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 under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show the angle α (page 26), the straight longitudinal axis cf (page 27), and the spring 40 (page 27) as described in the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). 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.
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 sliding guide contours of the cutter unit and the cutter head in claim 16 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 25 and 26 (Fig. 6d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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, 2, 6, and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1 and 17 reference a “skin contour”, which could be interpreted as positively claiming skin, which would be improper.
Applicant appears to have misspelled eccentric as “excentric” in claims 2 and 6.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first
paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s)
contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to
reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor,
or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the
application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
It is unclear what the slide guide contours of the cutter unit and the cutter head
are and how they are movable freely relatively to each other in a plane containing the
diving axis and perpendicular to the tilt axis so the cutter unit is held against movements
along the driving axis only by the leaf spring.
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 and 10-17 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.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is
unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention.
See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claims 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, the term “and/or” is indefinite.
Claim 1 additionally recites the limitation "the skin contour". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-8, 10-15, and 17 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims of copending Application 18/756,440 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1, 4-11, and 13-20 of Application 18/756,440 are similar in scope to claims 1-8 and 10-17 of the instant application (see below, where portions of conflicting claims are underlined).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Application 18/756,377 (instant application)
Application 18/756,440
Claim 1. Hair cutter such as electric shaver and/or electric trimmer, comprising a handle and a cutter head attached to said handle, and at least one cutter unit including a pair of drivable and stationary cutter elements cooperating with each other, said cutter unit being adjustably supported by means of a support structure including a spring mechanism to allow for elastic self-adaption of the cutter unit to the skin contour in terms of diving along a diving axis (z) extending perpendicular to a skin contact surface of the cutter unit and/or tilting of the cutter unit relative to a cutter head frame about a tilt axis (y) extending perpendicular to said dive axis (z), said spring mechanism including at least one elongated leaf spring, wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof.
Claim 1. Hair cutter, comprising a handle and a cutter head attached to said handle, and at least one cutter unit including a pair of drivable and stationary cutter elements cooperating with each other, said cutter unit being adjustably supported by a support structure including a spring mechanism to allow for elastic self-adaption of the cutter unit to the skin contour in terms of diving along a diving axis extending perpendicular to a skin contact surface of the cutter unit or tilting of the cutter unit relative to a cutter head frame about a tilt axis extending perpendicular to said dive axis, said spring mechanism including at least one elongated leaf spring, wherein said leaf spring is made from plastic material, said leaf spring is provided with varying cross sections, and said hair cutter is an electric shaver or an electric trimmer.
Claim 8. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof.
Claim 2. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said support structure forms an excentric, cantilever-type suspension holding the cutter unit elastically with regard to the diving and/or tilting self-adaption movements of the cutter unit and rigidly holding said cutter unit with regard to driving movements of the drivable and stationary cutter elements of the cutter unit relative to each other, wherein said leaf spring forms an elongated, cantilevered element projecting from and fixedly attached to the cutter head frame and wherein the cutter unit is held by the leaf spring in a cantilevered fashion with the cutter unit projecting from and fixedly attached to said leaf spring.
Claim 9. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said support structure forms an eccentric, cantilever-type suspension holding the cutter unit elastically with regard to the diving or tilting self-adaption movements of the cutter unit and rigidly holding said cutter unit with regard to driving movements of the drivable and stationary cutter elements of the cutter unit relative to each other, wherein said leaf spring forms an elongated, cantilevered element projecting from and fixedly attached to the cutter head frame and wherein the cutter unit is held by the leaf spring in a cantilevered fashion with the cutter unit projecting from and fixedly attached to said leaf spring.
Claim 3. Hair cutter according to claim 2, wherein a driving axis along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements are movable relative to each other, a longitudinal axis of the leaf spring and a main axis of the cutter head frame extending parallel to a skin contact surface of the cutter head, together define a Z-shaped arrangement which is elastically deformable by means of bending the leaf spring.
