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
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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Pritchard et al (US 20150023761 A1), in view of Su et al (US 20200096034 A1)
Pritchard discloses a screw (20) with multiple thread angles (Fig.2, it is the position of the examiner that angles formed between points 42 and 42a, 36 and 36a as well as 52 and 52a are all different from one another) comprising: a head (22); a shank (23) extending outwards from said head (paragraph 0018) ; and a threaded portion having a plurality of thread convolutions spirally disposed on said shank (paragraph 0019, helical thread 26 generated around the core 25 of the shank 23), wherein each of said plurality of thread convolutions includes an upper thread flank facing toward said head (Fig.2 denotes a thread profile with upper thread flank towards the head), a lower thread flank opposite to said upper thread flank (Fig.2 denotes a lower thread flank opposite to the upper thread flank), and a thread crest formed along a junction of said upper thread flank and said lower thread flank (Fig.2 denotes that 42a of upper flank and 42 of lower thread flank forms the tip); wherein said upper thread flank includes a first upper flank section connected to said shank (Fig.2 annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the first upper flank section is the area between points 52a and 36a, with 52a connected to the shank), a second upper flank section connected to said first upper flank section (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the section denoted by 32a is the second upper flank section, connected to the point 36a of the first upper flank section), and a third upper flank section connected to said second upper flank section (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the segment between 42a and 35a is the third upper flank section, which is connected to 32a of the second upper flank section) and extended to said thread crest (42a is part of the thread crest), said lower thread flank including a first lower flank section connected to said shank (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the first lower flank section is the area between points X and point 52 which is connected to the shank), a second lower flank section connected to said first lower flank section (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the second lower flank section is the segment between points 35 and X), and a third lower flank section connected to said second lower flank section and extended to said thread crest (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the third lower flank is the area between points 42 and 35, with 42 making the tip and 35 connected to the second lower flank), said first lower flank section and said third lower flank section being curved in shape respectively so that said first lower flank section and said third lower flank section have respective curved surfaces in cross-section (Fig.2 annotated from Pritchard denotes, sections between points 42 and 35 (third lower flank section) and also between point X to 52 (first lower flank section) possess curved shape and hence it is the position of the examiner that both has respective curved surfaces in cross section) , said second lower flank section extending between said first lower flank section and said third lower flank section without bending so that said second lower flank section extends straightly to be in a non-curved form in cross-section (Fig.2 annotated from Pritchard, segment between points 35 and X extends straightly) .
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Pritchard however fails to disclose a plurality of notches being cut into said thread crest of at least one of said plurality of thread convolutions, with each of said plurality of notches including a chip-guiding surface recessed into said thread crest and two cutting edges formed along an outer periphery of said chip-guiding surface.
Su discloses a plurality of notches formed at the thread crest (Fig.8 and Fig.9 of Su depicts plurality of notches 344 at thread crest 345), while groove 346 on the notch allows guiding of debris (paragraph 0025). The motivation behind this is to allow stable and tight engagement between the screw and object and increase the ability to resist the pulling out force (paragraph 0026).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art, prior to the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the invention of Saito and include plurality of notches from Su on the thread crest of the screw of Saito, allowing chip-guiding surface. This will enable the invention of Saito to achieve greater stability on screw tightening with the object.
Regarding Claim 2, Pritchard modified by Su discloses all limitations of Claim 1. Pritchard also discloses wherein said second lower flank section includes a connecting segment (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the section between point 36 and X is the connecting segment) connected to said first lower flank section (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, first lower flank section is connected to the connecting segment through point X) and a linking segment extending between said connecting segment (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the linking segment is the area between point 35 and point 36) and said third lower flank section (Fig.2 annotated of Pritchard, the linking segment is connected to the third lower flank through point 35) , said connecting segment and said linking segment having respective second lower sloped surfaces which are different from each other (Fig.2 Annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the section between point 36 and X, has a different surface than the area between points 35 and 36).
