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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
Applicant's submission filed on 8/25/26 has been entered.
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)(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, 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim US 2017/0081853 A1 (hereinafter ‘Kim’).
In regard to claim 1, Kim teaches a coupler comprising:
a first fitting (120) mountable on a first externally threaded reinforcing bar (100) configured to be positioned in concrete, the first fitting including:
a first body (see 120 in fig. 17) having a first internal thread (620) configured to threadedly receive the first externally threaded reinforcing bar (see [0158]), and
a second internal thread (440) having a pitch finer than a pitch of the first internal thread (see [0142]); and
a plug (140) threadable into the second internal thread to a position to abut an end of the first externally threaded reinforcing bar (see fig. 1 and 6) when the first externally threaded reinforcing bar is received in the first internal thread of the first fitting (see fig. 6).
In regard to claim 2, Kim teaches the claimed invention wherein the plug is configured to be tightened in the second internal thread to apply a preload against the end of the first externally treaded reinforcing bar. Note that the plug is threaded and engages with the second threads, therefore is fully capable of being tightening and apply a preload on the bar (see MPEP 2114).
In regard to claim 5, Kim teaches the claimed invention wherein the plug has an external thread (430 -see fig. 3) corresponding to the second internal thread of the first fitting (see [0117]).
In regard to claim 6, Kim teaches the claimed invention wherein the plug includes a stop (see fig. 13) to ensure a correct depth of insertion to the first fitting to enable insertion of the threaded reinforcing bar prior to tightening the plug to apply the preload (see [0107]).
In regard to claim 7, Kim teaches a second fitting (130) mountable to a second bar (110) having a second body with a first internal thread configured to receive the bar (see fig. 1); and
a second internal thread having a pitch finer than a pitch of the first internal thread (see figs. 1-2)
and a second plug (150) as claimed (see fig. 6).
In regard to claim 8, Kim teaches the second fitting is configured to be in threaded connection with the first fitting (See fig. 6 -Note that all the parts are threadably connected to one another while socket 160 is also treaded over the connected fittings, therefore the fittings are configured to be in threaded connection).
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 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim over Stone US 2022/0356893 A1 (hereinafter ‘Stone’).
In regard to claim 3, Kim does not explicitly teach the plug is frangible.
Stone teaches a coupler comprising a first fitting (part B) having a first internal thread (44) and a second internal thread (36); and a plug (34) threadable into the second internal thread (see fig. 14), wherein the plug is frangible (see [0066]).
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the instant application to provide a plug that is frangible, as taught by Stone, in the coupler of Kim, so as to facilitate installation and to provide a simple torque indication (see Stone [0066]).
In regard to claim 4, Kim teaches the plug includes an engagement formation (320) usable to rotate the plug. The engagement formation is not frangibly connected to the plug.
Stone teaches a coupler comprising a first fitting (part B) having a first internal thread (44) and a second internal thread (36); and a plug (34) having an engagement formation (52) connected by a frangible section to the remainder of the component (see [0079]).
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 with a frangible formation, as taught by Stone, in the coupler of Kim, so as to facilitate installation and to provide a simple torque indication (see Stone [0079]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 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:
In regard to claim 9, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the coupler recited in claim 8 such that the second fitting has a male thread that is able to be connected to a female thread in the first fitting, as recited within the context of the claim.
In regard to claim 10, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the coupler recited in claim 8 such that the first fitting includes a first female thread, the second fitting has a second female thread and the coupler includes a stud having ends connectable to both the first and second female threads, as recited within the context of the claim.
Conclusion
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/PAOLA AGUDELO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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