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 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 recites the limitation "top and bottom surfaces configured as flat cutting surfaces" in line 3, rendering the claim indefinite. It is unclear what is meant by “cutting”. Is Applicant reciting for the surfaces to act as cutters? Or are the surfaces formed by cutting operation? As best understood, “flat” surfaces are being claimed.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chien (10,717,174) in view of Chien (2017/0361450 “Chien`450) and Chen (2016/0279696).
Chang meets all of the limitations of claim 1, as best understood, i.e., a wrench comprising:
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Chien meets all of the limitations of claim 1, as best understood, i.e., a wrench comprising a handle 10 and a working end front end @11 which is formed to one end of the handle 11 extending from the working end and a room formed between the two arms receiving the ratcheting head, each arm having a locking hole 111 defined therethrough;
a driving head 20 having two recesses not numbered, Fig. 1 receiving bolts 23 defined in an outside thereof, the two recesses located corresponding to the two locking holes of the two arms Fig. 3;
an aperture 112, Fig. 1 is defined in an inner end of the room and located between the two arms, a positioning unit is located in the aperture and includes a spring 32 and a bead 311, wherein the bead is semi-spherical Fig. 2, the spring is biased between an inner end of the aperture and the spring bead 311, the bead partially protrudes beyond the aperture, the driving head includes multiple positioning holes 211, Fig. 1 defined in the outside thereof and each configured as a concave arc-shaped groove, the positioning holes 211 are located in a pivotal direction of the driving head Fig. 4 relative to the working end, the bead 311 is engaged with one of the positioning holes 211 to secure a pivotal position of the driving head relative to the working end, and
two bolts 23 respectively and threadedly connected to the locking holes in the two arms and inserted into the two recesses of the driving head Fig. 3 to pivotably position the driving head between the two arms Figs. 4-6, except for flat top and bottom surfaces for the handle; a wave washer mounted to each of the two bolts and being sandwiched between the driving head and the arm, each of the wave washers including multiple convex portions and multiple concaved portions formed to each of two sides thereof, the multiple convex portions and the multiple concaved portions located alternatively to each other, the convex portions of one of two sides of each of the wave washers partially contacting the outside of the driving head, the convex portions of another one of the two sides of each of the wave washers partially contacting an inside of the arm corresponding thereto so that a friction between the driving head and the arms is reduced when the driving head is pivoted relative to the arms.
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Chien`450 teaches a rotary ratchet wrench having a handle with flat top and bottom surface Fig. 2, partially shown here supporting a locking button 260. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the invention of Chien with the locking button housed in the neck of the handle forming top and bottom cutting surface as taught by Chien`450 for a simple and inexpensive means to lock the rotary head in a chosen position for safety and stability during operation.
Chen teaches a tool having a wave washer 9, wherein the wave washer includes multiple convex portions 91 and multiple concaved portions 92 formed to each of two sides thereof, the multiple convex portions and the multiple concaved portions located alternatively to each other Fig. 2, partially shown here.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the modified invention of Chien by replacing the washers 10 with wave washers 9 placed between the head and the arms (two relatively rotatable elements) as taught by Chen providing better connection to prevent loosening of the connection between the ratcheting head and the arms [0023] lines 14-20. Note that replacing washer 10 with wave washer 9, meets the narrative/functional language of wherein the convex portions of one of two sides of each of the wave washers partially contacting the outside of the driving head, the convex portions of another one of the two sides of each of the wave washers partially contacting an inside of the arm corresponding thereto so that a friction between the driving head and the arms is reduced when the driving head is pivoted relative to the arms.
Regarding claim 2, PA (prior art, Chien modified by Chien`450 and Chen) meets the limitations, i.e., the wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two bolts 23 includes a shank and a head which is formed to one end of the shank, the shank includes outer threads, each locking hole includes inner threads, the outer threads of the bolt are threadedly connected to the inner threads in the locking hole 111, Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 3, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the wrench of claim 2, wherein each of the arms includes a reception area non-threaded portion of 111 which communicates with the locking hole corresponding thereto, the head of each bolt is accommodated in the reception area wider portion receiving the head corresponding thereto and in flush with outside of the arm Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 4, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the wrench of claim 1, wherein each of the wave washers 9, Fig. 2 Chen has an outer diameter, each recess not numbered/analogues to locking hole 4, Fig. 2 Chen includes an inner diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of the wave washer.
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Regarding claim 5, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the wrench as claimed in claim 2, wherein each shank of each bolt includes a blank section Fig. 7, Chien partially shown here and a function section, the function section includes the outer threads formed thereto, the blank section is located in the recess corresponding thereto.
Regarding claim 6, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the wrench of claim 1, wherein the outside of the driving head 20 is a rounded convex surface Fig. 1, Chien, the two recesses are defined in the rounded convex surface of the driving head Fig. 1.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon at this time, are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Lin and Chang are cited to show related inventions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HADI SHAKERI whose telephone number is (571)272-4495. The fax phone number for forwarding unofficial documents for discussion purposes only is (571) 273-4495. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
February 20, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723