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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim is in not one sentence, there is a period after the first clause.
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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 1 contains the trademark/trade name “USB TYPE C”. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe a charging socket and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claim 1 is 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 recites “a deep groove ball bearing” three times and it is unclear whether these are three separate and distinct bearings, or the same bearing recited several times, and thus leads to confusion as to the intended scope of the claimed limitation.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the lower end of said fixed housing" in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitations "the outer sleeve" in lines 9-10; and, “the outside sleeve” in line 22. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the outer round surface of the nut" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the lower part of the light bulb screwing head connector” in lines 10-11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the lower periphery of the light bulb screwing head connector" in lines 11-12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the outer ring of the deep groove ball bearing" in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the integrated fixed base" in lines 15-16. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation " the surface of the fixed housing" in lines 17-18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation " the end of the casing of the motor" in line 27. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1, as well as understood, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10,332,737 B2 to (Groves et al.) in view of US 7,131,352 B1 to (Saunders) and US 7,743,683 B2 to (Dayton et al.).
(Groves et al.) provides a device for installing and removing lightbulbs having a removable gripping element including fingers configured for gripping a lightbulb, a telescopic cylinder 110 coupled to the gripping element 102, wherein the telescopic cylinder 110 is adjustable to different lengths, and a base housing 120, comprising: an electric motor (510; Figs. 5-9) located within the housing 120, a battery (502; Figs. 5-7), a coupler (550; Figs. 5-13) for coupling the motor 510 to the telescopic cylinder 110, the coupler 550 comprising a tubular element 850, wherein the rotating shaft of the electric motor is inserted into an orifice in the first end, and wherein the second end is inserted into the proximal end of the telescopic cylinder 110, a cylindrical element 830 that surrounds at least a portion of the tubular element 850, and at least one flange 1102 that connects the cylindrical element 830 to the tubular element 850. The base housing also includes a switch 130 on an exterior surface, the switch 130 for activating power to the electric motor 510, wherein upon activation of power to the electric motor, the electric motor rotates the shaft 810, resulting in rotation of the coupler 550, the telescopic cylinder 110 and the gripping element 102, thereby rotating a lightbulb to which the gripping element 102 is attached.
Although utilizing slightly different terminology, (Groves et al.) provides an electric light bulb replacement device according to claim 1, as well as understood, except for the provision of a protection shell or explicitly providing “a deep groove ball bearing”, a “control board”, a “lithium battery”, a USB TYPE C charging socket.
(Saunders) provides a protection shell (a catcher 31) for a light bulb replacement device. The catcher 31 may be a net suspended on a frame 27 in the shape of a funnel. The net may be made from any number of materials, such as mesh, net, fabric, and the like. Preferably, the material should be transparent, translucent or see-through in order to allow the user to see the light bulb that they are working to replace or remove (Col. 5, lines 56-60). A proximal end 30 of the catcher 31 may be attached to a connector 33. This connector 33 may be designed to be bolted around the end of the pole 21 affixing the catcher 31 to the pole 21. The attachment of the catcher 31 to the pole 21 may be completed by many different means. The catcher 31 may be bolted directly to the pole 21. The catcher 31 may be designed and manufactured as an integral part of the pole 21. The catcher 31 may slide firmly onto the end of the pole 21 attaching through an interference fit, or the catcher 31 may be attached to the pole 21 through any number of connectors 33 or clamps. The catcher 31 may even be slideably connected to the pole 21. The catcher 31 may also be rotatably connected to the pole 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotatable connection 35 may contain bearings or may act as a bushing. This rotatable connection 35 allows the attachment mechanism 25 and work product end 23 of the pole 21 to rotate independently of the catcher 31. (Col. 6, lines 65-67 and Col. 7, lines 1-15).
Therefore, (Saunders) teaches providing a round shape protection shell (catcher 31) made of transparent material that may be attached to a housing of a light bulb changer, where the protection shell may be attached through any number of connectors 33 or clamps, may be slidably or rotatably connected, where the rotatable connection may contain bearings.
(Dayton et al.) provide a multi-functional power tool system operable at a distance from a user, comprising an interchangeable functional module and a power base 160 for mounting various functional modules, wherein the power base comprises a power head, pole, and control module (700; Fig. 7) or handle.
The power base may provide power, handing, and user controls features to a powered tool consisting of the power base and a module that is attached to the power base. When a module is attached to the power base, the power base may provide electrical and/or mechanical power to the module (Col. 23, lines 16-26). The tool may enable use of a single base piece that may provide power, handling, and the like, to which modules with different functions may be attached. (Dayton et al.) provide that among the variety of modules with different functions is a light bulb changer with rotary head 1342 (Figs. 22A-27, 53 and 54), or a light bulb changing tool 2500.
