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
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 15 and 17-28 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 15 and 17-32 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 15 recites the limitation "…the circumference of the first drilling segment" in lines 13 and 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "…the direction of a second upper side opposite to the underside" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "…the circumference of the second drilling segment" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "…the circumferential direction" in lines 2 and 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 24 recites the limitation "…the direction of a third upper side" in lines 2 and 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 25 recites the limitation "…the circumferential direction over the circumference of the third drilling segment" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 31 recites the limitation "…the circumferential direction " in lines 3 and 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Pearce et al. (US 2017/0362900 A1) discloses a drill bit, comprising: a drilling shaft 20 having a cylinder (see figure 5) with a longitudinal axis 12, the cylinder has, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 12, an outside diameter, an inside diameter and a shaft width, and a plurality of drilling segments 34A, 34B spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction and fastened by an underside to the drilling shaft 20, the plurality of drilling segments 34A, 34B include a first drilling segment 34A with a first inner lateral surface having a first inner distance from the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 12, and a second drilling segment 34B with a second inner lateral surface having a second inner distance from the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 12 (See figures 5 and 7) however, is silent to any disclosure that the first inner lateral surface of the first drilling segment is formed as a portion of a first inner cone tapering in a direction of a first upper side opposite to the underside of the first drilling segment.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) 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.
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/BAYAN SALONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
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