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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 17-24 and 26-32 are pending in the application.
Claims 1-16 were previously cancelled by Applicant.
In Applicant’s most-recent response filed 26 May 2026, claims 17 and 21-22 were amended and claim 25 was cancelled. These amendments have been made.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities:
In Fig. 2, ref. no. “3” (on the left-hand side of the Figure) is objected to because it does not point to the “connecting member 3”, but rather to a portion of the “first connecting pipe 1”. It appears that this ref. no. should be replaced with either ref. no. “1” to show the “first connecting pipe 1” or with ref. no. “13” to show the “transverse pipe section 13”.
In Fig. 2, ref. no. “4” is objected to because it does not point to the “fourth connecting pipe 4”, but rather to a lower section of the “first connecting pipe 1”. It appears that this ref. no. should either be deleted or replaced with ref. no. “14” to show the “vertical pipe section 14”
Examiner notes that Applicant indicated that the above objections were addressed by amended drawings in the response filed 26 May 2026; however, no replacement drawings were received by the Office with the response filed 26 May 2026.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 17 and 24 are objected to because of the following informalities: Appropriate correction is required.
Re Claim 17: The final paragraph of claim 1 should be amended as follows since more than one “elastic supporting arm” has been previously introduced in the claim:
--wherein a top side and a bottom side of the connecting body each have an elastic connecting arm that is connected to a respective end of each elastic supporting arm, thereby forming a hollow annular structure.--
Re Claim 24: Claim 24 should be amended as follows in order to remain consistent with the language used in claim 17:
--24. The connecting member according to claim 22, wherein the connecting body has a first recess located on at least one of the top side and the bottom side of the connecting body, and the positioning projection is arranged on the first recess.--
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Re Claim 20: Claim 20 only requires the limitation “wherein the connecting body has a hollow annular structure”. However, this limitation is already required in the final line of claim 17, from which claim 20 depends. Therefore, claim 20 fails to further limit claim 17.
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 17-20, 22-24, and 26-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Magid (US Patent 4,711,595).
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Re Claim 17: Magid discloses a connecting member (30) for connecting a first connecting pipe (23) with a second connecting pipe (10), comprising:
a connecting body (31), configured to be arranged in the first connecting pipe (23) and in interference fit with the first connecting pipe (see Fig. 5); and
an elastic arm (neck 32 on the top side of the connecting body 31; see annotated Fig. 6 above), connected to the connecting body (31) and provided with a locking projection (33);
wherein the locking projection (33) is configured to be engaged with a first through hole (24) of the first connecting pipe (23) and a second through hole (11) of the second connecting pipe (10);
wherein a left side and a right side of the connecting body (31) each have an elastic supporting arm (see annotated Fig. 6 above) configured to generate an elastic deformation bending inwards; and
wherein a top side and a bottom side of the connecting body (31) each have an elastic connecting arm (see annotated Fig. 6 above) that is connected to a respective end of the elastic supporting arm, thereby forming a hollow annular structure.
Re Claim 18: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein one end (the lower end of neck 32 in Fig. 3, connected to frame 31) of the elastic arm (32) serves as a connecting end and is connected to the connecting body (31), and the other end (the upper end of neck 32 in Fig. 3) the elastic arm serves as a free end and extends in a direction perpendicular to a cross section (for example, the cross-section shown in Fig. 3) of the connecting body (31).
Re Claim 19: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein end (the lower end of neck 32 in Fig. 3, connected to frame 31) of the elastic arm (32) serves as a connecting end and is connected to the connecting body (31), and the other end (the upper end of neck 32 in Fig. 3) of the elastic arm serves as a free end and is provided with the locking projection (33).
Re Claim 20: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the connecting body (31) has a hollow annular structure.
Re Claim 22: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), further comprising:
a positioning projection (for example, the neck 32 and head 33 projecting from the lower sides of the connecting body 31; see annotated Fig. 6 above), arranged on the connecting body (31) or the elastic arm;
wherein the positioning projection is configured to be engaged with a positioning hole (24) of the first connecting pipe (23).
Re Claim 23: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the positioning projection is arranged on the connecting body (31) and is located at a position of the connecting body close (for example, at a radially inward position) to a connecting end of the elastic arm.
Re Claim 24: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the connecting body (31) has a first recess (for example, formed by the curved lower surface shown in Fig. 6) located on at least one of upper and lower sides of the connecting body, and the positioning projection is arranged on the first recess.
Re Claim 26: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), further comprising:
a supporting rib (for example, the neck 32 and head 33 projecting from one of the right or left-hand sides of the connecting body 31, as shown in Fig. 6), arranged on the connecting body (31) and protruding from an outer surface of the connecting body, the supporting rib being configured to be abutted against an inner wall of the first connecting pipe (for example, upon insertion into the tubular male socket 23).
Re Claim 27: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the elastic arm (32) is provided with a reinforcing rib (36) connected between the locking projection, the elastic arm and the connecting body, or between the locking projection (33) and the elastic arm (32).
Re Claim 28: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the connecting body (31) is integrated with the elastic arm (32).
Re Claim 29: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the connecting member (30) is made of an elastically deformable material (see Col. 2 lines 1-13).
Re Claim 30: Magid discloses a connecting member (30), wherein the locking projection (33) is provided with a wedge surface (34) configured to be pushed against by an inner wall of the second connecting pipe (10) to allow the locking projection (33) being engaged with or disengaged from the second through hole (11).
Re Claim 31: Magid discloses a connecting pipe structure (see Fig. 1), comprising a first connecting pipe (23) and a connecting member (30) according to claim 17 (see rejection of claim 17 above).
Re Claim 32: Magid discloses a detachable frame (see Fig. 1), comprising:
a first connecting pipe (23);
a second connecting pipe (10); and
a connecting member (30) according to claim 17 (see rejection of claim 17 above);
wherein the second connecting pipe (10) is detachably connected to the first connecting pipe (23) by the connecting member (30).
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.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Magid (US Patent 4,711,595), as applied to claims 17-20, 22-24, and 26-32 above, and further in view of Tallman (US Patent 3,897,044).
Re Claim 21: Magid, as discussed for claim 18 above, discloses a connecting member significantly as claimed except wherein the connecting end of the elastic arm is connected to an inner wall of the connecting body.
Tallman teaches the use of a connecting member for connecting a first connecting pipe (13) with a second connecting pipe (12), comprising a connecting body (37), configured to be arranged in the first connecting pipe (13); and an arm (40) connected to the connecting body (37) and provided with a locking projection (35); wherein one end of the arm (40) serves as a connecting end (at 42) and is connected to the connecting body (37), and the other ed of the arm serves as a free end (36); and further wherein the connecting end (at 42) of the arm is connected to an inner wall of the connecting body (37), for the purpose of easily connecting the arm to the connecting body.
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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 device of Magid, with a reasonable expectation of success, such that the connecting end of the elastic arm is connected to an inner wall of the connecting body, as taught by Tallman, for the purpose of easily connecting the elastic arm to the connecting body.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 26 May 2026 with respect to all pending claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW R MCMAHON whose telephone number is (571)270-3067. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Anderson can be reached at (571) 270-5281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW R MCMAHON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
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