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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the locating column being located on the pressing seat (claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Specifically the Figs. only show the locating column being located radially within (i.e. in a hole therein) the pressing seat. Additionally please see the 112(a) rejection below as overcoming such should obviate this objection.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “an outer wall” should read “the outer wall” as it has already been recited in claim 1, on which this claim relies. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a front end” should read “the front end” as it has already been recited in claim 1, on which this claim relies. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a locating column (5) is located on the pressing seat (6)” in lines 6-7. This limitation fails to meet the written description requirement as the specification, though having literal antecedent basis for this limitation, makes clear that the locating column it located within (i.e. radially within/running through a hole therein) the pressing seat and is not on the pressing seat (see the Figs. and their accompanying description, claim 8, etc.). Appropriate correction is required. Examiner recommends claiming “a locating column (5) is located radially within the pressing seat (6)”.
Claims 2-11 fail to meet the written description requirement at least by virtue of depending on claim 1.
Examiner’s Comments/Recommendations
Examiner notes that though no claims are presently rejected over prior art this is primarily due to the limitations in claim 1 related to the above 112(a) rejection. As such limitations are technically possible (e.g. it could physically have the claimed structure but could not perform as disclosed in the specification) they cannot be interpreted in any other way than what is recited in the claims and the prior art fails to disclose any expansion bolt with a locating column being located on the pressing seat (in combination with the other limitations of claim 1).
Examiner notes that upon correcting the above 112(a) rejection of claim 1 rejections based on references such as Huang (US 2005/0196249), Bowers (US 5,531,551), Ferrari et al. (US 6,200,081), etc. would be presented as such appear to anticipate and/or make obvious the present limitations (if the 112(a) is corrected in the manner as recommended by Examiner).
In the interest of compact prosecution, Examiner recommends claiming additional structure in claim 1. It is believed that incorporating claim 2 into claim 1 (and upon overcoming the 112(a) rejection) such a claim would be allowable. Additionally and/or alternatively it may be possible to arrive at an allowable claim by claiming the tail is a truncated cone shape, the locating ring is annular and monolithic with the tail, that the locating column is located radially within in an expansion sliding hole that is in the pressing seal and the main body, and the locating column as a truncated cone-shaped expansion head for radially expanding the front end of the expansion body main body if such is all claimed with sufficient specificity. Though additional search and/or consideration would be required to ascertain such.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provide examples of expansion bolts with substantially the same or similar claimed structure (see Huang (US 2005/0196249), Bowers (US 5,531,551), Ferrari et al. (US 6,200,081), etc.). Additionally other references such as Demmeler (US 2014/0056668) and Bulow (US 9,115,744) teach other small features such as rubber rings (O-rings) on the outside of expansion bolts.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L FOSTER whose telephone number is (571)270-5354. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at (571) 272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS L FOSTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675