHEZIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633