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 .
Response to Arguments
Claims 13-24 have been cancelled by amendment. As such, the rejections of the claims under 35 USC § 112(b), 102(a)(1), and 103 are rendered moot and are likewise withdrawn. Claims 25-44 are presented as new with claims 25, 32, and 39 in independent form.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
The terms “engaging section” and “engaging target section” as used in claims 25, 32, and 39 are being interpreted to mean the thread section (27) and the threaded receiving portion of the slide section (16).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 25-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 25 recites “a slide section having one side provided with a catching and releasing section” in ln. 2. The claim subsequently recites “the catching and releasing section is a pair of catching and releasing sections” in ln. 4-5. This configuration is not supported by the specification and illustrations, as one side the of slide section (16) is not provided with “a pair of catching and releasing sections”, and the “energizing member” (20) cannot therefore push them in “directions away from each other”. Additionally, each of the supposed pair of “catching and releasing sections” are referred to in both the singular and plural by the claims depending from claim 25, and no clear indication is provided in the claims by which the various catching and releasing sections may be differentiated from the catching and releasing section provided on the one side of the slide section. As a result, one of ordinary skill in the art would be unable to determine, clearly and unambiguously, the specific part or structure to which each subsequent claim limitation applies.
As per the Manual of Patent Examining Procedures (MPEP) § 2173.02.II “If the language of the claim is such that a person of ordinary skill in the art could not interpret the metes and bounds of the claim so as to understand how to avoid infringement, a rejection of the claim under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, is appropriate.” Thus, claims 25-31 are rejected under 35 USC § 112(b) for indefiniteness.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
No prior art was found wherein a connector for a timepiece comprising a slidable catching and releasing section which engages and disengages from a catching section and further comprises a screw-like operation section which acts to disengage the catching and releasing section and further wherein the engaging portion of the operation section is itself removable from the threaded receptacle provided in the outer end portion of the catching and releasing section.
The closest prior art includes: Gay (US 4716631, hereinafter Gay).
Regarding claim 32, Gay discloses an embodiment of a connector for a timepiece band (see fig. 4) using a hybrid spring bar having threaded portions (23, 24) which slide under the action of a coil spring (2) to engage and disengage the band from the watch via a catching section (33). However, the threaded portions are found in the interior of the lug structure of the watch (the catching section), and the threaded operating sections are fixed to be a part of the piston sections of the spring bar and directly engage the threading of the catching section. Thus, Gay fails to teach “an operation section which includes a head section and an engaging section fixed in an engaging target section formed in the catching and releasing section of the slide section and which is attached to a second member, and releases the catching and releasing section from engaging with the catching section, wherein the operation section is detachably provided on an axial center portion of the catching and releasing section.”
Regarding claim 39, Gay discloses an embodiment of a connector for a timepiece band (see fig. 4) using a hybrid spring bar having threaded portions (23, 24) which slide under the action of a coil spring (2) to engage and disengage the band from the watch via a catching section (33). Gay further discloses the catching section (33) as having a slide groove (see fig. 5) with a width shorter than the interior of the fitting hole which allows operating sections (23, 24) to pass through the opening. However, Gay’s connector fails to teach “an operation section which includes a head section and an engaging section fixed in an engaging target section formed in the catching and releasing section of the slide section and which is attached to a second member, and releases the catching and releasing section from engaging with the catching section” or “a slide regulation section that temporarily restricts the sliding section of the catching and releasing section from passing through the slide groove.”
Conclusion
Applicant's amendments necessitated the new grounds 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 MICHAEL J WALKER whose telephone number is (571)270-7599. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM ET Monday through Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at (571)272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL JAMES WALKER/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/EDWIN A. LEON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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