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 Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1 and 11, ln line 7 of each claim, “upper compression element” should read --the upper compression element--; and in line 8 of each claim, “mates” should read --mate--. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stone (US 2011/0031740) in view of Lind et al. (US 2016/0131294).
With regard to claim 1, Stone discloses a toolless compression mechanism (fig. 2) comprising an upper compression element 20/22 having a hub (cylindrical portion of 22), a base 20 having a locator element 42 positioned on an underside surface of the base and a hub extension having inner threads disposed therein (as can be seen in figure 2, threads in 22), an intermediate compression element 16 having an upper intermediate compression surface having a channel 38 that upon assembly of the toolless compression mechanism mates with the upper compression element, a lower compression segment having an extension with threads that mate with the inner threads of the upper compression element, and a sealing element 14 positioned between the intermediate compression element and the lower compression segment, wherein when turned, the upper compression element is displaced along the extension such that the sealing element is compressed Figs 4A and 4B).Stone does not disclose a plurality of wings surrounding the hub of the upper compression element, however, Lind et al. teaches providing ribs/wings 56 to a similar upper compression elements of a compression mechanism for reinforcement, see paragraph [0037] and figures 6 and 7. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided ribs/wings to the hub of the upper compression element of Stone, in light of the teachings of Lind et al. as reinforcement for the upper compression element.
Regarding claim 2, see figures 4A and 4B of Stone.
Regarding claim 3, Applicant should note that ring 18 that engages base of upper compression element and upper part of intermediate compression element acts as the claimed compression indicator, see paragraph [0023] of Stone.
Regarding claims 4 and 5, see figures 4A and 4B of Stone.
Regarding claim 6, see base 20 in figure 2.
Regarding claim 7, extension 42 is equivalent to the claimed locator elements.
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Applicant should note that spring 18 is structurally equivalent to the claimed segmented channel and a plurality of stops, see figure 3 of Stone. The friction interaction between base 20 and spring 18 will inhibit relative rotation between base 20 and intermediate compression element 16, effectively fulfilling the function of the claimed stops.
Regarding claim 10, see figure 6 of Lind et al.
With regard to claim 11, Stone discloses a toolless compression mechanism (fig. 2) comprising an upper compression element 20/22 having a hub (cylindrical portion of 22), a base 20 having a locator element 42 positioned on an underside surface of the base and a hub extension having inner threads disposed therein (as can be seen in figure 2, threads in 22), an intermediate compression element 16 having an upper intermediate compression surface having a channel 38 that upon assembly of the toolless compression mechanism mates with the upper compression element, a lower compression segment having an extension with threads that mate with the inner threads of the upper compression element, and a sealing element 14 positioned between the intermediate compression element and the lower compression segment, wherein when turned, the upper compression element is displaced along the extension such that the sealing element is compressed Figs 4A and 4B).Stone does not disclose the upper compression element having a winged portion surrounding the hub, however, Lind et al. teaches providing ribs/wings 56 to a similar upper compression elements of a compression mechanism having a winged portion surrounding a hub for reinforcement, see paragraph [0037] and figures 6 and 7. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided a winged portion surrounding the hub of the upper compression element of Stone, in light of the teachings of Lind et al. as reinforcement for the upper compression element.
Regarding claim 12, see figure s 4A and 4B of Stone.
Regarding claim 13, Applicant should note that ring 18 that engages base of upper compression element and upper part of intermediate compression element acts as the claimed compression indicator, see paragraph [0023] of Stone.
Regarding claims 14 and 15, see figures 4A and 4B of Stone.
Regarding claim 16, see base 20 in figure 2.
Regarding claim 17, extension 42 is equivalent to the claimed locator elements.
Regarding claims1 8 and 19, Applicant should note that spring 18 is structurally equivalent to the claimed segmented channel and a plurality of stops, see figure 3 of Stone. The friction interaction between base 20 and spring 18 will inhibit relative rotation between base 20 and intermediate compression element 16, effectively fulfilling the function of the claimed stops.
Regarding claim 20, see figure 6 of Lind et al.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/ESSAMA OMGBA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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