Claim 10. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a driving axis along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements are movable relative to each other, a longitudinal axis of the leaf spring and a main axis of the cutter head frame extending parallel to a skin contact surface of the cutter head, together define a Z-shaped arrangement which is elastically deformable by bending the leaf spring.
Claim 4. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring includes a center portion and a pair of bending portions between said center portion and said end portions or edge portions of the leaf spring rigidly attached to said cutter unit and said cutter head frame, respectively, wherein said center portion has a rigidity larger than the rigidity of said bending portions.
Claim 4. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring includes end or edge portions, a center portion, and a pair of bending portions between said center portion and said end portions of the leaf spring wherein said center portion has a rigidity larger than the rigidity of said bending portions.
Claim 5. Hair cutter according to claim 4, wherein said center portion has a center thickness larger than the thicknesses of said bending portions and/or a center width larger than the width of said bending portions of the leaf spring.
Claim 5. Hair cutter according to claim 4, wherein said center portion has a center thickness larger than thicknesses of said bending portions or a center width larger than a width of said bending portions of the leaf spring.
Claim 6. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring has a bending characteristic configured such that the cutter unit, despite the excentric attachment of the leaf spring to the cutter unit, dives along said diving axis (z) without tilting about said tilt axis (y), when the cutter unit is subject to skin contact pressure with its resultant skin contact force going through the center of the cutter unit.
Claim 6. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring has a bending characteristic configured such that the cutter unit dives along said diving axis without tilting about said tilt axis, when the cutter unit is subject to skin contact pressure with it's a resultant skin contact force going through the center of the cutter unit.
Claim 7. Hair cutter according to claim 6, wherein said leaf spring having bending portions adjacent to the end portions of the leaf spring attached to the cutter head and the cutter unit, respectively, wherein said bending portions provide for substantially identical bending stiffnesses and have substantially the same length, wherein said bending portions are separated from each other by a leaf spring center portion having a bending stiffness significantly larger than the bending stiffnesses of the bending portions.
Claim 7. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring having bending portions adjacent to end portions of the leaf spring and the end portions of the leaf spring are attached to the cutter head and the cutter unit, respectively, wherein said bending portions provide for substantially identical bending stiffnesses and have substantially the same length, wherein said bending portions are separated from each other by a leaf spring center portion having a bending stiffness significantly larger than the bending stiffnesses of the bending portions.
Claim 8. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein, when said cutter unit is in a neutral position with zero forces onto the skin contact surface, said leaf spring, with its longitudinal axis, and/or a virtual connection line going through the end portions of the leaf spring, extend at an acute angle (a) to a virtual plane perpendicular to the diving axis (z) and/or parallel to the skin contact surface of the cutter head, said acute angle (a) being less than about 30 degrees.
Claim 11. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein, when said cutter unit is in a neutral position with zero forces applied to the skin contact surface, said leaf spring, with its longitudinal axis, or a virtual connection line going through the end portions of the leaf spring, extend at an acute angle to a virtual plane perpendicular to the diving axis and/or parallel to the skin contact surface of the cutter head, said acute angle being less than about 30 degrees.
Claim 10. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring, with its longitudinal axis, extends at an acute angle (a) to the driving axis of the cutter unit along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements thereof are movable relative to each other, wherein said acute angle (a) is less than about 30 degrees.
Claim 13. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring has a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis extending at an acute angle to the driving axis of the cutter unit along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements thereof are movable relative to each other, wherein said acute angle is less than about 30 degrees.
Claim 11. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein one of the following:(i) said at least one cutter unit has an elongated, beam-shaped configuration defining a longitudinal axis (x), wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions are spaced apart from each other along said longitudinal axis (x) and/or are the outer most portions of said cutter unit along said longitudinal axis (x),(ii) said at least one cutter unit has a circular or cylindrical configuration having an axis (z) of rotational symmetry, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions of said cutter unit are opposed to each other on opposite sides of said axis (z) of rotational symmetry and/or are spaced apart from each other along a virtual line perpendicular to said axis (z) of rotational symmetry, and(iii) said first and second end portions of said cutter unit define a maximum extension of said cutter unit along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface and/or are spaced from each other along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface.
