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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because arrows may be used at the ends of the lines, provided that their meaning is clear, such as, on a lead line, a freestanding arrow to indicate the entire section towards which it points. All the lead lines have arrows. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered, and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 13-20 - are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoder (10,352,619) in view of Garot (2022/0205720) and Nishikawa (4,651,487).
13. Yoder, fig. 7, teaches a refractory anchor comprising:
a main anchor body including anchor branch segments (each of the four legs extending from base pin assembly 10) angled (90 degrees) with respect to each other, and
a mounting stud 10 that includes a bottom vessel-attaching portion (the bottom of the stud) and an upper anchor-attaching portion (the top part of the stud), wherein the upper anchor-attaching portion includes a notch, fig. 7A, configured to at least partially receive the main anchor body.
Yoder does not teach the mounting stud includes the anchor-attaching portion is wider than the bottom vessel-attaching portion or extension segments, each extension segment extends outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments.
Garot teaches extension segments 91, each extension segment extends outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments 70-73. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Yoder to have extension segments, each extension segment extends outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments to be able to use relatively less anchors on large surfaces, para. 6. Nishikawa, figs. 3-4, teaches a mounting element includes an anchor-attaching portion (the upper part) is wider than a bottom vessel-attaching portion (the bottom part). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the mounting element to include an anchor-attaching portion wider than a bottom vessel-attaching portion for material cost savings, as less material is needed at the bottom.
14. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 13, Yoder further teaching each of the anchor branch segments comprise: a primary anchor strip including a first slot extending through a portion of the primary anchor strip; and a secondary anchor strip including a second slot extending through a portion of the secondary anchor strip, the second slot configured to receive the first slot, col. 5, lines 9-16.
15. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 14, Yoder further teaching the primary anchor strip and the secondary anchor strip comprise: a first outer portion; a central portion; and a second outer portion spaced apart from the first outer portion by the central portion (the portion with the slots), wherein the central portion of the primary anchor strip is configured to engage the central portion of the secondary anchor strip, col. 5, lines 9-16.
16. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 14, Yoder further teaching the central portion of the primary anchor strip and the central portion of the secondary anchor strip are coupled to the mounting stud, fig. 7B.
17. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 14, Nishikawa further teaching the mounting stud includes a shoulder 4a between the upper anchor-attaching portion and the bottom vessel-attaching portion.
18. Yoder, fig. 7, teaches a refractory anchor comprising:
a main anchor body comprising:
a plurality of anchor branch segments (each of the four legs extending from base pin assembly 10) angled (90 degrees) with respect to each other, and a mounting stud 10 configured to engage the main anchor body, the mounting stud comprising: a bottom vessel-attaching portion (the bottom) that defines a first outer diameter, and an upper anchor-attaching portion (the top) that defines a second outer diameter.
Yoder does not teach extension segments extending outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments and angled relative to the respective anchor branch segment or the second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter.
Garot teaches extension segments 91, each extension segment extends outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments 70-73. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Yoder to have extension segments, each extension segment extends outwardly from a respective one of the anchor branch segments to be able to use relatively less anchors on large surfaces, para. 6. Nishikawa, figs. 3-4, teaches a mounting element includes an anchor-attaching portion (the upper part) is wider than a bottom vessel-attaching portion (the bottom part). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the mounting element to include the second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter for material cost savings, as less material is needed at the bottom.
19. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 18, Nishikawa further teaching the mounting stud includes a shoulder 4a between the upper anchor-attaching portion and the bottom vessel-attaching portion.
20. Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the refractory anchor of claim 18, Yoder further teaching each of the anchor branch segments comprise: a primary anchor strip including a first slot extending through a portion of the primary anchor strip; and a secondary anchor strip including a second slot extending through a portion of the secondary anchor strip, the second slot configured to receive the first slot, col. 5, lines 9-16.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed. While Yoder in view of Garot and Nishikawa teaches the claim 1 refractory anchor, including an upstanding wall (either of the two walls formed by either of the two slots) defining an internal longitudinal bore (the slot is a bore as broadly recited), the upstanding wall as defined is not an upstanding peripheral wall because the two slots bisect the stud and meet at the stud center.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J KENNY whose telephone number is (571)272-9951. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/DANIEL J KENNY/ Examiner, Art Unit 3633