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.
Claim 6 is 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 6 recites the limitation “a fastener received in the sub-assembly resides in the assembly orientation when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap, the cap body portion is attached to a shock absorber”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Because fastener and shock absorber are earlier introduced in claim 2. For the purpose of this examination the above limitation is interpreted to be -- the fastener received in the sub-assembly resides in the assembly orientation when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap, the cap body portion is attached to the shock absorber--.
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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ha (US 5907894 A).
Regarding claim 1, Under a first interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a shock absorber attachment jig (par. 3: “a spring compression device for a shock absorber employed in mounting a spring in a shock absorber being mounted in a suspension system of a motor car”) comprising: a cap (cap comprises at least 150, 151, 170, 180, 190) including a body portion (spring holder 150, spring hanger 51) and a flap (head 170, rack 190) extending from the body portion; and a fastener-receiving sub-assembly structured to be attached to the flap (sliding attachment of rack 190 of flap (170, 190) inside hollow post 100 of the fastener-receiving sub-assembly), wherein the flap is structured to be rotatable with respect to the body portion (relative rotation of body portion and flap around hinges H1) so as to enable rotation of the sub-assembly with respect to the cap body portion when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap (when rack 190 of flap (170, 190) is inserted into the hollow post 100 of the fastener-receiving sub-assembly, there will be relative rotational movement of the fastener-receiving sub-assembly and flap 170, 190 with respect to the body portion 150, 151).
PNG
media_image1.png
807
972
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 3, Under the first interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the sub-assembly includes a bracing portion defining a cavity (space between the two 422) structured to receive therein a flange of a shock absorber (col. 5, lines 63-65: “a flange 2100 (FIG. 9) of the shock absorber 2000 is placed on the base plate 422 of the outer holding means 420”).
Regarding claim 4, Under the first interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the flap is structured to be rotatable (relative rotation of the flap and the bracing portion around hinges H2) to position the flange inside the cavity (flange 2100 of the shock absorber 2000 is located inside the two jaws 420) when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap and the cap body portion is attached to the shock absorber (steel wire of the spring of the shock absorber is mounted to the spring hanger 151).
Regarding claim 5, Under the first interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the bracing portion includes a first shoulder (422 and 411 of left side 400 create the first shoulder), a second shoulder (422 and 411 of right side 400 create the second shoulder) opposite the first shoulder, and a wall connecting the first and second shoulders, the first shoulder, the second shoulder and the wall (wall comprises 300, 500, 300) defining the cavity.
Regarding claim 1, Under a second interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a shock absorber attachment jig (par. 3: “a spring compression device for a shock absorber employed in mounting a spring in a shock absorber being mounted in a suspension system of a motor car”) comprising: a cap including a body portion (300, 400, 300, 400) and a flap (500, 100) extending from the body portion; and a fastener-receiving sub-assembly (sub-assembly comprises at least 150, 151, 170, 180, 190) structured to be attached to the flap (sliding attachment of rack 190 of sub-assembly inside hollow post 100 of the cap), wherein the flap is structured to be rotatable with respect to the body portion (relative rotation of body portion and flap around hinges 530) so as to enable rotation of the sub-assembly with respect to the cap body portion when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap (when rack 190 of sub-assembly is inserted into the hollow post 100 of cap, there will be relative rotational movement of the flap 500 and the sub-assembly with respect to the body portion 150, 151).
PNG
media_image2.png
807
1025
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Under the second interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the sub-assembly is structured to be rotatable (around hinges h2) with respect to the cap body portion so as to enable movement of a fastener (spring fastener of shock absorber is received in spring hanger 151 of the sub-assembly) received in the sub-assembly to an assembly orientation of the fastener when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap and the cap body portion is attached to a shock absorber (col. 5, lines 63-65: “a flange 2100 (FIG. 9) of the shock absorber 2000 is placed on the base plate 422 of the outer holding means 420”).
Regarding claim 6, Under the second interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the sub-assembly includes a bracing portion (150, 150) structured to be rotatable into physical contact with the shock absorber (to grip spring of the shock absorber by spring hangers 151; see col. 3, lines 45-46), and wherein the jig is structured so that the fastener (spring fastener of shock absorber is received in spring hanger 151 of the sub-assembly) received in the sub-assembly resides in the assembly orientation when the sub-assembly is attached to the flap (sliding attachment of 190 of sub-assembly relative to 100 of the cap), the cap body portion is attached to the shock absorber (col. 5, lines 63-65: “a flange 2100 (FIG. 9) of the shock absorber 2000 is placed on the base plate 422 of the outer holding means 420”, and the bracing portion is in physical contact with the shock absorber (spring fastener of shock absorber is received in spring hanger 151 of the bracing portion (150, 150) of the sub-assembly).
Regarding claim 7, Under the second interpretation, Ha teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the sub-assembly includes: an extender assembly (151 and its fastening knob) structured to support the fastener (spring fastener of shock absorber is received in spring hanger 151 of the sub-assembly); and an extender guide (longitudinal tracks inside 150, 150) structured to support the extender assembly so that the extender assembly is rotatable and axially movable (rotatable and movable inside the longitudinal track) within an associated extender cavity formed in the extender guide.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHDI H NEJAD whose telephone number is (571)270-0464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Posigian can be reached at (313) 446-6546. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
MAHDI H. NEJAD
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/MAHDI H NEJAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723