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 § 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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (8,104,381) in view of Hsien (2004/0149087) and Chen (6,708,586 “Chen`586”).
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Chen meets all of the limitations of claim 1, i.e., a ratchet wrench comprising:
a wrench body 10, a ratchet wheel 20, a mounting member 40, a pawl member 30, an elastic member 50, and a first snap ring 70;
wherein:
the wrench body is provided with a first receiving recess 11 which has a circular shape and penetrates the wrench body Fig. 1;
the wrench body is provided with a second receiving recess 12 beside the first receiving recess;
the second receiving recess is connected to the first receiving recess Fig. 1;
the second receiving recess has a center disposed in the first receiving recess and has a diameter less than that of the first receiving recess Fig. 1;
the second receiving recess penetrates the wrench body Fig. 1;
the wrench body is provided with a first resting face upper rim and a second resting face lower rim; the first resting face has a planar shape; the second resting face has a planar shape;
the first receiving recess 11 has a first arcuate face inside periphery; the first arcuate face is an internal arcuate face with a single diameter Fig. 1;
the second receiving recess has a second arcuate face inside periphery; the second arcuate face is an internal arcuate face with a single diameter Fig. 1;
the ratchet wheel 20 is pivotally mounted in the first receiving recess 11 and has a periphery provided with a ratchet portion having an annular shape Fig. 21
the ratchet wheel 20 has a center provided with a mounting portion 21;
the ratchet wheel has a first end lower/LF portion provided with a first pivot portion extending rim about teeth 22 pivotally mounted in the first receiving recess Fig. 7; the first pivot portion has a diameter approximately equal to that of the ratchet portion;
20 has a second end upper portion provided with a second pivot portion pivotally mounted in the first receiving recess Fig. 7;
the ratchet portion 21 is disposed between the first pivot portion and the second pivot portion Fig. 7;
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the second pivot portion upper end of 20 has a diameter equal to that of the first pivot portion and approximately equal to that of the ratchet portion Fig. 7;
[[the ratchet wheel 20 is provided with a protruding rotation portion having a maximum diameter; the rotation portion rim of ratchet 20 abuts the first resting face]]
the mounting member 40 is received in the second receiving recess Fig. 1;
the mounting member 40 is provided with a receiving portion 400;
the receiving portion has [[an upper end provided with a first restriction section upper plate and]] a lower end provided with a second restriction section lower plate 40;
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[[each of the first restriction section and]] the second restriction section has a cross-sectional shape the same as that of the second receiving recess Fig. 1;
[[the first restriction section has an end face flush with the first resting face]]
the second restriction section has an end face flush with the second resting face Fig. 7;
the receiving portion 400 is provided with a first spring biased section 411;
the mounting member 40 has a front side provided with a third arcuate face rim Fig. 1;
the third arcuate face @40 and the first arcuate face @11 have a same axis and a same diameter Fig. 1;
the mounting member has a rear side Fig. 1 provided with a fourth arcuate face;
the fourth arcuate face and the second arcuate face @12 have a same axis and a same diameter Fig. 1;
the pawl member 30 has a rear side abutting the second arcuate face Fig. 1;
the pawl member is movably mounted in the receiving portion Fig. 5;
the pawl member is limited by Fig. 7, so that the pawl member is not detached from the receiving portion and the second receiving recess;
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the pawl member has a front side provided with an engaging portion 31 meshing with the ratchet portion Fig. 5;
the pawl member 30 is provided with a second spring biased section 32 aligning with the first spring biased section Figs. 1&5;
the elastic member 50 is received in the receiving portion 400;
the elastic member is elastically biased between the mounting member 40 and the pawl member 50, Fig. 5; the elastic member 50 pushes the pawl member so that the engaging portion meshes with the ratchet portion Fig. 5;
the elastic member has a first end Fig. 1 abutting the first spring biased section 411 and a second end 32 abutting the second spring biased section Fig. 1;
the first snap ring has a C-shaped profile Fig. 1;
the first snap ring is elastically expandable outward; the first snap ring is rotatable in concert with the ratchet wheel Fig. 1;
the first snap ring has an opening with a width less than that of the second receiving recess Fig. 1;
the rotation portion rim rests on the first resting face Fig. 7, and the first snap ring rests on the second resting face Fig. 7, so that the ratchet wheel is limited by the rotation portion Fig. 5 and the first snap ring and is pivotally mounted in the first receiving recess;
the mounting member 40 and the pawl member 30 are limited by the rim 20 and the first snap ring 70 and are not detached from the second receiving recess 12; and
the rotation portion rim 20 and the first snap ring restrict the ratchet wheel, the mounting member, and the pawl member, to prevent the ratchet wheel, the mounting member, and the pawl member from being detached from the wrench body Fig. 1, except for the first pivot portion to be provided with a first annular groove directed toward the second resting face; the ratchet wheel 20 to be provided with a protruding rotation portion having a maximum diameter; for the rotation portion to abut the first resting face; an upper end of the mounting member being provided with a first restriction section having a cross-sectional shape the same as that of the second receiving recess; for the first restriction section to have an end face flush with the first resting face and for the first snap ring 70 to be snapped into the first annular groove defined in the
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ratchet 20.
Hsien teaches a ratchet tool having a ratchet with a protruding rotation portion 22 having a maximum diameter and snap ring 27 engaging an annular groove 26 of the ratchet 20. 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 Chen with protruding portion and the snap ring as taught by Hsien for an arrangement providing a knurled protrusion so that a user can conveniently rotate the flange.
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The combination meets the claim, except for the mounting member to have a second restricting member.
Chen`586 teaches a ratchet tool having a restriction or retaining plate 40. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the invention of Chen and Hsien with the retaining plate as taught by Chen`586 for an arrangement providing an insertion plate so that the pawl can be retained in the driving head.
Regarding claim 2, PA (prior art, Chen modified by Hsien and Chen`586) meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion 21 is a polygonal hole or a protruding square head Fig. 1 Chen.
Regarding claim 3, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting member 40 is loosely fitted in the second receiving recess Fig. 1 Chen`586.
Regarding claim 4, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first spring biased section 411 is a groove or a column, and the second spring biased section is a column or a circular groove Fig. 1 Chen.
Regarding claim 5, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, the rotation portion is a single part 25 Hsien, except for disclosing a third pivot portion pivotally mounted in the first receiving recess; the rotation portion to have an inner peripheral face provided with a first fitting section; and for the ratchet wheel to have an outer peripheral face provided with a second fitting section fitted with the first fitting section, so that the rotation portion is secured with the ratchet wheel and rotated in concert with the ratchet wheel. Hsien discloses an integral coupling arrangement between the rotating portion 25 and the ratchet wheel 21. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art the effective date of the invention to form the parts separately, e.g., press fitting a projection of knurled portion into a fitting section, as an alternative means of forming the parts to save manufacturing cost, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
Regarding claim 6, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the second fitting section press fitted is closely fitted with the first fitting section; or the second fitting section is provided with an adhesive so that the first fitting section is stuck to the second fitting section.
Regarding claim 7, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the ratchet wrench as claimed in claim 1, including for the rotation portion to be ring shape, except for the sizes recited.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the invention with regards to dimension or desired size, e.g., from the first and second pivots larger than the ratchet with the rotary portion having a larger diameter that the second pivot, for ease of operation, in adapting the tool for a particular application, since such modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon at this time, are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Lee, I-He and Ma 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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached on 571 272 8548. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
March 7, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723