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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 8/30/2024 and 7/22/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-4 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 3, “too” should be written as “tool” to provide increased clarity
Claim 1, line 1, “the installation” should read “[[the]] an installation” to avoid the antecedent basis issue
Claim 1, second to last line, “the socket” should read “the socket tool” to avoid the antecedent basis issue.
Claim 1, last line, “the socket” should read “the socket tool” to avoid the antecedent basis issue.
In claim 2, line 2, “second” should be written as “second end” to provide increased clarity and avoid the antecedent basis issue
In claim 3, line 3, “too” should be written as “tool” to provide increased clarity
Claim 3, line 1, “the installation” should read “[[the]] an installation” to avoid the antecedent basis issue
Claim 3, second to last line, “the socket” should read “the socket tool” to avoid the antecedent basis issue.
Claim 3, last line, “the socket” should read “the socket tool” to avoid the antecedent basis issue.
In claim 4, line 2, “second” should be written as “second end” to provide increased clarity and avoid the antecedent basis issue
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2 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.
Regarding claim 1, “deep socket” is recited in line 5 without any previous recitation of a deep socket, which is rejected under 112(b) for indefiniteness under lack of antecedent basis; “deep socket” should be written as “a deep socket.”
Claim 2 is rejected for depending upon a rejected base claim.
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 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hui (US 7334506 B2), hereinafter Hui.
Regarding claim 1, Hui teaches the multi-function socket (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) tool comprising: an elongated body having a first end defining a shallow socket (right side portion 21a of the socket 1; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) configured to engage the mounting bolt head (“left side of the socket 1 may be selectively engaged with two nuts (or bolts) of two size,” col. 2, lines 47-48, Hui), and further having a second end defining deep socket (left side portion 22 of the socket 1; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) configured to fit over the mounting bolt head and engage the lock nut (“right side of the socket 1 may be selectively engaged with further two nuts (or bolts) as third-sized and fourth-sized,” col. 2, lines 63-65, Hui),
the elongated body having an interior socket wall (inner holes 11 and 11a) defining a bottom end of each of the shallow and deep sockets (“As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, each lining 2 or 2a [formed in inner holes 11 and 11a, respectively] should be formed with a through hole 24, 24a through an inner end cover of each lining for driving the socket,” col. 3, lines 21-23, Hui; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below), the interior socket wall having a socket drive opening (hole 10a) passing axially through the interior wall of the socket (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) so it is accessible and functional from both ends of the socket (“an intermediate driving polygonal (e.g., square) hole 10a formed in a middle section in the socket 1 between the two inner holes 11, 11a,” col. 2, lines 32-35, Hui).
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Regarding claim 2, Hui teaches the invention as rejected above in claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the elongated body has a first diameter at the first end (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above) and a second larger diameter at the second (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above), and a chamfered transition area therebetween (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above).
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 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hui et al. (US 7334506 B2), hereinafter Hui, in view of Wallden (US 7117765 B1).
Regarding claim 3, Hui teaches the multi-function socket (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) too comprising: an elongated body having a first end defining a shallow socket (right side portion 21a of the socket 1; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) configured to engage the mounting bolt head (“left side of the socket 1 may be selectively engaged with two nuts (or bolts) of two size,” col. 2, lines 47-48, Hui), and further having a second end defining deep socket (left side portion 22 of the socket 1; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) configured to fit over the mounting bolt head and engage the lock nut (“right side of the socket 1 may be selectively engaged with further two nuts (or bolts) as third-sized and fourth-sized,” col. 2, lines 63-65, Hui), the elongated body having an interior socket wall (inner holes 11 and 11a) defining a bottom end of each of the shallow and deep sockets (“As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, each lining 2 or 2a should be formed with a through hole 24, 24a through an inner end cover of each lining for driving the socket,” col. 3, lines 21-23, Hui; as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below), the interior socket wall having a socket drive opening (hole 10a) passing axially through the interior wall of the socket (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 below) so it is accessible and functional from both ends of the socket (“an intermediate driving polygonal (e.g., square) hole 10a formed in a middle section in the socket 1 between the two inner holes 11, 11a,” col. 2, lines 32-35, Hui).
Cho does not teach a 7/16 inch twelve point shallow socket, a 9/16 inch six point deep socket, and a 1/4 inch socket drive.
However, Wallden does teach an example of a standard twelve-point socket set (Example 3) containing a 7/16 inch twelve point shallow socket (“The distal end of a twelve point 7/16 inch socket,” col. 16, line 32, Wallden; as shown in annotated Fig. 2 below) and a 1/4 inch socket drive opening (“For ratchets, sockets, extensions, and adapters the drive sizes are indicated by the (D) colored indicia-(L) space-(D) colored indicia. The indicia (D.L.D.) will typically read for 1/4'' drive,” col. 11, lines 49-52, Wallden).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Hui, to incorporate the teachings of Wallden’s example 3 to provide the option for the user to engage a tool that matches the socket end dimensions, such as a bolt or nut, with the 7/16 inch six point deep socket to meet their individual needs (col. 1, lines 1-35, Wallen).
Additionally, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Hui, to incorporate the teachings of Wallden’s 1/4 inch socket drive opening example 3 to provide the option for the user to engage a tool that matches the socket drive opening’s dimensions with socket drive opening to meet their individual needs (col. 1, lines 1-35, Wallen).
Hui, as modified with Wallden’s example of the standard twelve-point socket set does not teach a 9/16 inch six point deep socket.
However, Wallden does teach an example of a standard six-point socket set (Example 1) containing a 9/16 inch six point deep socket (“The distal end of a six point 9/16 inch socket,” col. 15, line 7, Wallden; as shown in annotated Fig. 2 below).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Hui, as modified, to incorporate the teachings of Wallden’s example 1 to provide the option for the user to engage a tool that matches the socket end dimensions, such as a bolt or nut, with the 9/16 inch twelve point shallow socket to meet their individual needs (col. 1, lines 1-35, Wallen).
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Regarding claim 4, Hui teaches the invention as rejected above in claim 3, wherein an exterior surface of the elongated body has a first diameter at the first end (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above) and a second larger diameter at the second (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above), and a chamfered transition area therebetween (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Roberge (US 5063652 A) teaches an apparatus for installing or retrieving a top beam C-shaped clamp, in which the configuration of the clamp with respect to the bolt and the lock nut strongly matching the claimed description for the beam clamp, mounting bolt, and lock nut (as shown in Fig. 7).
Hui (US 9272395 B2) teaches a multiple-in-one socket body containing a plurality of polygonal holes with a plurality of hole sizes used fastening a bolt or nut that matches the polygonal hole size.
Hsieh (US 12304036 B2) teaches a sleeve structure containing a tooth-structure disposed in the inner all of the sleeve body, similar to the end of a twelve-point socket, that engages with a tool, such as a hexagonal nut (as shown in Fig. 6 and 7).
Williams (US PGPUB 20170106503) teaches an extended impact socket construction similar to the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ISHAQ M ISHAQ whose telephone number is (571)270-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30AM-5PM.
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/I.M.I./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MICHAEL A GUMP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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