Claim 14. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cutter unit comprises one of the following: (i) said at least one cutter unit has an elongated, beam-shaped configuration defining a longitudinal axis, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions are spaced apart from each other along said longitudinal axis or are the outer most portions of said cutter unit along said longitudinal axis,(ii) said at least one cutter unit has a circular or cylindrical configuration having an axis of rotational symmetry, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions of said cutter unit are opposed to each other on opposite sides of said axis of rotational symmetry or are spaced apart from each other along a virtual line perpendicular to said axis of rotational symmetry, or (iii) said first and second end portions of said cutter unit define a maximum extension of said cutter unit along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface or are spaced from each other along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface.
Claim 12. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is attached to the stationary cutter element.
Claim 15. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is attached to the stationary cutter element.
Claim 13. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism of the support structure includes only one leaf spring and/or only one spring elastically holding the cutter unit at the cutter head frame.
Claim 16. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism of the support structure includes only one leaf spring.
Claim 14. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a drivetrain for driving the cutter elements of the at least one cutter unit relative to each other from a motor, includes a transmitter joint providing for a freedom of motion in an axial direction perpendicular to the contact surfaces of the cooperating cutter elements at which said cutter elements contact each other, thereby avoiding biasing of the cooperating cutter elements against each other from the drivetrain via the transmission joint, wherein driving resistance of the cutter unit is controlled independently by the leaf spring and/or controlled exclusively by a further spring.
Claim 17. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a drivetrain for driving the cutter elements of the at least one cutter unit relative to each other from a motor, includes a transmitter joint providing for a freedom of motion in an axial direction perpendicular to the contact surfaces of the cooperating cutter elements at which said cutter elements contact each other, thereby avoiding biasing of the cooperating cutter elements against each other from the drivetrain via the transmission joint, wherein driving resistance of the cutter unit is controlled independently by the leaf spring or controlled exclusively by a further spring.
Claim 15. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a transmission train for driving the cooperating cutter elements of said at least one cutter unit includes a spring-biased transmission joint applying biasing forces onto the drivable cutter element to bias said drivable cutter element against the stationary cutter element, wherein the leaf spring is configured to apply a biasing force onto the stationary cutter element counteracting said biasing force from the transmission joint.
Claim 18. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a transmission train for driving the cooperating cutter elements of said at least one cutter unit includes a spring- biased transmission joint applying biasing forces onto the drivable cutter element to bias said drivable cutter element against the stationary cutter element, wherein the leaf spring is configured to apply a biasing force onto the stationary cutter element counteracting said biasing force from the transmission joint.
Claim 17. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the cutter head is movably supported onto said handle by means of a support structure configured to allow rotatory self-adjustment of the cutter head to a skin contour, wherein said support structure provides for a swivel axis and/or a tilting axis for swiveling and/or tilting of the cutter head relative to the handle head portion, wherein such swivel and tilt axes extend perpendicular to each other and substantially parallel to a skin contact surface of a cutter head.
Claim 20. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the cutter head is movably supported onto said handle by a support structure configured to allow rotatory self-adjustment of the cutter head to a skin contour, wherein said support structure provides for a swivel axis or a tilting axis for swiveling or tilting of the cutter head relative to the handle head portion, wherein such swivel and tilt axes extend perpendicular to each other and substantially parallel to a skin contact surface of a cutter head.
Claims 1-7 and 11-17 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims of copending Application 18/756,480 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1, 4-10, and 14-20 of Application 18/756,480 are similar in scope to claims 1-8 and 10-17 of the instant application (see below, where portions of conflicting claims are underlined).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Application 18/756,377 (instant application)
Application 18/756,480
Claim 1. Hair cutter such as electric shaver and/or electric trimmer, comprising a handle and a cutter head attached to said handle, and at least one cutter unit including a pair of drivable and stationary cutter elements cooperating with each other, said cutter unit being adjustably supported by means of a support structure including a spring mechanism to allow for elastic self-adaption of the cutter unit to the skin contour in terms of diving along a diving axis (z) extending perpendicular to a skin contact surface of the cutter unit and/or tilting of the cutter unit relative to a cutter head frame about a tilt axis (y) extending perpendicular to said dive axis (z), said spring mechanism including at least one elongated leaf spring, wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof.
