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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 10 (Figs. 18a-19c) in the reply filed on 9/16/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that CHEVALLIER does not teach the claimed device manipulator (Remarks pg. 1 para. 9). This is not found persuasive because part (210)(220) of the device manipulator moves the device through the received tubular element (Fig. 6)[[0101]. Applicant argues part 220 does not move the device through the received tubular element (Remarks pg. 2 para. 1). This is not persuasive because even if it holds the shuttle stationary, it is relatively moving the device through the received tubular element. Applicant argues that the device manipulator is not rotatable about the central axis of the rotatable drum (Remarks pg. 2 para. 2). The manipulator (52)(53)(220)(210) is relatively rotatable about the rotating drum shaft axis.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first action on the merits for application 18/714897. Claims 16-33, 36, 37 are currently pending in this application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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.
Claim(s) 16, 17, 19, 21, 30, 32, 33, 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by CHEVALLIER (2008/0200101).
Regarding Claim 16, CHEVALLIER teaches An apparatus for lubricating a surface of a tubular element (124) for a medicament delivery device, the apparatus comprising: a rotatable drum (226) comprising a tubular element receiving section (231, 232, 123) configured to receive a tubular element (124) to be lubricated, the rotatable drum being rotatable about its central axis (J); and a device manipulator (52)(53)(220) comprising a device handler at one end of a rod (210), the device handler being configured to receive a shaft portion (14) of a device (10) and the rod (210) being configured to move the device through the received tubular element (124), wherein the device manipulator (52)(53)(220) is rotatable about the central axis of the rotatable drum [0081][0109] (Figs. 5, 6).
Regarding Claim 17, CHEVALLIER teaches wherein the device handler comprises a hollow end (120A) configured to receive at least a part of the shaft portion (14) of the device for lubricating a surface of the tubular element (124).
Regarding Claim 19, CHEVALLIER teaches wherein the device manipulator is configured to move the device (10) in a translation movement relative to the received tubular element (124).
Regarding Claim 21, CHEVALLIER as modified teaches wherein the device manipulator is configured to move the device (10) in a translation movement relative to the received tubular element (124).
Regarding Claim 30, CHEVALLIER teaches further comprising a guide rail (50) extending circumferentially around at least a part of the circumference of the rotatable drum (226), the guide rail configured to help retain the tubular element (124) in the tubular element receiving section.
Regarding Claim 32, CHEVALLIER teaches further comprising the device for lubricating a surface of the tubular element (124).
Regarding Claim 33, CHEVALLIER teaches wherein the device comprises the shaft portion (14) formed from plastic [0022][0023], and a brush portion (12) located on the shaft portions portion, the brush portion comprising at least one radial projection (18).
Regarding Claim 36, CHEVALLIER teaches wherein the device comprises the shaft portion (14) and a brush portion located on the shaft portion, the brush portion comprising at least one radial projection in a helical form (Fig. 3).
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) 18, 19, 20, 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEVALLIER (2008/0200101) in view of GALANTAI (2021/0402448)
Regarding Claim 18, CHEVALLIER does not teach wherein the hollow end of the device handler comprises a profile configured to cooperate with a profile of an extremity of the shaft portion to prevent relative rotation between the device manipulator and the device.
GALANTAI teaches wherein the hollow end of the device handler comprises a profile (110)(Fig. 26) configured to cooperate with a profile of an extremity of the shaft portion (152) to prevent relative rotation between the device manipulator and the device (100).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to change the device in CHEVALLIER to have the handler configuration in GALANTAI so the device could be rotated or prevented from rotating so the polisher operates optimally.
Regarding Claim 19, CHEVALLIER as modified teaches wherein the device manipulator is configured to move the device (10) in a translation movement relative to the received tubular element (124).
Regarding Claims 20, 22 CHEVALLIER teaches wherein the device manipulator is configured to move the device in a rotational movement relative to the received tubular element.
GALANTAI teaches wherein the device manipulator is configured to move the device in a rotational movement relative to the received tubular element [0066].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to change the device in CHEVALLIER to have the handler configuration in GALANTAI so the device could be rotated or prevented from rotating so the polisher operates optimally.
Claim(s) 23, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEVALLIER (2008/0200101) in view of RUOHAI (CN 112337743)
Regarding Claims 23, CHEVALLIER does not teach further comprising a device orientating tool located on the rotatable drum, the device orientating tool being configured to take over control of the device from the device manipulator once it has been moved through the tubular element.
RUOHAI teaches further comprising a device orientating tool located on the rotatable drum, the device orientating tool being configured to take over control of the device from the device manipulator once it has been moved through the tubular element (pg 3 para. 1 – pg 7 para. 63)(Figs. 1-4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to change the device in CHEVALLIER to have the handler configuration in RUOHAI so the device could be rotated to more evenly distribute the liquid lubricant.
Regarding Claims 24, CHEVALLIER as modified wherein the device orientating tool is configured to rotate about an axis that extends perpendicularly relative to the central axis of the rotatable drum to rotate the device 180 degrees before handing back control of the device to the device manipulator before the device is moved back through the tubular element (RUOHAI pg 3 para. 1 – pg 7 para. 63)(Figs. 1-4).
Claim(s) 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEVALLIER (2008/0200101) in view of BLACK (7,367,151).
Regarding Claim 37, CHEVALLIER does not teach wherein an outer diameter of the helical form is tapered at both longitudinal ends of the brush portion such that the outer diameter of the helical form is reduced at the longitudinal ends of the brush portion.
BLACK teaches wherein an outer diameter of the helical form (60) is tapered at both longitudinal ends of the brush portion such that the outer diameter of the helical form is reduced at the longitudinal ends of the brush portion (Fig. 18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to change the device in CHEVALLIER to have the brush shape in BLACK so the brush is more easily moved into a tube and pulled out of a tube.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 25-29, 31 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the rotatable drum comprises a first section and a second section having a smaller radius that the first section, the first section comprising the tubular element receiving section and the second section comprising the device orientating tool with the other elements in Claim 25.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the device orientating tool is located vertically above the tubular element receiving section with the other elements in Claim 26.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the device orienting tool or a further device orientating tool is located vertically below the tubular element receiving section with the other elements in Claim 27
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the device orientating tool comprises two clamping hands configured to grip the shaft portion of the device, the two clamping hands being moveable between open and closed positions with the other elements in Claim 28.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the device orientating tool comprises two clamping hands configured to grip the shaft portion of the device, the two clamping hands being moveable between open and closed positions with the other elements in Claim 29
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the tubular element receiving section comprises a substantially semi-circular recess in the rotatable drum with the other elements in Claim 31.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY Y LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-7018. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30 ET.
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HENRY Y. LIU
Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/HENRY Y LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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