The light bulb changing tool 2500 includes a gripper 2502, a gripping side 2504 of the gripper 2502, fingers 2510 of the gripper 2502, and a polymer 2514 disposed on the gripping side 2504. The light bulb changing tool 2500 may be a functional module that can grab a variety of light bulbs. Applications of the light bulb changing tool 2500 may include grabbing a light bulb, twisting the light bulb to install and/or remove the light bulb from a socket, and releasing the light bulb. This
twisting may result from a torque that is applied to or generated by the light bulb changing tool 2500 (Col. 53, lines 12-23). The light bulb changing tool 2500 may include an attaching side 2508 of the gripper 2502, the fingers 2510, and an attachment point 2512 disposed on the attaching side 2508. The attachment point 2512 may be a facility that is adapted to attach to a gear head. In embodiments, the attachment point 2512 may include at least one of a shank, a threaded connector, a clasp, a magnet, a pin, or the like. The attachment point 2512 may be complementary to or compatible with the connection point 608. For example, and without limitation, the attachment point 2512 may include a male component and the connection point 608 may include a matching female component. It will be understood that various embodiments of the attachment point 2512 are possible (Col. 53, line 66- Col. 54, line 16). The connection point 608 may be a quick-release connection point that is an element of the power head 404. For example, and without limitation, the connection point 608 that includes a detent released by a spring latch actuated by a button integral to the power head 404 may be a quick-release connection point. Generally, any and all embodiments of the connection point 608 may be the quick-release connection point. It will be understood that various embodiments of a quick-release connection point as part of a power head are possible (Col. 57, lines 45-55).
The power base 160 of (Dayton et al.) may provide power, handing, and user controls features to a powered tool consisting of the power base and a module that is attached to the power base. When a module is attached to the power base, the power base may provide electrical and/or mechanical power to the module. The power may move and/or light an aspect of the module in a way that is useful in applications. For example, the motion may rotate an element that clears a gutter; grip, twist, and/or release a light bulb; rotate a cleaning head that cleans all or part of a vehicle; and so on (Col. 23, lines 16-29).
“Referring to FIG. 7, an enlarged view of the control module 700 is depicted. The control module 700 may have a handle 702. The handle 702 may have a high friction hand grip surface. The control module 700 may house a removable rechargeable battery 704 attachable to the control module 700 through a battery connection base 708. The battery 704 may be removable with a latch 710 for recharging. In other embodiments, the control module 700 may comprise any energy storage facility, such as a gasoline or biofuel tank, a solar panel, a power cord, and the like. In an embodiment, the control module 700 may comprise control switches 712 for Power ON/OFF of the power head motor. In an embodiment, the control module 700 may comprise a toggle switch 714 to control analog modulation of the link to the module. In an embodiment, the control module 700 may comprise an on/off actuation switch 718 to control digital functions in a module. In an embodiment, the control module 700 may comprise an I/O connector 720 to facilitate computer programming of onboard power base or module functions.” (Col. 34, lines 43-61).
Therefore, (Dayton et al.) teach providing an electric light bulb replacement device having, inter alia, a light bulb screwing head connector, a motor a battery, a control board, a forward and reverse switch, & etc.; and that the lower part of the light bulb screwing head connector may interconnect with an outer sleeve of the drive head axially via a quick-release connection point.
The examiner notes that rechargeable lithium batteries were well known at the time of the effective filing date of the invention. Likewise, USB TYPE C charging sockets for such batteries were well known at the time of the effective filing date of the invention. To utilize these changes in technology post (Groves et al.) and (Dayton et al.) would have been an obvious implementation of new technology in place of older technology that performs similar to the function as the older technology.
Therefore, in view of the teachings of (Groves et al.), (Saunders) and (Dayton et al.), it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to have constructed an electric light bulb replacement device with a protection shell like the device of claim 1, as well as understood.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9,627,191 B2 to (Johnson et al.) provides a multi-tool for selectively tightening and loosening a light bulb. The tool comprises a head unit configured to be coupled to a pole comprises a grasping mechanism a control switch and a rotation mechanism, wherein the rotation mechanism detects when a light bulb is fully screwed in and automatically stops rotating and releases the bulb from the grasping unit. US 6,739,219 B1 to (Cuevas) provides a damaged light bulb base extractor with a transparent debris shield 64. US 5,692,417 A to (Irpino) provides an apparatus for extending the reach of an operator having at least a handle with at least one switch to indicate on/off and forward/reverse, a head having a bi-directional motor, a shaft allowing electrical connection between the handle switch and the head motor, wherein the head is adapted to be fully and flexibly pivotable and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. According to the preferred embodiment, the invention further has an assembly removably attached to the head in electrical connection to the handle switch and adapted to rotate by the motor. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shaft is longitudinally extendible and the motor is powered by one or more batteries which may be rechargeable and adapted to fit in the handle. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly is adapted to grip a light bulb for insertion and/or removal from a socket.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David B. Thomas whose telephone number is (571) 272-4497. The examiner’s e-mail address is: dave.thomas@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 11:30-7:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Posigian can be reached on (313) 446-6546. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/David B. Thomas/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/DBT/