Claim 1. Hair cutter such as electric shaver and/or electric trimmer, comprising a handle and a cutter head attached to said handle, and at least one cutter unit including a pair of drivable and stationary cutter elements cooperating with each other, said cutter unit being adjustably supported by means of a support structure including a spring mechanism to allow for elastic self-adaption of the cutter unit to the skin contour in terms of diving along a diving axis extending perpendicular to a skin contact surface of the cutter unit and/or tilting of the cutter unit relative to a cutter head frame about a tilt axis extending perpendicular to said dive axis, said spring mechanism including at least one elongated leaf spring, characterized in that said leaf spring is connected with one portion to said cutter unit without play in the movement direction along axis x of the drivable cutter element and, with another portion to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion without play in the movement direction along axis x of the drivable cutter element.
Claim 8. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof.
Claim 2. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said support structure forms an excentric, cantilever-type suspension holding the cutter unit elastically with regard to the diving and/or tilting self-adaption movements of the cutter unit and rigidly holding said cutter unit with regard to driving movements of the drivable and stationary cutter elements of the cutter unit relative to each other, wherein said leaf spring forms an elongated, cantilevered element projecting from and fixedly attached to the cutter head frame and wherein the cutter unit is held by the leaf spring in a cantilevered fashion with the cutter unit projecting from and fixedly attached to said leaf spring.
Claim 9. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said support structure forms an eccentric, cantilever-type suspension holding the cutter unit elastically with regard to the diving and/or tilting self-adaption movements of the cutter unit and rigidly holding said cutter unit with regard to driving movements of the drivable and stationary cutter elements of the cutter unit relative to each other, wherein said leaf spring forms an elongated, cantilevered element projecting from and fixedly attached to the cutter head frame and wherein the cutter unit is held by the leaf spring in a cantilevered fashion with the cutter unit projecting from and fixedly attached to said leaf spring.
Claim 3. Hair cutter according to claim 2, wherein a driving axis along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements are movable relative to each other, a longitudinal axis of the leaf spring and a main axis of the cutter head frame extending parallel to a skin contact surface of the cutter head, together define a Z-shaped arrangement which is elastically deformable by means of bending the leaf spring.
Claim 10. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a driving axis along which the drivable and stationary cutter elements are movable relative to each other, a longitudinal axis of the leaf spring and a main axis of the cutter head frame extending parallel to a skin contact surface of the cutter head, together define a Z-shaped arrangement which is elastically deformable by means of bending the leaf spring.
Claim 4. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring includes a center portion and a pair of bending portions between said center portion and said end portions or edge portions of the leaf spring rigidly attached to said cutter unit and said cutter head frame, respectively, wherein said center portion has a rigidity larger than the rigidity of said bending portions.
Claim 4. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring includes end or edge portions, a center portion and a pair of bending portions between said center portion and said end portions of the leaf spring wherein said center portion has a rigidity larger than the rigidity of said bending portions.
Claim 5. Hair cutter according to claim 4, wherein said center portion has a center thickness larger than the thicknesses of said bending portions and/or a center width larger than the width of said bending portions of the leaf spring.
Claim 5. Hair cutter according to claim 4, wherein said center portion has a center thickness larger than the thicknesses of said bending portions and/or a center width larger than the width of said bending portions of the leaf spring.
Claim 6. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring has a bending characteristic configured such that the cutter unit, despite the excentric attachment of the leaf spring to the cutter unit, dives along said diving axis (z) without tilting about said tilt axis (y), when the cutter unit is subject to skin contact pressure with its resultant skin contact force going through the center of the cutter unit.
