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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 and 13 in the reply filed on 5/13/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 objected to because of the following informality: “the grooves” lacks antecedent basis because only one groove has been previously recited. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 2, 4, 7-9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Christian, US 2019/0346812.
Regarding claim 1, Christian discloses a stud comprising: a support portion formed into a shape of a column (2); and a spring receiving portion (arms 6, 8) being provided on the support portion and including a slit portion (gap 10) to which a hairspring (20) is to be inserted and fixed, wherein the spring receiving portion is formed into a truncated conical shape centered on a center line that passes through a center of the column (Fig 2A), a groove (38) that forms a constricted portion on an outer periphery is provided between the support portion and the spring receiving portion (Fig 2C), and the slit portion is a notch portion that is formed from an upper surface toward a bottom surface of the spring receiving portion in the truncated conical shape, and thrusts into a portion of the groove (Fig 2B, 2C).
Regarding claim 2, Christian discloses the groove (38) includes a first surface being parallel to the center line and constituting a bottom portion of the groove (at 38 arrowhead), a second surface crossing the first surface and being located on the spring receiving portion side (Fig 2A surface on receiving side), and a third surface crossing the first surface and being located on the support portion side (Fig 2A surface on support side), and the third surface is parallel to an upper surface of the support portion (top surface of support side is parallel with upper surface of receiving side) or inclined to a lower side of the center line.
Regarding claim 4, Christian discloses the groove (38) goes round along an outer periphery of the column (Fig 2A-C).
Regarding claim 7, Christian discloses a hairspring (20) with stud (2) formed by attaching an end portion of a hairspring to a stud by using an adhesive (Fig 2D also see [0042]), wherein the stud is provided with a slit portion (gap 10) to which the end portion of the hairspring is to be inserted and fixed, and a groove (38) formed on an outer periphery, the slit portion thrusts into a portion of the groove, and the adhesive is present in the slit portion and in the groove (Fig 2D).
Regarding claim 8, Christian discloses a balance with hairspring comprising: the hairspring with stud according to claim 7; a balance staff rotatably supported by a receiving member; a balance wheel fixed to the balance staff; and a collet fixed to the balance staff (see [0001]-[0003]).
Regarding claim 9, Christian discloses a watch comprising: the balance with hairspring according to claim 8; and a movement containing the balance with hairspring (see [0001]-[0003]).
Regarding claim 13, Christian discloses a stud (2) comprising: a slit portion (gap 10) to which a hairspring (20) is to be inserted and fixed, wherein the stud includes a groove (38) that forms a constricted portion on an outer periphery at a position overlapping a bottom surface of the slit portion (Fig 2C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5 and 6 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to disclose or reasonably suggest the claimed stud further including a bottom surface of the slit portion is located above the third surface of the groove.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art fails to disclose or reasonably suggest the claimed stud further including the groove helically goes round at least once along an outer periphery of the column.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)270-3994. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/JASON M COLLINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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