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 .
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 1/2/26. Accordingly the application has been amended.
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 1-10 and all claims depending therefrom are 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "at least one of the fixtures" in 11 and “the fixture interface” in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. The claim provides antecedent basis for “at least one fixture interface”, accordingly it is unclear if the above noted recitations are the same as or in addition to the “at least one fixture interface” causing confusion regarding the scope of the claimed invention.
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(s) 1-10,12-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ono (5575938) in view of Duncan (5207527).
Claim 1. Ono discloses a connecting component having a shuttering interface (39) for releasably connecting to a frame (4) of a formwork panel (1), wherein the shuttering interface comprises a first gripping device (one of 40) having at least one first gripping arm (at 40) with a clamping jaw (41); and
a second gripping device (the other of 40) having at least one second gripping arm (at 40) with a clamping jaw (41),
wherein the at last one first gripping arm of the first gripping device is movable in a closing direction relative to the at least one second gripping arm of the second gripping device in order to connect the clamping jaws to or release them from the frame (4, as noted in the figures and disclosure) and
at least one fixture interface (30) for releasably connecting to a fixture (30 and/or M), wherein the shuttering interface and the fixture interface are actuatable independently of one another (as noted in the figures and disclosure),
wherein the shuttering interface and at least one of the fixtures are detachably connected to one another (where 39 is detachably connected to 31), wherein the shuttering interface has a first contact surface (at 29a) having an elongated hole (as seen in the figures) and the fixture interface has a second contact surface; and wherein a fastening element (as seen in the annotated figure) can be introduced through the first elongated hole in order to releasably connect the first and second contact surfaces to one another. Ono does not expressly disclose the first interface has a second elongated hole, or that the fastening element can be introduced through both the first and second elongated holes.
It is known in the art to connect elements with a fastener introduced through first and second elongated holes of the first and second components respectively. For example, Duncan discloses a first component interface having a first contact surface with an elongated hole (48/50) and a second component interface having a second contact surface having a second elongate hole (22) and a fastening element (20) introduced through both of the first and second elongated holes in order to releasably connect the first and second contact surfaces to one another.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed at the time the invention was filed to pursue known design options and modify the at least one fixture interface to have a second contact surface having a second elongated hole, wherein a fastening element can be introduced through both of the first and second elongated holes in order to releasably connect the first and second contact surfaces to one another, as taught by Duncan, to achieve the predictable result of an easily aligned and assembled interface that resist undesired separation while still being easily disassembled when desired.
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Claim 2. The connecting component according to claim 1 wherein the fixture interface can be connected to a scaffold section, a platform section, a support, as an fixture (such as M and/or as seen in the figures and as noted in the disclosure).
Claim 3. The connecting component according to claim 1 wherein the shuttering interface has a locking mechanism (as seen in the annotated figure below) in order to adjust and/or releasably fix the position of the at least one first gripping arm and the at least one second gripping arm in the closing direction (as noted in the figures and disclosure).
Claim 4. The connecting component according to claim 3 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a wedge (as noted in the annotated figure).
Claim 5. The connecting component according to claim 4, wherein the two gripping devices each have recesses (as noted in the annotated figure) which at least partially overlap one another and into which the wedge is configured to be inserted or is inserted (as seen in figure 6).
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Claim 6. The connecting component according to claim 5, wherein the wedge is captively arranged in the recesses (as seen in the figures).
Claim 7. The connecting component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first gripping arm comprises two first gripping arms (as seen in the annotated figure), and the at least one second gripping arm comprises a second gripping arm (as seen in the annotated figure).
Claim 8. The connecting component according to claim 7, wherein the two first gripping arms and the second grip arm run plane-parallel and at a distance from one another, and the second gripping arm is arranged in an intermediate space between the two first gripping arms (as seen in the annotated figure 5).
