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
This action is in response to amendment filed June 17, 2026. Claims 1-10 are pending in the application. The amendment to the claims has overcome the prior claim objections. The amendment to the claims has overcome the prior 112(b) rejections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-10 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 defines the “unthreaded section” of the outer sleeve as “farther from the opening than the urging portion;” however, the opening is a limitation of the collet and not the outer sleeve and the claim does not specify (for this limitation) an orientation of the collet and outer sleeve in relation to each other, rendering the claim indefinite.
Claims 2-10 are rendered indefinite based on their dependence from claim 1.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christensen US 10513147 B1 in view of Minton US 4562329 A.
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Christensen Figure 4
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Christensen Figure 5
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Christensen Figure 7, (annotated herein Annotated Figure 1)
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Christensen Figure 7, annotated (herein Annotated Figure 2)
Regarding claim 1, Christensen teaches a fastener removal tool (Abstract) including: a collet (40) including an outer inclined surface (48), a first threaded section (58), a first end portion (46) of the collet (40) including an opening (50) and an outer sleeve (70) including a through hole (74) and an urging portion (See Annotated Figure 1), the urging portion (See Annotated Figure 1) being located in the through hole (74), the urging portion (See Annotated Figure 1) including a second threaded section (84), the second threaded section (84) being located in the through hole (74), the second threaded section (84) being selectively screwed to the first threaded section (58), the collet (40) being disposed through the through hole (70); wherein when the second threaded section (84) is screwed to the first threaded section (58) and the outer sleeve (70) and the collet (40) are relatively rotated, the outer inclined surface (48) is urged and the first end portion (46) of the collet (40) is radially contracted (col 2, ln 19-20); wherein the outer sleeve (70) defines an axial direction (see Axial Axis, Annotated Figure 2), the outer sleeve (70) includes an unthreaded section (See Annotated Figure 1) that is adjacent to the urging portion (See Annotated Figure 1), and the unthreaded section (See Annotated Figure 1) is located in the through hole (74), wherein a second extension length of the second threaded section (84) is smaller than a first extension length of the first threaded section (58). Christensen does not teach the first threaded section on an outer inclined surface of the collet or that the unthreaded section is farther from the opening than the urging portion along the axial direction.
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Minton Figure 3 However, in a related device, Minton teaches a collet (10) comprising an outer inclined surface (16) including a first threaded section (22) and an outer sleeve (24) where the entire interior of the outer sleeve (24) defines an urging portion with a second threaded section (interior threads of element 24), wherein a second extension length of the second threaded section (interior threads of element 24) is smaller than a first extension length of the first threaded section (22). Minton further teaches that this configuration advantageously allows to tool to interface with a narrow opening in a footpiece for supporting the tool to which it is attached (col 6, ln 25-29). It would have been obvious to a person reasonably skilled in the art, before the filing date of the application, to modify the fastener extractor of Christensen to have an urging portion at the opposite end of the through hole from its original position as taught by Minton and to modify the collet of Christensen to have the associated second threaded section and first threaded section on the outer inclined surface in order to advantageously allow the tool to access fasteners within narrow openings like the footpiece in Minton (col 6, ln 25-29). This configuration would additionally have an unthreaded section adjacent to the urging portion and located in the through hole and further from the opening than the urging portion in an axial direction. Furthermore, all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions such that the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Regarding claim 2, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the first end portion (46 of Christensen) further includes a flange (52 of Christensen) extending radially inward.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the outer inclined surface is a conical surface (16 of Minton) tapered in a direction away from the opening (12 of Minton). Regarding claim 4, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the collet (40 of Christensen) further includes an axial hole (44 of Christensen), the first end portion (46 of Christensen) further includes a plurality of slits (54 of Christensen) arranged in intervals, and the axial hole (44 of Christensen) is in communication with the opening (50 of Christensen).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches a second end portion (56 of Christensen) of the collet (40 of Christensen) includes a perforation (62 of Christensen) disposed therethrough. Regarding claim 6, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the collet (40 of Christensen) includes an axial hole (44 of Christensen), the axial hole in communication with the perforation (62 of Christensen).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the collet (40 of Christensen) further includes an inner thread section (60 of Christensen) located in the axial hole (44 of Christensen).
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christensen US 10513147 B1 in view of Minton US 4562329 A as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Spaulding US 1268171 A.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the outer sleeve (70 of Christensen) defines an axial axis (See Annotated Figure 2) the second threaded section (84 of Christensen) includes a plurality of crests (See Annotated Figure 2), the plurality of crests (See Annotated Figure 2) extend around the axial axis (See Annotated Figure 2),
The combination of Christensen and Minton as combined in claim 1 does not teach a reference line extending through the apexes of at least two of the crests which is parallel to the axial axis.
