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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the valve must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains legal phraseology. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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, 6, 8 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 4070046, Felker.
In regards to claim 1, in Figures 1-2 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Felker discloses a system, comprising: an annular gasket (14); a grip ring (19) including: a slot (32) that interrupts an otherwise annular shape of the grip ring such that the grip ring has a first end adjacent a first side of the slot and a second end adjacent a second side of the slot opposite to the first side of the slot; a radially-innermost surface having circumferential pipe-gripping teeth (20); a radially-outermost surface; a first end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces toward the annular gasket; and a second end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces away from the annular gasket; wherein a cross-sectional area of the grip ring increases from a first local minimum at the first end of the grip ring to a maximum at a location between the first end of the grip ring and the second end of the grip ring along the annular shape of the grip ring and from a second local minimum at the second end of the grip ring to the maximum at the location between the first end of the grip ring and the second end of the grip ring along the annular shape of the grip ring; and an annular gland (16) including an inner surface that faces toward the radially-outermost surface of the grip ring.
In regards to claim 6, in Figures 1-2 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Felker discloses when the grip ring is deformed such that the first end of the grip ring moves toward the second end of the grip ring, the increasing of the cross-sectional area of the grip ring increases a degree of compression of the annular gasket prior to the pipe-gripping teeth biting into a surface of a pipe, thereby improving engagement of the annular gasket with the surface of the pipe.
In regards to claim 8, in Figures 1-2 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Felker discloses the first end surface of the grip ring directly contacts the gasket.
In regards to claim 12, in Figures 1-2 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Felker discloses the radially-outermost surface of the grip ring forms at least a portion of a surface of a ball of a ball-and-socket joint and the inner surface of the annular gland forms at least a portion of a surface of a socket of the ball-and- socket joint.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 6, 8 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 4878698, Gilchrist.
In regards to claim 1, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Gilchrist discloses a system, comprising: an annular gasket (20); a grip ring (36) including: a slot (39) that interrupts an otherwise annular shape of the grip ring such that the grip ring has a first end adjacent a first side of the slot and a second end adjacent a second side of the slot opposite to the first side of the slot; a radially-innermost surface having circumferential pipe-gripping teeth (20); a radially-outermost surface; a first end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces toward the annular gasket; and a second end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces away from the annular gasket; wherein a cross-sectional area of the grip ring increases from a first local minimum at the first end of the grip ring to a maximum at a location between the first end of the grip ring and the second end of the grip ring along the annular shape of the grip ring and from a second local minimum at the second end of the grip ring to the maximum at the location between the first end of the grip ring and the second end of the grip ring along the annular shape of the grip ring; and an annular gland (16) including an inner surface that faces toward the radially-outermost surface of the grip ring.
In regards to claim 3, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Gilchrist discloses the cross-sectional area of the grip ring increases in steps from the first local minimum to the maximum and from the second local minimum to the maximum.
In regards to claim 6, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Gilchrist discloses when the grip ring is deformed such that the first end of the grip ring moves toward the second end of the grip ring, the increasing of the cross-sectional area of the grip ring increases a degree of compression of the annular gasket prior to the pipe-gripping teeth biting into a surface of a pipe, thereby improving engagement of the annular gasket with the surface of the pipe.
In regards to claim 8, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Gilchrist discloses the first end surface of the grip ring directly contacts the gasket.
In regards to claim 12, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Gilchrist discloses the radially-outermost surface of the grip ring forms at least a portion of a surface of a ball of a ball-and-socket joint and the inner surface of the annular gland forms at least a portion of a surface of a socket of the ball-and- socket joint.
Claim(s) 17, 18, 27, 29, 31 and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 6106029, DeMore.
In regards to claim 17, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses a system, comprising: an annular gasket (20); a grip ring assembly including: a plurality of distinct grip ring segments (52) separated from one another by slots that interrupt an otherwise annular shape of the grip ring assembly; a spacer (40) that fills the slots, couples the grip ring segments to one another, and maintains alignment of the grip ring segments; a radially-innermost surface having circumferential pipe-gripping teeth (54); a radially-outermost surface; a first end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces toward the annular gasket; and a second end surface that extends radially inward from the radially-outermost surface to the radially-innermost surface and that faces away from the annular gasket; wherein the spacer has an elastic modulus configured to improve engagement of the annular gasket with a radially-outward facing surface of a pipe prior to the pipe-gripping teeth biting into the radially-outward facing surface of the pipe when the grip ring assembly is deformed such that sizes of the slots decrease; and an annular gland (24, 25) including an inner surface that faces toward the radially-outermost surface of the grip ring assembly.
In regards to claim 18, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses the spacer is an elastomeric spacer (a polymer-plastic such as polyethylene).
In regards to claim 27, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses the pipe is a first pipe (14) and the annular gasket is engaged with the radially-outward facing surface of the first pipe and with an at least partially longitudinally-facing surface of a second pipe to create a seal between the first pipe and the second pipe (14) at a joint between the first and second pipes, wherein the second pipe is a component of a pipe fitting.
In regards to claim 29, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses the pipe is a first pipe and the annular gasket is engaged with the radially-outward facing surface of the first pipe and with an at least partially longitudinally-facing surface of a second pipe to create a seal between the first pipe and the second pipe at a joint between the first and second pipes, wherein the pipe- gripping teeth engage the radially-outward facing surface of the first pipe to resist longitudinal movement of the first pipe with respect to the grip ring assembly.
In regards to claim 31, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses the distinct grip ring segments are accessible by a human operator from outside the joint.
In regards to claim 32, in Figures 4-6 and paragraphs detailing said figures, DeMore discloses when the annular gland is removed from the joint between the first pipe and the second pipe, the pipe-gripping teeth disengage from the radially-outward facing surface of the first pipe and cease resisting longitudinal movement of the first pipe with respect to the grip ring assembly.
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) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DeMore.
In regards to claim 19, DeMore discloses the claimed invention except for the spacer being a metallic spacer. Applicant has failed to disclose criticality for a metallic spacer, and the DeMore invention is fully capable of being made of metal. It 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 to fabricate a metallic spacer, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim(s) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DeMore in view of US 9857006, Crompton.
In regards to claim 28, DeMore discloses the claimed invention except for the second pipe being a component of a pipe valve. Crompton relates generally to fluid flow systems, and more particularly to a retaining ring for joint devices adapted to receive piping elements. Crompton teaches piping connections are necessary to join various pieces of pipe, for example, fittings and valves may be employed at the ends of open pieces of pipe that enable two pieces of pipe to fit together in a particular configuration (col. 1, lines 30-40). It 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 to provide the second pipe with a component of a pipe valve, since piping connections are necessary to join various pieces of pipe, for example, fittings and valves may be employed at the ends of open pieces of pipe that enable two pieces of pipe to fit together in a particular configuration.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22 and 25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679