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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-6, 8, 10, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schwob (DE 27 23 728).
Regarding claim 1, Schwob teaches an outer net blade member 2 that forms an outer net blade provided on an electric razor, the outer net blade member comprising:
a cuttable region configured to cut hair in a state where the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
wherein
in the cuttable region, a plurality of blade holes (4, 4a, 4b) that are each in a substantially hexagonal shape defined by bars 5 are formed in a state of forming rows in a first direction (D, D1, D2) and in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction,
the first direction is a direction in which an inner net blade moves relative to the outer net blade when the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
the second direction is a direction of shaving when the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
the plurality of the blade holes are formed in such a manner that two of the plurality of the blade holes adjacent in the second direction form a row in the second direction in a state where the two of the plurality of the blade holes are shifted from each other in position in the first direction, and
at any position between one end and other end in the first direction in the cuttable region, at least one of the plurality of the blade holes exists within a distance of five rows of the plurality of the blade holes in the second direction;
the bars comprise:
first bars extending substantially parallel to the first direction;
a second bar connected to corresponding one of the first bars; and
a third bar connected to the second bar, each of the plurality of the blade holes includes an end in the first direction, the end being provided with a corner that holds hair introduced into the blade hole in a state where movement of the hair is suppressed,
the corner is formed at a connection part between the second bar and the third bar, and
each of the plurality of blade holes includes the corner on a side close to one end in the first direction and the corner on a side close to the other end in the first direction, the corners being formed at respective positions shifted from each other in the second direction.
See Figs. 1-6.
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Regarding claim 2, the density of the holes 5 is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 3, the holes having identical shape are best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 4, the orientation of the holes is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 5, an equal gap between two adjacent holes in the first direction is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 6, the holes arranging in overlap in the second direction are best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 8, a blade bar defining a first blade hole and a second blade hole spaced apart in the second direction is best seen in Fig. 4. Two adjacent blade holes spaced apart in the first direction (D1) are best seen in Fig. 4.
Regarding claim 10, a second bar and a third bar forming an angle at 3 o’clock position are best seen in Fig. 4.
Regarding claim 12, Schwob teach the outer net of claim 1 as explained in claim 1.
Regarding claim 13, Schwob teaches an electric razor comprising the outer net blade of claim 1 as explained in the claim 1.
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 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schwob (DE 27 23 728) in view of Shiba et al. (2013/0125401), hereinafter Shiba.
Regarding claim 14, Swob teaches an outer net blade member 2 that forms an outer net blade provided on an electric razor substantially as claimed except for the limitations in the bolded texts, the outer net blade member comprising:
a cuttable region configured to cut hair in a state where the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
wherein in the cuttable region, a plurality of blade holes (4, 4a, 4b) that are each in a substantially hexagonal shape defined by bars 5 are formed in a state of forming rows in a first direction (D, D1, D2) and in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction,
the first direction is a direction in which an inner net blade moves relative to the outer net blade when the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
the second direction is a direction of shaving when the outer net blade is provided on the electric razor,
the plurality of the blade holes are formed in such a manner that two of the plurality of the blade holes adjacent in the second direction form a row in the second direction in a state where the two of the plurality of the blade holes are shifted from each other in position in the first direction,
at any position between one end and other end in the first direction in the cuttable region, at least one of the plurality of the blade holes exists within a distance of five rows of the plurality of the blade holes in the second direction,
the bars comprise a pair of first bars, a pair of second bars, and a pair of third bars,
each of the plurality of the blade holes is in a hexagonal shape defined by inner sides of the pair of first bars extending substantially parallel to the first direction, the pair of second bars connected to the pair of first bars, and the pair of third bars connected to the pair of second bars,
each of lengths of the pair of first bars is longer than each of lengths of the pair of second bars and each of lengths of the pair of third bars,
each of the lengths of the pair of second bars is longer than each of the lengths of the pair of third bars,
each of inclination angles of the pair of second bars with respect to the second direction is larger than each of inclination angles of the pair of third bars with respect to the second direction, and
an angle of each of corners formed at connection parts between one of the pair of second bars and one of the pair of third bars is in a range from 135 degrees to 160 degrees inclusive.
See Figs. 1-6.
The limitations in the bolded texts describe a stretched hexagon.
Shiba teaches an outer net blade member 70 that forms an outer net blade provided on an electric razor having a plurality of stretched hexagonal holes 73. See Fig. 6 and 7A-B.
The outer net blade members having regular hexagonal holes and stretched hexagonal holes in Swob and Shiba are art equivalents known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to use the outer net blade member having the stretched hexagonal holes in Swob since it has been held that substituting equivalents known for the same purpose is obvious to one skilled in the art. See MPEP. 2144.06.
As to the angle of the corners of the stretched hexagonal holes between 135-160 degrees, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to make the angle of the corners of the stretched hexagonal holes between 135-160 degrees for smooth cutting hairs, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 15, the density of the holes 5 is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 16, the holes having identical shape are best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 17, the orientation of the holes is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 18, an equal gap between two adjacent holes in the first direction is best seen in Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 19, the holes arranging in overlap in the second direction are best seen in Fig. 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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.
Claim 11 is allowable for setting forth the thickness of the first bar being smaller than the thickness of the second bar and the third bar for the purpose of raising hairs.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 04/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s argument with respect to claim 1, the embodiment in Fig. 6 teaches two opposite corners being shifted vertically.
Regarding Applicant argument with respect to claim 14, Shiba reference is introduced to teach the stretched hexagonal holes which results in the angle of the corner ranging 135-160 degrees.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHONG H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4510. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-5.
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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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/PHONG H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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