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 .
Status of Claims
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 07/17/2026. As directed by the amendment: claims 1, 2, 4, 7, 9-11, 15, 17 and 20 have been amended, no claims have been cancelled and no new claims have been added. Thus, claims 1-20 are presently pending in this application, and currently examined in the Office Action.
Examiner’s Notes
It is to be noted that in device/apparatus claims only the claimed structure of the final device bears patentable weight, and intended use/functional language is considered to the extent that it further defines the claimed structure of the final device (see MPEP 2114).
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant(s). Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant(s) fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schimmels et al. (US PG Pub. 2012/0203359), hereinafter Schimmels.
Regarding claim 20, Schimmels disclose an asymmetric device, illustrated in Figures 4-9, comprising a casing (32c); a unidirectional locking system (F/F’); a slider (32a) slidably inserted into the casing (32c); a priming system (50) configured to switch between a first state of the asymmetric device and a second state of the asymmetric device and vice-versa; wherein the slider (3a) is configured to slide inside the casing (32c), wherein, in the first state, illustrated in Figures 4-7, the unidirectional locking system (F/F’) is disabled and is abutted towards a front/top side of the casing (32c) and the slider is free to slide in a first direction into the casing and in a reverse direction into the casing, wherein, in the second state, illustrated in Figure 8, the unidirectional locking system (F/F’) is primed, the slider (32a) is free to slide in the first direction into the casing (32c) and the movement of the slider (32a) in the reverse direction into the casing is prevented ([0029] – [0032] – to clarify, in the first state, as illustrated in Figures 4-7, the unidirectional locking system F/F’ is disabled/disengaged and the slider can slide in the first direction, i.e. toward spring 32b, and in the reverse direction, i.e. away from spring 32b, the direction depending on the location of portion 3a; and in the second state, as illustrated in Figure 8, the unidirectional locking system F/F’ is primed/engaged, by pin 50 contacting the unidirectional locking system, and the unidirectional locking system F/F’ contacts the slider 32a, allowing it to move in the first direction, i.e. toward spring 32b, but movement of the slider 32a in the reverse direction, i.e. away from spring 32b, is prevented since the unidirectional locking system F/F’ is preventing this movement/holding the slider down).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-19 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 20 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the current rejection presently used in the Office Action. Specifically, in response to Applicant’s amendment, Examiner now interprets the device of Schimmels differently, specifically, interpreting the unidirectional locking system as release mechanism (F/F’) of the device of Schimmels and the priming system as pin (50) of the device of Schimmels; and therefore Applicant’s arguments no longer apply to the current rejection.
Conclusion
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 DINAH BARIA whose telephone number is (571)270-1973. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerrah Edwards can be reached at 408-918-7557. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DINAH BARIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3774
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