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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (claims 1-16) and Species i (illustrated in Figs. 1-4) in the reply filed on April 8, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 3-8, 13, 14 and 16-20 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention/species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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, 2, 9-12 and 15 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 1 and claim 11 each recite “an upper portion comprising a rake face” in Lines 3-4, respectively. The limitation of the rake face being on the upper portion of the grooving tool holder is contradictory to how one of ordinary skill would interpret “rake face.” Under its ordinary meaning, the “rake face” is attributed to the cutting face of the tool. Here, the “rake face” is more akin to a chip guiding surface.1 Appropriate correction required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 9-12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ueda et al. (JP 2013-166189 A).
(Claim 1) Ueda et al. (“Ueda”) discloses a grooving tool holder (1) that includes: a lower portion (portion below slot 8); an upper portion (portion above slot 8) pivotable relative to the lower portion, the upper portion having, as best understood, a rake face (5T); and a cutting insert receptacle (receptacle for insert 3) disposed between the lower portion and the upper portion (Figs. 1-3). The cutting insert receptacle includes an upper clamping jaw (5) disposed in the upper portion (portion above slot 8) and a lower clamping jaw (4) disposed in the lower portion (portion below slot 8), the cutting insert receptacle extending widthwise between opposed sidewalls of the lower portion and opposed sidewalls of the upper portion (Figs. 1-3). The rake face (5T) is disposed adjacent to and over the cutting insert receptacle (Figs. 1-3). The rake face (5T) extending between the opposed sidewalls of the upper portion (Figs. 1-3). The rake face (5T) disposed non-perpendicularly to the opposed sidewalls of the upper portion (Figs. 1-3).
(Claim 2) The rake face (5T) is linear (Fig. 2).
(Claim 9) A cutting insert (3) is disposed in the cutting insert receptacle (Figs. 1-3).
(Claim 10) The grooving tool holder further includes a web portion (9) and a separating slit (8) both disposed between the lower portion and the upper portion (Fig. 3). The upper portion is pivotable relative to the lower portion via the web portion, and the separating slit disposed from the web portion to the cutting insert receptacle (Fig. 3; Translation).
(Claim 11) Ueda et al. (“Ueda”) discloses a grooving tool holder (1) that includes: a lower portion (portion below slot 8); an upper portion (portion above slot 8) pivotable relative to the lower portion, the upper portion having, as best understood, a rake face (5T); and a cutting insert receptacle (receptacle for insert 3) disposed between the lower portion and the upper portion (Figs. 1-3). The cutting insert receptacle includes an upper clamping jaw (5) disposed in the upper portion (portion above slot 8) and a lower clamping jaw (4) disposed in the lower portion (portion below slot 8). A cutting inset (3) is disposed in the cutting insert receptacle (Figs. 1-3). The rake face (5T) is disposed adjacent to and over the cutting insert (Figs. 1-3). The rake face shaped to direct material cut by the cutting insert to flow off the rake face laterally away from the rake face (Figs. 1-3; Translation).
(Claim 12) The rake face (5T) is shaped to direct the material cut by the cutting insert primarily towards a first sidewall of the grooving tool holder (Figs. 1-3; Translation).
(Claim 15) The rake face (5T) is linearly slanted towards a first sidewall of the grooving tool holder (Figs. 1-3; Translation).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN RUFO whose telephone number is (571)272-4604. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs.
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, Singh Sunil can be reached at (571) 272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN RUFO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
1 Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook, Drozda et al., Vol. 1, Fourth Edition, Page 10-31 (1983) (describing rake face).
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