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 § 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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-11are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (7,111,527) in view of Hu (7,032,478).
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Lee meets all of the limitations of claim 1, i.e., a ratchet wrench 2, 10, Fig. 1 partially shown here comprising:
a body 10,11 having a ratchet hole 12 extending along a rotating axis dashed line, Fig. 1;
a ratchet wheel 30 rotatably mounted in the ratchet hole 12, wherein the ratchet wheel has a driving hole 37, Fig. 3, a containing hole 33,
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wherein the driving hole 12 extends along the rotating axis Fig. 3, wherein the containing hole 33 extends along a radial direction of the rotating axis Fig. 3 to communicate the driving hole 37, Fig. 3 and an outer periphery of the ratchet wheel Fig. 1, and
a clamping assembly 35, 34 including an engaging member 34 and a resilient ring 35, wherein the engaging member is arranged in the containing hole 33, Fig. 3 to selectively enter or exit the driving hole 37, 02:55-60, and wherein the resilient ring 35 surrounds around the outer periphery of the ratchet wheel 30 and abuts against the engaging member 34, Fig. 3, except for the ratchet wheel to include a toggle portion and wherein the toggle portion is disposed around the outer periphery of the ratchet wheel about the rotating axis.
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Hu teaches a ratchet wrench having a toggle portion 25 that is a disc or a flange allowing turning of the drive member 20, Fig. 1, 03:65 through 04:1-3. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the ratchet wheel of Lee with the turning flange/toggle portion as taught by Hu to allow manual fast turning of the ratchet
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wheel at the start of fastening and at a later stage of unfastening the workpiece.
Regarding claim 2, PA (prior art, Lee modified by Hu) meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body head 11 defines a first end surface lower surface, Fig. 1 and a second end surface upper surface along the rotating axis, wherein the ratchet hole 12 communicates the first end surface and the second end surface Fig. 1 partially shown here, and wherein the ratchet wheel 30 has a bottom end about 37 protruding outside the first end surface bottom surface, Fig. 2 and provided with the driving hole 37, and a top end flange/toggle portion modified by Hu protruding outside the second end surface top surface of the head 11 and provided with the toggle portion Figs. 1-3, Hu.
Regarding claim 3, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer periphery of the ratchet wheel 30 is provided with an annular recess 32 about the rotating axis Fig. 1, wherein the annular recess is disposed adjacent to the first end surface bottom surface, and wherein the resilient ring 35 is circular and is mounted to the annular recess Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 4, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of the ratchet wheel top opposite to the driving hole 37 is the driving hole Fig. 1, Lee, wherein the driving hole 37 modified for a flange by Hu has a first width annotated here in the radial direction of the rotating axis, wherein the driving hole has a second width in the radial direction of the rotating axis defined by flange 25 as modified by Hu , and wherein the second width is less than the first width annotated Fig. 3, Hu, except for the driving hole to be a through hole. Hu further teaches driving hole 22 that extends through the ratchet. It would have been
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (1st ANNULAR WIDHT)][AltContent: textbox (2ND ANNULAR WIDTH)]obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the modified ratchet wheel of Lee with the through/driving hole as taught by Hu to allow manual ejection of the workpiece within the driving hole after the driving operation.
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Regarding claim 5, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body 11 is provided with a pawl groove lower portion of 15, Fig. 3, Lee, a switch groove upper portion of 15, and a positioning slot 17, wherein the switch groove 15 extends along a pivoting axis defined by screw 21 parallel to the rotating axis, wherein a positioning member spring biasing detent/ball 19 is arranged in the positioning slot 17, wherein the ratchet wrench 30 further comprises a ratchet paw 25, 26 assembly and a switcher 20, wherein the ratchet pawl assembly includes a first pawl 25 and a second pawl 26 arranged in the pawl groove lower offset portion of cavity 15 to alternatively engage with the ratchet wheel, wherein the switcher 20 has a lever portion handle Fig. 4, Lee and a pivoting portion body 20 integrally formed with the lever portion, wherein the pivoting portion body 20 is pivotally mounted in the switch groove Fig. 3, allowing the switcher to pivot relative to the body between a first position Fig. 5 and a second position Fig. 4, wherein the lever portion handle protrudes outside the switch groove Fig. 3, wherein the switcher 20 has a first positioning recess 22 and a second positioning recess 22, 02:38-43, wherein the positioning member 19 abuts against the first positioning recess 22 when the switcher is in the first position Fig. 4, and wherein the positioning member abuts against the second positioning recess 22 when the switcher is in the second position Fig. 5, Lee.
