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) 1-11 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2014/0041187 to Norton (hereinafter “Norton”).
-From Claim 1: Norton discloses:
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Reproduced from Norton (Examiner Annotated)
a connection device 10 comprising:
an active connecting part 30 comprising
a contact surface (shown above) and a coupling element 40, 38, 34 projecting from the contact surface (at least 40 and 38 project from contact surface),
wherein the coupling element can be displaced relative to the contact surface between an extended release position (Fig. 5b) and a retracted connection position (Fig. 5f) by means of an actuating mechanism 44 in a connection direction (shown above) extending substantially orthogonally to the contact surface;
a passive connecting part 12 comprising
a mating contact surface (shown above) intended to cooperate with the contact surface,
wherein the mating contact surface comprises a lateral recess 16 configured to receive the coupling element when the passive connecting part and the active connecting part approach each other in an approach direction (shown above) which is substantially orthogonal to the connection direction;
wherein at least one male connecting element 46 is provided on one of the active connecting part or the passive connecting part, and at least one associated female connecting element 22 is provided on the other of the active connecting part or the passive connecting part;
wherein the at least one male connecting element and the at least one associated female connecting element are arranged in such a way that they can be coupled to one another in a media-conducting manner in the approach direction when the active connecting part and the passive connecting part approach each other (¶22);
wherein at least one of the active connecting part or the passive connecting part comprises a base element 14 and a holder 20 arranged on the base element so as to be displaceable in the connection direction; and
wherein the at least one male connecting element or the at least one associated female connecting element is attached to the holder.
-From Claim 2: Norton discloses wherein the actuating mechanism 44 is a manually operable actuating mechanism.
-From Claim 3: Norton discloses wherein the coupling element is biased into the release position by means of a spring unit.
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Reproduced from Norton (Examiner Annotated)
-From Claim 4: Norton discloses wherein at least one guide pin 46 is provided on the active connecting part or the passive connecting part, and at least one associated guide hole 22 is provided on the other of the passive connecting part or the active connecting part, wherein the at least one guide pin projects further from the one connecting part than the longest male connecting element.
-From Claim 5: Norton discloses wherein the at least one male connecting element 46 and the at least one female connecting element 22 are non-fluidically conductive; and wherein coupling the at least one male connecting element and the at least one associated female connecting element forms a non-fluidic media line.
-From Claim 6: Norton discloses wherein the non-fluidic media line comprises a power supply line (¶2).
-From Claim 7: Norton discloses wherein the non-fluidic media line comprises a signal transmission line (¶2).
-From Claim 8: Norton discloses wherein the at least one male connecting element and the at least one female connecting element are fluid conducting; and wherein coupling the at least one male connecting element and the at least one associated female connecting element forms a fluidic media line (¶2).
-From Claim 9: Norton discloses wherein the fluidic media line comprises a compressed-air line (¶2).
-From Claim 10: Norton discloses wherein the fluidic media line comprises a vacuum line (¶2).
-From Claim 11: Norton discloses wherein the fluidic media line comprises a hydraulic line (¶2).
-From Claim 13: Norton discloses wherein the at least one male connecting element and the at least one associated female connecting element are part of a commercially available industrial male connector, one half of which is integrated into the active connecting part and the other half of which is integrated into the passive connecting part.
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) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Norton in view of US 3625548 to Boehm (hereinafter “Boehm”).
-From Claim 12: Boehm teaches a connection device wherein at least one female connecting element comprises a sealing ring 42.
Boehm further teaches that such seals are “important in preventing accumulation of foreign material” (Col. 2, ll.4-13)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Norton by adding sealing rings as taught by Boehm in order to prevent the accumulation of foreign material within the connection device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues:
The utility couplings 20 are designed to pass fluids such as pneumatic or hydraulic fluids.
…
Such features do not teach a holder as would ordinarily be understood in the art and as shown in Applicant’s figure and described in Applicant’s specification.
…
Moreover, the Office Action has not established that the utility couplings 20 are arranged on the base element ‘so as to be displaceable in the connection direction.”
Examiner disagrees. As Examiner points out in the drawings above, the connection direction is essentially along the line extending between the two parts, 12 and 30. The limitation in question only requires that element 20 be displaceable along that line. And it is displaceable along that line, at least because the entire component 12, to which elements 20 and 14 are attached, can be moved back and forth along that line. The fact that elements 20 and 12 might not be able to move with respect to element 12 along that line does not prevent them from being displaceable along that line by virtue of the fact that they are attached to a thing that can move along that line. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 12 appear to stand or fall with the above argument, and so because Examiner does not find this position persuasive as to claim 1, examiner is similarly unpersuaded as to claim 12.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 DANIEL J WILEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7324. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm PST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Anderson can be reached at 5712705281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL J WILEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678 4/8/2026
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