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 § 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 1-6 are 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.
In claim 1, the claim is drawn to a flow path member joining structure, but it is not sufficiently clear which elements are part of the claimed joining structure. The preamble of the claim never uses a transitional term such as ‘comprising’ to indicate that the elements in the body of the claim are part of the claimed joining structure. The way that the claim is worded makes it seem as if the “first member” and the “second member” described in the claim could be just elements that function with the “flow path member joining structure” but might not necessarily be part of it. For the purposes of the art rejections in this office action it has been assumed that the first member and the second member in claim 1 are elements of the claimed flow path member joining structure. However, the claim should be amended to make it clear which elements are part of the claimed joining structure and which elements are merely part of elements that function with it.
Claims 2-6 are rejected for depending on Claim 1.
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 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hasegawa et al. (US 2020/0025727).
Regarding claim 1, Hagesawa et al. disclose a flow path member joining structure for enabling a liquid to flow by attaching, to a first member (3,4,5,6,12,13,14,15,16) having a first flow path (in pipe 6 through elements 39 and 10, see Fig. 6), a second member 2 having a second flow path and aligning the first flow path and the second flow path with each other (see Id. and see Fig. 2C, showing flow path of column 2 aligned with flow path of pipe 6), wherein: the first flow path is open toward a first end face of the first member (see Fig. 6, flow path of pipe 6 and element 10 is open toward end face with female taper portion 90), the second flow path is open toward a second end face of the second member (see Fig. 2, seal portion 8 and tapered end face 89), and the second end face is formed as an inclined surface inclined from an opening of the second flow path toward a periphery thereof (Id., end face of column 2 has inclined surface 89; see also par. 0082).
Regarding claim 7, Hasegawa et al. disclose a column 2 that is attached to a column attaching/detaching unit (3,4,5,6,12,13,14,15,16) having a pair of pedestals (3 and 4) facing each other, communication holes respectively open toward the pair of pedestals, and liquid passage flow paths communicating with the respective communication holes (see Fig. 6, showing communication holes at inward faces of element 3 and 4 which communication with flow path passages of pipes 5 and 6), the column comprising: two end faces respectively facing the pair of pedestals (see Fig. 6, ends of column 2 with seal portions 7 and 8 face pedestals 3 and 4); liquid passage holes respectively opened at centers of the two end faces; and a column flow path connecting the liquid passages holes (Id., column 2 has passage holes on either end connected by inner flow passage 33), wherein each of the two end faces is formed as an inclined surface inclined from the corresponding liquid passage hole toward a periphery thereof (Id., inclined surface 89; see also par. 0082).
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) 2-6, 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasegawa et al. (US 2020/0025727).
Regarding claim 2, Hasegawa et al. disclose that the inclined surface is formed in a tapered shape (see Fig. 6, tapered ends 89 of column 2; see par. 0082), but Hasegawa et al. are silent as to the specific taper angle of the tapered shape. Hasegawa et al. do show that the taper angle of the tapered shape of the end face 89 is some obtuse angle with respect to the horizontal (see Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have designed this taper angle to have been any obtuse angle, including angles between 160 degrees and 178 degrees, because any of these angles will result in a part that is shaped and functions in a predictably similar manner by providing an easily connectable male tapered end face that fits securely with good sealing function into a complementary female tapered end face.
Regarding claim 3, Hasegawa et al. disclose that the first member further includes a crimping mechanism (12,13,14,15,16) that joins the first flow path and the second flow path by causing the first end face and the second end face to approach each other (see Figs. 2A-C, showing how mechanism presses end faces of element 3 and 4 against end faces of column 2; see par. 0065).
Regarding claim 4, Hasegawa et al. disclose that the first member is a column attaching/detaching unit in a liquid chromatography apparatus, and the second member is a column 2 detachably attached to the column attaching/detaching unit (see par. 0009 and pars. 0060-0063, describing the elements as a separation column and a column connecting device).
Regarding claim 5, Hasegawa et al. disclose that the column 2 includes second end faces at both ends of the second flow path (see Fig. 6), and the column attaching/detaching unit includes first end faces (at element 3 and 4) corresponding to the second end faces at both ends of the second flow path (Id.).
Regarding claim 6, Hasegawa et al. disclose that an enlarged diameter portion having an inner diameter that gradually increases toward each of the first end faces (see female taper portion 90 in Fig. 6) is formed at each end of the first flow path (Id. and par. 0082).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Hasegawa et al. disclose that the inclined surface is formed in a tapered shape (see Fig. 6, tapered ends 89 of column 2; see par. 0082), but Hasegawa et al. are silent as to the specific taper angle of the tapered shape. Hasegawa et al. do show that the taper angle of the tapered shape of the end face 89 is some obtuse angle with respect to the horizontal (see Fig. 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have designed this taper angle to have been any obtuse angle, including angles between 174 degrees and 178 degrees, because any of these angles will result in a part that is shaped and functions in a predictably similar manner by providing an easily connectable male tapered end face that fits securely with good sealing function into a complementary female tapered end face.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note that Ford et al. (US 2010/0154207) discloses a flow path joining structure with tapered/inclined end surfaces.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL M WEST whose telephone number is (571)272-2139. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5:30 pm (CT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina DeHerrera can be reached at 303-297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL M. WEST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855