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 § 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.
Claim 17 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.
Claim 17 recites the limitations "the first end face" and “the second end face” in the third to last line and second to last line, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chelchowski et al. 7,455,328.
In regard to claims 15 and 17, Chelchowski et al. discloses a connection device comprising:
a base body 18 with a hose-receiving region, wherein a seal-receiving region is formed in the hose-receiving region and wherein a collet-chuck-receiving region is formed in the hose receiving region;
a collet chuck 20 with a connection opening for receiving a line-shaped component 34, the connection opening having a connection opening diameter, the collet chuck having a plurality of elastically resilient clamping elements 32 distributed over the circumference, the collet chuck being received in the collet-chuck-receiving region so as to be displaceable in the axial direction relative to the base body 18 (collet moves axially against seal 16 from fig. 2 to fig. 3), the clamping elements 32 being displaceable in the radial direction by axial displacement of the collet chuck relative to the base body (element 70 is pushed inward by 56);
a sealing element 16, which is arranged in the seal-receiving region and forms a seal between the line-shaped component 34 and the base body 18 wherein the connection device is configured to receive line-shaped components 34 with different line diameters in the hose-receiving region (diameter of 18 is capable of receiving line shaped components of any size smaller than the inner diameter of 18),
wherein a collet chuck opener 14 is formed, which corresponds to the clamping elements 32, wherein the collet chuck opener is displaceable relative to the collet chuck (see 14 from fig. 2 to fig. 3), and wherein the collet chuck opener has an actuating region 60, which is configured to bear against an opening bevel 62 of the clamping elements (as 60 is backed away from 62, from fig. 3 to fig. 2, the clamping elements are allowed to expand or open),
wherein the collet chuck opener has a guide region 36, which is arranged on the outside around the base body 18 and is configured for axially guided displacement on the base body (the threads cause movement of 14 along the axis 58), and
wherein the collet chuck opener has a first end wall 14, which connects the guide region 36 to the actuating region 60.
the first end face (sloped end face of 64 that contacts the end of 34) is arranged at a first angle to a central axis 58 and wherein the second end face (the inner bore of 18 steps down at the left end of 64) is arranged at a second angle to the central axis, wherein the first angle (angle of 64 that contacts 34, as best seen in fig. 3) is between 30 and 89 degrees.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-7, 9-14 and 16 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 15 and 17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E. BOCHNA whose telephone number is (571)272-7078. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at (571) 270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID BOCHNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679