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 opening of the grip” in line 19 should be corrected as --[[the]]an opening of the grip--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the expansion claw” in line 7 should be corrected as --the expansion claws--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 5 and 9 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.
Claim 5:
Claim 5 recites “the first bracket” in line 3. However, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is noted that claim 4 recites “a first bracket”. For examination purposes, claim 5 is interpreted to be dependent upon claim 4.
Claim 5 recites “the slider” in line 4. However, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is noted that claim 5 recites “a slide block” in line 2. It is not clear whether “the slider” refers to “a slide block” or if they are separate and distinct from each other. For examination purposes, upon reviewing the originally filed specification and drawings, both “the slider” in line 4 are interpreted as --the [[slider]]slide block--.
Claim 5 recites “when it reaches the predetermined position” in lines 5-6. However, the term, “it” renders the scope of the claim indefinite. For examination purposes, upon reviewing the rest of the claim, “when it reaches the predetermined position” is interpreted as --when [[it]]the slide block reaches the predetermined position--.
Claim 9:
Claim 9 recites “the second driving device” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, “the second driving device” is interpreted as --[[the]]a second driving device--.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, and 10 are allowable.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The subject matter of the independent claim(s) could either not be found or was not suggested in the prior art of record. The subject matter of independent claim 1 not found was a use of the second moving platform being configured to move along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the grip expansion mechanism being configured to move in the transverse direction; in combination with the limitations set forth in claim 1 of the instant invention.
None of the prior arts of record considered as a whole, alone or in combination, teaches or renders obvious the allowable subject matter of the instant invention.
The closest prior art, Hsu (4,899,428) teaches a similar semi-automatic grip assembly device (figs1,4), comprising: a machine platform 41 (col.2 line26); a first clamping mechanism 43 (col.2 line28) fixed at a first end of the machine platform 41 (fig1), wherein the first clamping mechanism 43 clamps both sides of a club head (fig2, col.2 lines35-36) of a golf club (col.2 lines35-36) to fix the club head in a predetermined position (fig2); a second clamping mechanism 42 (col.2 lines28-33) fixed in a middle of the machine platform 41 (fig1), wherein the second clamping mechanism 41 is spaced a predetermined distance from the first clamping mechanism 43 (fig1), and fixedly clamps a shaft of the golf club (fig2, col.2 lines28-33); a first moving platform 36 (col.2 lines44-45, figs1,4) fixed at a second end of the machine platform 41 opposite to the first end (figs1,4), wherein a third clamping mechanism 32 (col.2 line48) is provided on the first moving platform 36, and the third clamping mechanism 32 is configured to clamp a grip of the golf club (col.2 lines48-50) therein and be able to move back and forth in a longitudinal direction of the shaft with the first moving platform 36 (figs1,4, along a track 38); and a second moving platform 37 (col.2 line46) arranged on the first moving platform 36 (fig4), wherein the second moving platform 36 is configured to move on the first moving platform 36 along the longitudinal direction (col.2 lines46-47); wherein, a grip expansion mechanism 31 (col.2 lines57-61) is also provided on the second moving platform 37, the grip expansion mechanism 31 moves in the longitudinal direction with the second moving platform 37 to insert into an opening of the grip and expand the opening (col.2 lines57-61).
Although the prior art of record teaches a similar Hsu, there is no teaching in the prior art of record that would, reasonably and absent impermissible hindsight, motivate one having ordinary skill in the art to modify Hsu to use the second moving platform being configured to move along the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the grip expansion mechanism being configured to move in the transverse direction; in combination with the limitations set forth in claim 1 of the instant invention. Thus, for at least the foregoing reasons, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor rendered obvious the present invention as set forth in the independent claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. D’Aguanno (US 6,854,170 B1), Weiss et al (US 6,336,263 B1), D’Aguanno (US 6,250,168 B1), Karner et al (5,870,815), Chu (5,839,181), Machado et al (4,901,418), Decato et al (4,763,394), and Holtzman (US 2012/0266427 A1) teach similar semi-automatic grip assembly devices. However, none of the prior arts of record considered as a whole, alone or in combination, teaches or renders obvious the allowable subject matter of the instant invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Seahee Hong whose telephone number is (571)270-5778. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8am-4pm ET.
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/SEAHEE HONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723