DETAILED ACTION
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Johnson (US 6,253,712).
As to claim 1, Johnson discloses a tubular connecting element adapted to be joined to further consecutive tubular connecting elements capable of forming one or more connections between cages and enclosed spaces that can be walked through by household pets, the tubular connecting element comprising:
a tubular body 10 having a first end and a second end opposed to each other, wherein the first end of the tubular body is provided with a first spherical cap portion 14 that forms a first half of a spherical joint, and the second end of the tubular body is provided with a second spherical cap portion 12 that forms a second half of a spherical joint,
wherein the first half of the spherical joint has a first predetermined diameter which is greater than a second predetermined diameter of the second half of spherical joint so as to define, respectively, a first female half 14 of the spherical joint and a second male half 12 of the spherical joint, which are opposed to each other when two tubular connecting elements are joined to each other by their respective ends, and
wherein an end section of the first female half of the spherical joint has a smaller diameter with respect to the diameter of the corresponding portion of the second male half of the spherical joint, so as to prevent the second male half of the spherical joint from being able to slip out of the first female half of the spherical joint when the second male half of the spherical joint is inserted inside the first female half of the spherical joint (Figures 1-6).
As to claim 2, Johnson discloses a tubular connecting element wherein when two identical tubular connecting elements 10 are connected to one another, the second male half 12 of the spherical joint of a lesser diameter of a first tubular connecting element is inserted inside the first female half 14 of the spherical joint of greater diameter of a second tubular connecting element, a spherical joint is formed that is configured to allow an angular reciprocal rotation between the first and the second tubular connecting elements (Figures 1-6).
As to claim 3, Johnson discloses a tubular connecting element wherein the dimensions of the first and second spherical cap portions caps 14,12 are such that one can rotate inside the other by a given solid angle (Figures 1-6).
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 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson in view of Luo (US 7,509,924).
As to claim 4, Johnson fails to disclose a tubular connecting element wherein the tubular connecting element it is formed by a conjunction between two half-parts obtained by sectioning the tubular body along a plane that contains the longitudinal axis of the tubular body; wherein the two half-parts, the joining of which forms the tubular body to which are associated the first and the second cap portions, comprise, at the joining edges thereof, reciprocal coupling and fixing elements; and wherein the said reciprocal coupling and fixing elements placed at the joining edges comprises protruding tabs that face respective recesses, as well as further projections provided with holes that are crossed by joining elements, configured for mutual retention between one half-part and the other half-part of the two half-parts.
Luo teaches a tubular connecting element wherein the tubular connecting element 10 it is formed by a conjunction between two half-parts 11 obtained by sectioning the tubular body along a plane that contains the longitudinal axis of the tubular body; wherein the two half-parts, the joining of which forms the tubular body to which are associated first and second cap portions 111,12, comprise, at joining edges thereof, reciprocal coupling and fixing elements 13,14,15,16; and wherein the said reciprocal coupling and fixing elements placed at the joining edges comprises protruding tabs 13 that face respective recesses 14, as well as further projections 15 provided with holes that are crossed by joining elements 16, configured for mutual retention between one half-part and the other half-part of the two half-parts; the half-parts providing for easier molding of the connecting element, and the reciprocal coupling and fixing elements along the joint edges of the half-parts providing for quick, easy assembly of the half parts around an adjoining tubular member (Figures 2-3). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connecting element disclosed by Johnson to comprise half-parts comprising reciprocal coupling and fixing elements along the joint edges thereof, as taught by Luo, in order to provide for easier molding of the connecting element and to provide for quick, easy assembly of the half parts around an adjoining tubular connecting element.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson in view of Luo, as applied to claim 5, and further in view of He et al. (US 2010/0034579).
As to claim 7, Johnson as modified by Luo fails to disclose a tubular connecting element wherein the reciprocal coupling and fixing elements between the two half-parts, comprise bands that are configured to be inserted into respective annular grooves provided between the tubular body and the respective first and second spherical cap portions.
He et al. teach a tubular connecting element wherein reciprocal coupling and fixing elements comprise bands 30 that are capable of being inserted into respective annular grooves provided between a tubular body and a respective spherical cap portion of the connecting element; the bands securely retaining the female half of the connecting element around the male half of another connecting element (Figures 1-4). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connecting element disclosed by Johnson as modified by Luo to comprise a band, as taught by He et al., in order to more securely retain the female half of the connecting element around the male half of another connecting element.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson in view of Tominaga (US 6,067,939).
As to claims 8 and 9, Johnson discloses a tubular connecting element wherein at least one of the first female half of the spherical joint or the second male half of the spherical joint is provided with a connecting plate, configured to be connected to an opening made in a cage or in an enclosure; wherein the connecting plate is provided with a flange that is joined to respective interlocking edges of the at least one of the first female half of the spherical joint or the second male half of the spherical joint.
Tominaga teaches a tubular connecting element wherein at least one of a first female half 52 or a second male half 51 of a joint is provided with a connecting plate 4, configured to be connected to an opening made in a cage 1 or in an enclosure; wherein the connecting plate is provided with a flange 46,47 that is joined to respective interlocking edges of the first female half or the second male half of the joint; the connecting plate enabling the connecting element to be quickly and easily coupled to a cage, providing for greater utility of the connecting element (Figures 1-5). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connecting element disclosed by Johnson wherein the first female half or the second male half of the spherical joint is provided a connecting plate, as taught by Tominaga, in order to enable the connecting element to be quickly and easily coupled to a cage, providing for greater utility of the connecting element.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson in view of He et al.
As to claim 10, Johnson discloses a tubular connecting element wherein at least one of the first and second spherical cap portions comprises notches configured to realize flexible tabs forming an elastic interlocking connection between two adjacent spherical cap portions.
He et al. teach a tubular connecting element wherein at least one of first and second spherical cap portions comprises notches 42 configured to realize flexible tabs 42 forming an elastic interlocking connection between two adjacent spherical cap portions; the interlocking notches and flexible tabs securely retaining adjoining connecting elements at a desired angle (Figure 1-4). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the connecting element disclosed by Johnson to comprise interlocking notches and flexible tabs, as taught by He et al., in order to retain adjoining connecting elements at a desired angle.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL P FERGUSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7081. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (10:00 am-7:00 pm EST).
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11/08/25
/MICHAEL P FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619