Regarding claim 7, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein the positioning slot extends 17 along a direction parallel to the pivoting axis Fig. 3, Lee, allowing the positioning member movable in the positioning slot 22 along the direction parallel to the pivoting axis, wherein the positioning slot 22 is formed on a bottom surface of the switch groove 15 and communicates with the switch groove Fig. 3, wherein the first positioning recess 22 and the second positioning recess 22 are formed on a bottom end face of the pivoting portion distal to the lever portion Fig. 3, Lee.
Regarding claim 8, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein a biasing member defined by 19 is arranged in the positioning slot 17, and wherein the biasing member spring of biasing detent 19 has a first end biasing against a bottom of the positioning slot, Fig. 3 and a second end biasing against the positioning member ball of biasing detent 19.
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Regarding claim 9, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ratchet pawl assembly includes an elastic member 27, Fig. 1 Lee having a first end abutting against the first pawl 25, and a second end abutting against the second pawl 26, wherein the switcher 20 drives the first pawl to move and to disengage from the ratchet wheel Fig. 5 and the elastic member bias against the second pawl to move and to engage with the ratchet wheel when the switcher is in the first position Fig. 5, and wherein the switcher drives the second pawl 26 to move and to disengage from the ratchet wheel and the elastic member bias against the first pawl to move and to engage with the ratchet wheel Fig. 4 when the switcher is in the second position.
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (PROTROSION)]Regarding claim 10, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pawl groove offset portion cavity 15 communicates with the switch groove Fig. 3, Lee, wherein the first pawl 25 has a first protrusion not numbered annotated partial Fig.
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Switch Recess)]1, wherein the second pawl has a second protrusion annotated here, wherein the pivoting portion has an abutting recess not numbered annotated partial Fig. 4, wherein the abutting recess abuts against the first protrusion when the switcher is in the first position Fig. 5, and wherein the abutting recess abuts against the second protrusion when the switcher is in the second position Fig. 4.
Regarding claim 11, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein an inner periphery of the driving hole hexagonal drive 37 has two opposite faced surfaces, except for a width defined between the two opposite faced surfaces to be 1/4 in, 5/16 in, 7/19 in, or 4 mm.
PA (prior art, Lee modified by Hu) meets all of the limitations of the above claims, except for the particular sizes for the driving hole. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the invention with regards to dimension or desired size, e.g., 0.25” in adapting the tool for a ¼” screw drive bit 40, since such modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
In Gardnerv.TEC Syst., Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984), the Federal Circuit held that, where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claimed device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Huang (RE42,768).
PA (prior art, Lee modified by Hu) as applied to claim 5 above, meets all of the limitations of claim 6, except for an inner periphery of the switch groove 15 to be provided with a first fastening recess, wherein an outer periphery of the pivoting portion is provided with a second fastening recess corresponding to the first fastening recess, and wherein a fastening ring is engaged with the pivoting portion and is arranged in the first fastening recess and the second fastening recess.
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Huang teaches ratchet wrench having similar switching assembly Fig. 2, partially shown here, wherein an inner periphery of the switch groove 13 is provided with a first fastening recess 46 02:51, wherein an outer periphery of the pivoting portion is provided with a second fastening recess 43 corresponding to the first fastening recess, and wherein a fastening ring 42 is engaged with the pivoting portion and is arranged in the first fastening recess and the second fastening recess assembled tool, Fig. 1. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the modified invention of PA with the switch securing arraignment as taught by Huang as an alternative means of securely position the switch assembly within the switch cavity.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon at this time, are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Markwart et al. and Chen are cited to show related inventions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HADI SHAKERI whose telephone number is (571)272-4495. The fax phone number for forwarding unofficial documents for discussion purposes only is (571) 273-4495. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached on 571 272 8548. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
November 28, 2025 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723