Claim 6. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring has a bending characteristic configured such that the cutter unit, despite the eccentric attachment of the leaf spring to the cutter unit, dives along said diving axis without tilting about said tilt axis, when the cutter unit is subject to skin contact pressure with its resultant skin contact force going through the center of the cutter unit.
Claim 7. Hair cutter according to claim 6, wherein said leaf spring having bending portions adjacent to the end portions of the leaf spring attached to the cutter head and the cutter unit, respectively, wherein said bending portions provide for substantially identical bending stiffnesses and have substantially the same length, wherein said bending portions are separated from each other by a leaf spring center portion having a bending stiffness significantly larger than the bending stiffnesses of the bending portions.
Claim 7. Hair cutter according to claim 6, wherein said leaf spring having bending portions adjacent to the end portions of the leaf spring attached to the cutter head and the cutter unit, respectively, wherein said bending portions provide for substantially identical bending stiffnesses and have substantially the same length, wherein said bending portions are separated from each other by a leaf spring center portion having a bending stiffness significantly larger than the bending stiffnesses of the bending portions.
Claim 11. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein one of the following:(i) said at least one cutter unit has an elongated, beam-shaped configuration defining a longitudinal axis (x), wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions are spaced apart from each other along said longitudinal axis (x) and/or are the outer most portions of said cutter unit along said longitudinal axis (x),(ii) said at least one cutter unit has a circular or cylindrical configuration having an axis (z) of rotational symmetry, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions of said cutter unit are opposed to each other on opposite sides of said axis (z) of rotational symmetry and/or are spaced apart from each other along a virtual line perpendicular to said axis (z) of rotational symmetry, and(iii) said first and second end portions of said cutter unit define a maximum extension of said cutter unit along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface and/or are spaced from each other along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface.
Claim 14. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein one of the following: (i) said at least one cutter unit has an elongated, beam-shaped configuration defining a longitudinal axis, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions are spaced apart from each other along said longitudinal axis and/or are the outer most portions of said cutter unit along said longitudinal axis,(ii) said at least one cutter unit has a circular or cylindrical configuration having an axis of rotational symmetry, wherein said first and second end portions or edge portions of said cutter unit are opposed to each other on opposite sides of said axis of rotational symmetry and/or are spaced apart from each other along a virtual line perpendicular to said axis of rotational symmetry, and(iii) said first and second end portions of said cutter unit define a maximum extension of said cutter unit along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface and/or are spaced from each other along an axis parallel to said skin contact surface.
Claim 12. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is attached to the stationary cutter element.
Claim 15. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is attached to the stationary cutter element.
Claim 13. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism of the support structure includes only one leaf spring and/or only one spring elastically holding the cutter unit at the cutter head frame.
Claim 16. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism of the support structure includes only one leaf spring and/or only one spring elastically holding the cutter unit at the cutter head frame.
Claim 14. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a drivetrain for driving the cutter elements of the at least one cutter unit relative to each other from a motor, includes a transmitter joint providing for a freedom of motion in an axial direction perpendicular to the contact surfaces of the cooperating cutter elements at which said cutter elements contact each other, thereby avoiding biasing of the cooperating cutter elements against each other from the drivetrain via the transmission joint, wherein driving resistance of the cutter unit is controlled independently by the leaf spring and/or controlled exclusively by a further spring.
Claim 17. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a drivetrain for driving the cutter elements of the at least one cutter unit relative to each other from a motor, includes a transmitter joint providing for a freedom of motion in an axial direction perpendicular to the contact surfaces of the cooperating cutter elements at which said cutter elements contact each other, thereby avoiding biasing of the cooperating cutter elements against each other from the drivetrain via the transmission joint, wherein driving resistance of the cutter unit is controlled independently by the leaf spring and/or controlled exclusively by a further spring.
Claim 15. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a transmission train for driving the cooperating cutter elements of said at least one cutter unit includes a spring-biased transmission joint applying biasing forces onto the drivable cutter element to bias said drivable cutter element against the stationary cutter element, wherein the leaf spring is configured to apply a biasing force onto the stationary cutter element counteracting said biasing force from the transmission joint.
