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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Size (US 2022/0003263).
Regarding claim 1, Size discloses a dual-end fastening bolt 26 comprising: a head 28 at a first end of the dual-end fastening bolt; a tail 36 at a second end of the dual-end fastening bolt opposite the head; and a shank 30 that extends from the head to the tail and comprises a threaded portion 30, wherein the tail comprises a tool feature 32 engageable with a tool 34 to rotate the dual-end fastening bolt or to prevent the dual-end fastening bolt from rotation.
Regarding claim 2, Size discloses wherein the threaded portion 30 extends to the tail 36 of the dual-end fastening bolt 26.
Regarding claim 3, Size discloses wherein the head 28 comprises a hexagonal head 108.
Regarding claim 4, Size discloses wherein the tool feature comprises a fastening recess that receives at least a portion of the tool, wherein the fastening recess extends to a depth inside the tail.
Claim(s) 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (US 2009/0175701).
Regarding claim 10, Wu discloses a dual-end fastening bolt 4 Fig. 10 comprising: a head 400 at a first end of the dual-end fastening bolt that comprises a first tool feature 401; a tail 44 at a second end of the dual-end fastening bolt opposite the head that comprises a second tool feature 402; and a shank 40 that extends from the head to the tail and comprises a threaded portion 42, wherein the first tool feature is engageable with a first tool to rotate the dual-end fastening bolt or to prevent the dual-end fastening bolt from rotation, and the second tool feature is engageable with a second tool 41 to rotate the dual-end fastening bolt or to prevent the dual-end fastening bolt from rotation.
Regarding claim 11, Wu discloses wherein the first tool feature 401 comprises a first fastening recess that receives at least a portion of the first tool, or the second tool feature 402 comprises a second fastening recess that receives at least a portion of the second tool 41, or both.
Regarding claim 12, Wu discloses wherein the first fastening recess 401, the second fastening recess 402, or both, includes a hexagonal recess defined by a number of recess walls and a recess bottom surface.
Regarding claim 13, Wu discloses wherein the first tool feature 412 Fig. 14 comprises a first fastening post 412 that engages at least a portion of the first tool, or the second feature comprises a second fastening post that engages at least a portion of the second tool, or both.
Regarding claim 14, Wu discloses wherein the first fastening post 412, the second fastening post, or both, includes a hexagonal post Fig. 14 defined by a number of post walls and a post top surface.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Size in view of Schultz (US 2003/0219328).
Regarding claim 5, Size discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to explicitly discloses wherein the fastening recess is a hexagonal recess. Schultz, a dual end fastening bolt 20 Fig. 2, discloses the uses of a fastening recess 44 is a hexagonal recess. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the recess of Size to a hexagonal shape as taught by Schultz in order to increase the level of torque between a female threaded device and the fastener, a driving tool, such as a hex-key or Allen wrench, is commonly inserted into a hexagon shape aperture at the distal face of the fastener and applies torsional force in a first direction, such as a counterclockwise direction, while a driving tool is engaged to the female threaded device to apply torsional force in a second direction, such as a clockwise direction. (Para. 0005 of Schultz)
Regarding claim 6, the combination discloses wherein the fastening recess (44 of Schultz) is beveled at the recess bottom surface Fig. 2.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Size in view of Owen (US 2018/0335067).
Regarding claim 7, Size discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to explicitly disclose wherein the tool feature comprises a fastening post. Owen, a dual end fastening bolt 100 Fig. 1, discloses the use of a tool feature 160 comprises a fastening post that engages at least a portion of a tool 125, wherein the fastening post extends to a height from a tail bottom surface 162. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tool feature of Size with a fastening post as taught by Owen in order to conform to a standard indented hexagonal socket for tightening.
Regarding claim 8, the combination discloses wherein the fastening post (160 of Owen) is a hexagonal post (160A Fig. 5A of Owen) defined by a number of post walls and a post top surface.
Regarding claim 9, the combination discloses a fastening post (160 of Owen) but fails to explicitly disclose the shape of the top surface being beveled. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention since it has been held that the configuration of the claimed element was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed element was significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE G BYRD whose telephone number is (571)270-1824. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm.
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/EUGENE G BYRD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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