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Claim 9. The connecting component according to claim 7, wherein at least one bolt (as noted in the annotated figure) is present which bridges an intermediate space between the two first gripping arms and is arranged such that it serves as a stop for the second gripping arm.
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Claim 10. The connecting component according to claim 1 wherein the clamping jaws have a projection at their front ends, which projection is designed to engage in grooves of the frame (as seen in figure 6 and as noted in the disclosure).
Claim 12. The connecting component according to claim 1, wherein the fastening element is integrally connected to the contact surface of the fixture interface (as seen in figure 6), and/or the at least one second gripping arm has a projection which is designed and arranged such that a rotation of the fastening element is limited by the projection.
Claim 13. The connecting component according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface of the shuttering interface is formed by an angled surface of one of the at least one first gripping arm, and/or the contact surface of the fixture interface is formed by a base of a rail U-shaped in cross section (as seen at 31 in the figures).
Claim 14. The connecting component according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixtures interfaces has a bore (as seen in the figures where the bore accommodates the wedge, best seen in figure 7) for fastening a push-pull prop (the wedge).
Claim 15. The connecting component according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and/or second gripping arms has the bore (as seen in figures 5-6).
Claim 16. Ono discloses a system for shuttering a wall element, comprising at least one formwork panel (1) and at least one connecting component, wherein the formwork panel (1) has a frame having multiple longitudinal struts (4) and multiple cross struts (5), wherein the longitudinal struts (4) and the cross struts (5) are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another,
wherein at least a section of the longitudinal struts and/or of the cross struts (5) has at least two grooves (15) which run in the longitudinal direction and on opposite side surfaces of the respective longitudinal strut and/or cross strut, and
wherein the connecting component is a connecting component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first gripping arm and the at least one second gripping arm (as noted in claim 1 above) of the connecting component engage in the at least two grooves of a respective longitudinal strut and/or cross strut (as seen in the figures 5-6 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 17. The connecting component according to claim 2, wherein the support is a push- pull prop (as noted in the disclosure, where it can be a push pull prop).
Claim 18. The connecting component according to claim 4, wherein an outer contour of the wedge at least partially forms a control surface (as seen in the figures).
Claim 19. The connecting component according to claim 6, wherein the wedge has stops, each projecting beyond the recesses at its front ends to form the captive securing (as seen in the annotated figure below).
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Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ono (5575938) in view of Schwoerer (6767154).
Claim 20. Ono discloses a connecting component having a shuttering interface (39) for releasably connecting to a frame (4) of a formwork panel, wherein the shuttering interface comprises:
a first gripping device (one of 40) having at least one first gripping arm (at 40) with a clamping jaw (41); and
a second gripping device (the other of 40) having at least one second gripping arm (at 40) with a clamping jaw (41), wherein the at least one first gripping arm of the first gripping device moves in a closing direction relative to the at least one second gripping arm of the second gripping device in order to connect the clamping jaws to or release them from the frame; and
at least one fixture interface (31) for releasably connecting to a fixture (M), wherein the shuttering interface and the fixture interface are actuatable independently of one another (as note dint eh figures and disclosure).
Ono does not expressly disclose that the at least one first gripping arm of the first gripping device translates linearly in a closing direction relative to the at least one second gripping arm of the second gripping device.
Schwoerer discloses that it is known for a at least one first gripping arm of a first gripping device translates linearly in a closing direction relative to at least one second gripping arm of a second gripping device (as note din the figures and disclosure). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to pursue known design options and modify the at least one first gripping arm to translate linearly in a closing direction relative to the at least one second gripping arm as taught by Schwoerer to achieve the predictable result of precisely fitting the gripping device to the frame to achieve a secure connection that resists slipping and undesired movement.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 1/2/26, regarding the first and second elongated holes have been fully considered and are persuasive. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Duncan 5207527 as noted above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LAUX whose telephone number is (571)272-8228. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
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JESSICA L. LAUX
Examiner
Art Unit 3635
/JESSICA L LAUX/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635