Claim 18. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein a transmission train for driving the cooperating cutter elements of said at least one cutter unit includes a spring-biased transmission joint applying biasing forces onto the drivable cutter element to bias said drivable cutter element against the stationary cutter element, wherein the leaf spring is configured to apply a biasing force onto the stationary cutter element counteracting said biasing force from the transmission joint.
Claim 16. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cutter unit includes sliding guide contours engaging with and/or cooperating with cutter head sliding guide contours to allow for diving and/or tilting of the cutter unit relative to the cutter head frame, but preventing the cutter unit from swiveling relative to the cutter head frame about a swivel axis (x) perpendicular to the dive axis (z) and the tilt axis (y), wherein said sliding guide contours are configured freely movable relative to each other in a plane containing the diving axis (z) and perpendicular to the tilt axis (y) so the cutter unit is held against movements along the driving axis only by the leaf spring.
Claim 19. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cutter unit includes sliding guide contours engaging with and/or cooperating with cutter head sliding guide contours to allow for diving and/or tilting of the cutter unit relative to the cutter head frame, but preventing the cutter unit from swiveling relative to the cutter head frame about a swivel axis perpendicular to the dive axis and the tilt axis, wherein said sliding guide contours are configured freely movable relative to each other in a plane containing the diving axis and perpendicular to the tilt axis so the cutter unit is held against movements along the driving axis only by the leaf spring.
Claim 17. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the cutter head is movably supported onto said handle by means of a support structure configured to allow rotatory self-adjustment of the cutter head to a skin contour, wherein said support structure provides for a swivel axis and/or a tilting axis for swiveling and/or tilting of the cutter head relative to the handle head portion, wherein such swivel and tilt axes extend perpendicular to each other and substantially parallel to a skin contact surface of a cutter head.
Claim 20. Hair cutter according to claim 1, wherein the cutter head is movably supported onto said handle by means of a support structure configured to allow rotatory self-adjustment of the cutter head to a skin contour, wherein said support structure provides for a swivel axis and/or a tilting axis for swiveling and/or tilting of the cutter head relative to the handle head portion, wherein such swivel and tilt axes extend perpendicular to each other and substantially parallel to a skin contact surface of a cutter head.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 10-17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objections and rejections set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: No known reference
or combination of references teaches or suggests the features of claim 1, in particular the
combination of features required by claim 1 including “wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof”
US 5185926 A to Locke discloses a hair cutter such as electric shaver and/or
electric trimmer comprising a handle 27 and a cutter head 28 attached to said handle, and at least one cutter unit 21 including a pair of drivable 31 and stationary 22 cutter elements
cooperating with each other, said cutter unit being adjustably supported by means of a
support structure including a spring mechanism 70 to allow for elastic self-adaption of
the cutter unit to the skin contour in terms of diving along a diving axis extending
perpendicular to a skin contact surface of the cutter unit and/or tilting of the cutter unit
relative to a cutter head frame about a tilt axis extending perpendicular to said dive axis,
said spring mechanism including at least one elongated leaf spring (See Figs. 2 and 9). Locke does not disclose wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof.
Additionally, each of the following references discloses a relevant hair cutter which
has a spring mechanism which allows for elastic self-adaption of the cutter unit to the skin contour:
US 9676108 B2 to Beugels
US 5131148 A to Wahl
US 3456341 A to Loner
However, none of these references discloses wherein said leaf spring is rigidly attached, with one end portion, to a first end portion or edge portion of said cutter unit and, with another end portion, to said cutter head frame at a spring support portion thereof adjacent to a second end portion or edge portion of the cutter unit opposite to the first end portion or edge portion thereof as required by claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the
payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue
fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for
Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELLA LORRAINE KEENA whose telephone number is (571)272-1806. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am - 5:00 pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley can be reached at (571) 272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELLA L KEENA/Examiner, Art Unit 3724 /BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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