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Spaulding Figure 2, annotated
However in a related device, Spaulding teaches a collet (1) with an outer sleeve (8) where the collet has a outer inclined surface (5) and a first threaded section (4) and the outer inclined surface (5) includes the first threaded section (4), wherein the outer sleeve comprises a second threaded section (9) which includes a plurality of crests (the individual threads of element 9) and a reference line (See Annotated Figure), the reference line (See Annotated Figure) extends through apexes (See Annotated Figure) of at least two the plurality of crests (See Annotated Figure), and the reference line (See Annotated Figure) is parallel to a axial axis (See Annotated Figure). Spaulding further teaches that this configuration advantageously grips dental tools in a manner so that they are secure, but not so rigidly held that they will break off when used (col 1, ln 28-32). It would have been obvious to a person reasonably skilled in the art, before the filing date of the application, to modify the threaded sections of the combination of Christensen and Minton to have the profiles of the threaded sections of Spaulding to advantageously allow for the tool to spin rather than break off fasteners if they are stuck, like the dental tools of Spaulding (col 1m ln 28-32). Furthermore, all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions such that the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Christensen, Minton, and Spaulding teaches the through hole (70 of Christensen) includes a first section (24 of Minton) and a second section (Unthreaded portion and 84 of Christensen, See Annotated Figure 2), the first section (24 of Minton) is disposed on an end portion (80 of Christensen) of the outer sleeve (70 of Christensen), the second section (Unthreaded portion and 84 of Christensen, See Annotated Figure 2) is next to the first section (24 of Minton), the first section (24 of Minton) includes the second threaded section (9 of Spaulding), and the first section (24 of Minton) has a first inner diametric dimension (diameter at any of the thread crests of Spaulding) smaller than a second inner diametric dimension (diameter of unthreaded section) of the second section (Unthreaded portion and 84 of Christensen, See Annotated Figure 2).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christensen US 10513147 B1 in view of Minton US 4562329 A as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Huang TW I904426 B.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Christensen and Minton teaches the first end portion (46 of Christensen) further includes a flange (52 of Christensen) extending radially inward; the outer sleeve (70 of Christensen) further includes a knob (82 of Christensen); the first end portion (46 of Christensen) further includes a plurality of slits (54 of Christensen) arranged in intervals, and the axial hole (44 of Christensen) is in communication with the opening (50 of Christensen).
The combination of Christensen and Minton as combined in claim 1 does not teach the three sections of the outer sleeve or the reference line parallel to the axial axis as claimed.
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Huang Figure 3
However, in a related tool, Huang does teach an outer sleeve (26) wherein the outer sleeve (26) defines an axial axis (A) and a reference line (B), a second threaded section (22) includes a plurality of crests (221), the plurality of crests (221) extend around the axial axis (A), the reference line (B) extends through apexes of at least two the plurality of crests (221), and the reference line (B) is parallel to the axial axis (A); the through hole (21) includes a first section (211) and a second section (212), the first section (211) is disposed on an end portion of the outer sleeve (26), the second section (212) is next to the first section (211), the first section (211) includes the second threaded section (22), and the first section (211) has a first inner diametric dimension smaller than a second inner diametric dimension of the second section (212); the through hole (21) further includes a third section (213), the third section (213) has a third inner diametric dimension smaller than the first inner diametric of the first section (211) and the second inner diametric dimension of the second section (212), the second section (212) is located between the first section (211) and the third section (213), a collet (10) further includes a middle section (102), the middle section (102) is located between a first end portion (13) and a second end portion (18), the middle section (102) is inserted in the third section (213), and the third inner diametric dimension of the third section (213) is larger than an outer diametric dimension of the middle section (102); the outer sleeve (26) further includes a shoulder (25) located in the through hole (21), and the shoulder (25) is located between the second section (212) and the third section (213); the second threaded section (22) has a first axial dimension (A1) smaller than a second axial dimension (A2) of the second section (212). Huang further teaches that this system advantageously allows a user to remove fasteners such as locked lugnuts (English translation, abstract; English translation, pg. 1, ln 15-17). A person skilled in the art would have been able to, before the filing date of the application, apply the configuration of Huang to the combination of Christensen and Minton to advantageously allow a user to remove fasteners such as locked lugnuts (English translation, abstract; English translation, pg. 1, ln 15-17). Furthermore, all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions such that the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/17/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has argued:
Christensen and Blake individually fail to teach an outer inclined surface including a first threaded section.
Minton individually fails to teach "the outer sleeve defines an axial direction, the outer sleeve includes an unthreaded section that is adjacent to the urging portion, and the unthreaded section is located farther from the opening than the urging portion along the axial direction" and "a second extension length of the second threaded section is smaller than a first extension length of the first threaded section."
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). The combination of Christensen and Minton does teach an outer inclined surface including a first threaded section as provided in the rejection of claim 1 above, and the combination of Christensen and Minton does teach "the outer sleeve defines an axial direction, the outer sleeve includes an unthreaded section that is adjacent to the urging portion, and the unthreaded section is located farther from the opening than the urging portion along the axial direction" and "a second extension length of the second threaded section is smaller than a first extension length of the first threaded section" as provided in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kozak et al. US 20100064863 A1 as related to collets with threads on angled surfaces is made of record.
Blake US 2374725 A as related to outer sleeves with varied inner diametric dimensions is made of record.
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 GRANT D HAY whose telephone number is (571)272-9510. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30am-3:30pm EST.
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/G.D.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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