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 without traverse of Claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 3/2/26 is acknowledged.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Reference number 5 is used to designate an “arc steel strip 5” and “an arc steel plate bar 5”. Similarly, Reference number 4 is used to designate an “U-shaped bar 4” and “U-shaped strip 4”.
Further, in [0031] a “bite component” is disclosed. It is unclear how is fig. 3 a bite component and nowhere further in the specification is this bite component mentioned again.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the columnar structure with gaps in a crisscross manner, and, the several cast steel components that fixedly connect the large and small longitudinal bars (claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
The “a fixed structure matched with the large longitudinal bar” and “a first locking piece” (claim 2) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
The “second locking member” (claim 4) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
No new matter should be entered.
Also, reference number 7 appears to be showing different elements in figures 4 and 6.
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 of 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 Objections
Claims 1-8 are objected to because of the following informalities: the preamble of the claims is directed to a “concrete skeleton structure”, however, there are no concrete elements being claimed. It appears the claims are drawn towards a device for forming a concrete structure.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-8 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.
With respect to claim 1, the claim is indefinite because of the following reasons:
The preamble of the claim recites a concrete skeleton structure and the body of the claim further recites “comprises a concrete skeleton”. Is it a concrete skeleton that includes a concrete skeleton within itself? Further, there are no concrete elements or any concrete being positively claimed. Is the claimed device for use in a concrete structure instead of a concrete structure?
The recitation of “to form a columnar structure with gaps in a crisscross manner” renders the claim indefinite because the Examiner doesn’t know what gaps in a crisscross manner means, it does not appear to be shown in the drawings and the specification does not provide enough support for a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine what gaps in a crisscross manner represents.
It is unclear what are the several cast steel components that fixedly connect the large and small longitudinal bars. According to the specification, the cast steel components comprise an occlusal docking component which comprises the U-shaped bar 4 and arc steel plate bar 5 (see [0039]), however, none of the drawings show elements 4 and 5 connecting the large and small longitudinal bars.
With respect to claim 2, the claim is indefinite because of the following reasons:
It is unclear how the occlusal docking component and the serial component connect the longitudinal bars. According to the specification, the occlusal docking component comprises the U-shaped bar 4 and arc steel plate bar 5 (see [0039]), however, none of the drawings show elements 4 and 5 connecting the large and small longitudinal bars.
The recitation of “the occlusal docking component is used for connecting pieces between the adjacent large longitudinal bars” is unclear. The claim does not specify what are the “pieces”. Further, the claim recites a use without any active, positive steps delimiting how this use is actually practiced thus rendering the claim indefinite (see MPEP 2173.05(q).
It is unclear what the “a fixed structure matched with the large longitudinal bar” is.
With respect to claim 3, the claim is indefinite because “the opening of the U-shaped strip” lacks proper antecedent basis.
With respect to claim 4, the claim is indefinite because the limitations “the serial components”, “the adjacent two first tandem connection plates”, “the other side”, “the arc surface of the first tandem connection plate” and “the junction surface” lack proper antecedent basis.
Lines 9-10 recite “a groove which is provided with a third tandem connection plate”. It is unclear if this is the same “a third tandem connection plate recited in line 3; if so, proper antecedent basis must be provided.
With respect to claims 5 and 6, the claims are indefinite because all the recited limitations lack proper antecedent basis.
With respect to claim 8, the claim is indefinite because “the reinforcing plate” and “the adjacent reinforcing plates” lack proper antecedent basis. Further, it is unclear what the phrase “the surfaces are alternatively combined with a triangular and a circular” thus rendering the scope of the claim unascertainable.
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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jun-Xian Huang CN 113700218 B (hereinafter ‘Huang’) -Foreign reference provided by Applicant, see machine translation attached herein.
For claim 1, Huang teaches, as best understood, a skeleton structure comprising several large longitudinal bars (1) and several small longitudinal bars (6) and several cast steel components (2, 3, 4), wherein the several large and small longitudinal bars are arranged along the length direction of the skeleton (see fig. 2) and are fixedly connected through the several cast steel components to form a columnar structure with gaps in a crisscross manner (see figs. 1 and 2 and first par. on page 4), the several small longitudinal bars are located inside the columnar structure (seen in fig. 2), several hook bars (5) are arranged circumferentially in the large bars on the outer side of the columnar structure, the large and small bars are both surrender by the hook bars (see figs. 1-2).
For claim 7, Huang teaches a symmetrical hook is provided at both ends of the hook bars (see fig. 5).
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.
Claims 2-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Yonetani Tokuo JP 2006070615 A (hereinafter ‘Tokuo’) -Foreign reference provided by Applicant, see machine translation attached herein.
For claims 2-3, 5-6 and 8 Huang teaches, as best understood, the claimed invention wherein the cast steel components comprise a occlusal docking component and a serial component (See figs. 3 and 4), a grid (fig. 2) and connection plates (4) but does not appear to teach the specific structure of the U-shaped element that seems to be claimed.
Tokuo teaches a skeleton structure comprising longitudinal bars (R) and cast steel components comprising an occlusal docking component that includes a U-shaped bar (2), an arch steel trip (3a -fig. 5) and a first locking piece (9b) forming a clamping surface for the bars (see fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the instant application, to provide the cast steel components of Tokuo in the system of Huang so as to attach the reinforcing bars without compromising their strength.
For claims 4, Huang teaches, as best understood, the claimed invention comprises a serial component (7) comprising first, second and third tandem connection plates (see fig. 2) but does not appear to teach the specific structure that seems to be claimed.
Tokuo teaches a skeleton structure comprising longitudinal bars (R) and cast steel components comprising a serial component a U-shaped bar (2), an arch steel trip (3a -fig. 5) and a first locking piece (9b) forming a clamping surface for the bars (see fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the instant application, to provide the serial component of Tokuo in the system of Huang so as to attach the reinforcing bars without compromising their strength.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
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/PAOLA AGUDELO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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