Regarding Claim 3, Pritchard modified by Su discloses all limitations from Claim 1. Pritchard also discloses wherein said first upper flank section includes an engaging segment (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the area between points 52a and 51a is the engaging segment) connected to said shank (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, the engaging segment is connected to the shank through point 52a) and a stretching segment (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the stretching segment is area between 51a and 36a) extending between said engaging segment (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, the point 51a is shared by both the stretching segment and the engaging segment and hence are connected) and said second upper flank section (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, stretching segment is connected to the second upper flank section through point 36a), said engaging segment and said stretching segment having respective first upper sloped surfaces which are different from each other (Fig.2 Annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the areas between points 52a and 51a, has a different surface than the area between points 51a and 36a).
Regarding Claim 4, Pritchard modified by Su discloses all limitations of Claim 1. Pritchard also discloses wherein said second upper flank section is extended straightly to provide a second upper sloped surface (Fig.2 of Pritchard, the segment 32a extends in a straight line and hence provides a second upper sloped surface).
Regarding Claim 5, Pritchard modified by Su discloses all limitations of Claim 1. Pritchard also discloses, wherein said third upper flank section includes a cutting segment ( Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the area between 35a and 45a is the cutting segment) connected to said second upper flank section (the cutting segment and the second upper flank section share point 35a and hence are connected) and a severing segment (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the area between point 42a and 45a is the severing segment) and extending between said cutting segment (the severing segment and the cutting segment share the point 45a and hence are connected) and said thread crest (Fig.2 Annotated from Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the cutting segment is connected to the tip 40 via the point 42a), said cutting segment and said severing segment having respective third upper sloped surfaces which are different from each other (Fig.2 Annotated of Pritchard, it is the position of the examiner that the area between points 35a and 45a, has a different surface than the area between points 45a and 42a).
Regarding Claim 6, Pritchard as modified by Su discloses all limitations of claim 1. However, Pritchard fails to disclose a first plurality of thread convolutions and a second plurality of thread convolutions, said plurality of notches being recessedly formed on said first plurality of thread convolutions, the number of said first plurality of thread convolutions being in the range of one-third (1/3) to one-half (1/2) of the number of said plurality of thread convolutions.
Su discloses a first plurality of thread convolution (34, Fig.8 of Su) , and a second plurality of thread convolution (35, Fig.8 of Su), said plurality of notches being recessedly formed on said first plurality of thread convolutions (Fig.8 and Fig.9 depicts a plurality of notches 344 carving in the thread crest 345 on threads 34), the number of said first plurality of thread convolutions being in the range of one-third (1/3) to one-half (1/2) of the number of said plurality of thread convolutions (Fig.8 from Su, it is the position of the examiner that there are in total 15 revolutions or convolutions, out of which the cutting threads or the first plurality of convolutions consist of 6, which is 2/5, that is within the range pf 1/3 to ½ of the plurality of thread convolutions). The motivation behind this is to achieve efficient debris guidance and exclusion and hence tighter gripping between object and screw (Paragraph 0025).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art, prior to the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the invention of Pritchard and design a first and second type of plurality of thread convolutions within the existing plurality of thread convolutions at a ratio between 1/3 and ½ of plurality of the convolutions, while including notches on the first plurality of thread convolutions only. This will enable the invention of Pritchard to achieve efficient cutting and gripping on the object.
Regarding Claim 7, Pritchard modified by Su, discloses all limitations of Claim 1. Pritchard also discloses wherein said shank defines a plurality of surface sections each situated between any two adjacent thread convolutions when said plurality of thread convolutions are axially spaced apart (Fig.1 annotated of Pritchard denotes plurality of surface sections between 2 adjacent thread convolutions), at least one of said surface sections being recessedly formed to define an annular groove (Fig.1 annotated of Pritchard denotes annular groove between 2 thread convolutions).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Richard et al (US3069960A, herein Richard) discloses a screw threaded member with detailed analysis on thread structure. Richard fails to disclose other pertinent aspects regarding the instant application.
David et al (US20090116929A1, herein David) also discloses a screw with detailed thread profile, however lacked other pertinent aspects regarding the instant application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMAD FAROOQ whose telephone number is (571)270-3284. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday between 10:00am to 6:30pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills, can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMAD FAROOQ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675 /CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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