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 § 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 3-8 and 13 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.
Claims 3 and 4 recite the limitations “stable configuration” and “unstable configuration”. It is not clear what is meant by stable and unstable in this context. Applicant has claimed the first configuration can be stable or unstable but has not described how this is achieved. Claims 5-8 are rejected for depending from these claims.
Claim 13 is rejected for depending on itself and claim 1. A multiple dependent claim can depend from more than one claim in the alternative only and can never depend from itself.
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 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoti, US 2022/0334537.
Regarding claim 1, Hoti discloses a coupling device for a timepiece, including: a first part (Fig 1, barrel 2 connected to toothing 9) a second part (shaft 3 connected to toothing 8) rotatably mobile relative to the first part about a first axis (D), at least one blocking element (locking teeth 8 and 9) and a control element (crown head) movably mounted on one of the first and second parts to move between a deactivation first configuration (screwed, Figure 2) and an activation second configuration (unscrewed Fig 3), the coupling device being unidirectional [0022] or being a freewheel the second configuration of the control element, the at least one blocking element, the first part and the second part being adapted to connect the first and second parts by obstacle or by wedging, the at least one blocking element being adapted so that: - in the first configuration (screwed) the at least one blocking element enables free relative movement of the first and second parts in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction (Fig 2), and- in the second configuration (unscrewed) the at least one blocking element enables coupling of the first and second parts when one and/or other of the parts is urged to a relative movement in the first direction and enables free relative movement of the first and second parts in the second direction (Fig 3 see 8 and 9 engaged together).
Regarding claim 2, Hoti discloses the control element is mobile in rotation about the first axis (D, fig 1).
Claims 1, 3-5, and 9-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Humair, US 2022/0382216.
Regarding claim 1, Humair discloses a coupling device for a timepiece, including: a first part (1) a second part (2) rotatably mobile relative to the first part about a first axis (3), at least one blocking element (6) and a control element (6a) movably mounted on one of the first and second parts to move between a deactivation first configuration (uncoupled) and an activation second configuration (coupled), the coupling device being unidirectional [0006] or being a freewheel the second configuration of the control element, the at least one blocking element, the first part and the second part being adapted to connect the first and second parts by obstacle or by wedging (fig 4), the at least one blocking element being adapted so that: - in the first configuration the at least one blocking element enables free relative movement of the first and second parts in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction (when the protrusion 6c enters the notch the two parts are decoupled, and therefore free relative to each other), and- in the second configuration the at least one blocking element enables coupling of the first and second parts when one and/or other of the parts is urged to a relative movement in the first direction and enables free relative movement of the first and second parts in the second direction (when coupled the parts form a clutch).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, the first configuration for uncoupling can be stable or unstable during the uncoupling [0013]-[0015].
Regarding claim 5, return element (7) urges the control element towards the second configuration.
Regarding claim 9, the control element includes a portion (6a) adapted to act on the at least one blocking element in order for the at least one blocking element not to cooperate with either the first part or the second part.
Regarding claim 10, the control element includes a holding portion adapted to allow a watchmaker to manipulate the control element (surface 6a).
Regarding claim 11, the blocking element includes at least one elastic lever ending in a beak (7) and a ring including a cutout against which the beak acts or teeth (Fig 3-5).
Regarding claim 12, Humair discloses an automatic winding module including a barrel a winding mobile mass and a coupling device according to claim 1 [0011].
Regarding claim 13, Humair discloses the control element being mounted on the first or second part only connected to the barrel via the at least one blocking element [0014].
Regarding claim 14, Humair discloses a timepiece movement including a coupling device according to claim 1 [0011].
Regarding claim 15, Humair discloses a manual winding chain, the coupling device being adapted to go from the first configuration to the second configuration as a consequence of actuation of the automatic winding chain, or actuation of the winding chain [0011].
Regarding claim 16, Humair discloses a timepiece including a timepiece movement according to claim 14 [0011].
Regarding claim 17, the portion of the control element is adapted to act through contact on the at least one blocking element in order for the at least one blocking element not to cooperate with either the first or second part (Fig 3 and [0014].
Regarding claim 18, the holding portion of the control element is adapted to allow the watchmaker to manipulate the control element using a tool.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 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 19 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to disclose or reasonably suggest the claimed invention further including wherein the blocking element includes two elastic levers ending in beaks, and the first or second part includes the ring including the cut-out, against which the beaks act.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)270-3994. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis Betsch can be reached at (571) 270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON M COLLINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2844
/EDWIN A. LEON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833